Putting Agents First

By Paige Tepping

RISMEDIA, Dec. 23, 2008-In any market, a strong synergy is crucial to keeping a real estate office thriving. Recognizing this, Judy Johns, operating partner of Keller Williams Realty Partners says that she keeps her agents involved at every level in the company-allowing for that very cooperative spirit and synergy. Here, meet Johns, and find out real estate best practices her company utilizes to stay competitive in Overland Park, Kansas.

Judy Johns
Operating Partner
Keller Williams Realty Partners
Overland Park, Kansas

Years in real estate: 31
Number of offices: 3
Number of agents: 400+
Region served: Overland Park and Northern Kansas City
Average sales price: $180,000
Best tip for making meetings productive: Keep them informative. Offer information that is relevant to the market that your agents can take with them and use to their advantage.
Best tip for dealing with difficult customers: Stay calm and work with them to understand where their stress is coming from.
Words of advice for people getting started in the industry: Make sure you are committed to the fact that this is a job. You need to be willing to take on the fiduciary aspect of the industry and make the commitment to serve others.

How do you most effectively communicate with your agents?

E-mail is the easiest and most efficient way that I stay in touch with my agents. In addition, I try to create a positive and enthusiastic working atmosphere within the office in hopes of inspiring my agents to work to reach their potential.

What is one fundamental that you feel is essential to your company’s continued success?

Our company’s value system: God, family, then business. This is the banner by which we live and work and it has been a great magnet for bringing in customers who have the same belief system.

What makes your company unique in today’s market?

We are an agent-driven company, so we are set up so that we put our agents first. Instead of our leadership coming from the top down, we make an effort to keep our company agent-driven. We have set up an agent leadership council that has created a limited democracy within the company. Keeping our agents involved at every level in the company allows for a cooperative spirit and synergy.

What is your company’s best competitive advantage over other real estate companies in your area?

The profit-sharing program that we have built into our company allows us to recognize our agents and make them feel like they are part of the entire team. The program gives our agents the opportunity to share in the company’s profits and see firsthand how the company is performing.

What is one thing that has allowed you to stay one step ahead of your competition?

The Real Estate Book has been a great tool that has given us a lot of added exposure. One of the things that has been most beneficial to our company is their autofeed of our properties to the Internet. Since many of our clients come to us from the Internet or have used it during their home search, it is a crucial part of our strong Web presence.

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