In the following interview, Kristin Beran Krupp and Sherry Beran of The Beran Group, LLC with Long & Foster discuss the advantages of a team dynamic and the value of a multi-generational approach.
Years in Real Estate: Kristin: 13; Sherry: 13
Region Served: Metro Richmond, Va.
Team Members: 7
You and your mother, Sherry Beran, founded the team 13 years ago and have been very successful—named top listing and top closing team leaders for November 2016 at Long & Foster. Talk about the benefits of being a mother/daughter team.
Kristin Beran Krupp: We always have each other to lean on and we have strengths and weaknesses that complement each other. I list and do the business aspect, which means I run things, and I talk to my mom to make sure she agrees with everything I do. My mom, on the other hand, is the communicator and problem-solver.
Sherry Beran: I’m more social and I like to get involved with different networking groups. Real estate is a 24/7 job, and because we’re family, we have the same work ethic and values. We also trust each other implicitly, so when one of us takes time off, it’s seamless.
KBK: My mom and I got into real estate at the same time and set up a 50/50 partnership. We hired an accountant from day one and we treat the team like a business, so much so that we cut ourselves paychecks. I think that’s a huge reason we’ve succeeded. In addition to paying ourselves a set amount on a monthly basis, we’re prepared for a rainy day.
Where do you spend the bulk of your marketing money?
KBK: Online. Even though we have access to great online tools, we hired an online social media company to not only help us incorporate Facebook, realtor.com® and Trulia, but to ensure we’re using all of these tools effectively. We also still believe in the newspaper. We do a great deal of work in construction for active adults, and they tend to look for houses in the paper.
What are you most proud of about your team?
SB: Our reputation. We strive day-in and day-out to do the right thing and treat people the way we want to be treated. Richmond isn’t a huge market, and at some point, if you do enough business, you will work with people again. When I meet agents face-to-face, they’re always complimentary about their experience in working with our team, which is what we aim for.
You both have Seniors Real Estate Specialist® designations. How does this help you? And what does it entail?
KBK: We got the designation years ago and it gave us the opportunity to work with a builder in town who caters to the active adult community. There’s a huge need in the marketplace.
SB: When you work with older adults, not only are emotions higher, but there tend to be more decision-makers involved in the transaction. Families are far more involved. Since this part of the market is huge, selling older adults’ homes can be more challenging, so our training has been invaluable in being able to help this segment of the market.
How do you differentiate your team from the competition?
SB: By being innovative and incorporating technology into the mix. In fact, we were using professional photographers before anyone in the marketplace. In addition, we span the generations. Kristin is 36, my son—who is also on the team—is 29, and I’m a senior, so we have the different perspectives covered.
For more information, please visit www.longandfoster.com.
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