Tim Williams
Broker/Owner
CENTURY 21 803 Realty
Lexington, South Carolina
https://803realty.biz
Region served: South Carolina, primarily the Central Midlands
Years in real estate: 15
Number of offices: 2
Number of agents: 48
What do you like most about the region in which you work?
We’re naturally slow-paced. Our trends tend to tick about five years behind the West Coast, so we have a huge advantage in forecasting what our market is going to look like if we pay attention to what’s happening in faster markets. Since our market has a slower reaction time than those located in other areas of the country, we get to see the wave when it comes our way, then take advantage of that and prepare.
As an entrepreneur with many ventures, what would you point to as some of the keys to success in business?
Integrity is one, while staying true and staying on track are also wildly beneficial. It’s very easy to get off track and be distracted by the next shiny thing. A lot of people get caught up in the small stuff, get discouraged and then fail to just power through. But you have to stay on track for the end goal. It’s all about keeping your eye on the prize.
Is now the time to pursue expansion—in terms of offices and/or number of agents?
Absolutely. Right now, we’re experiencing a huge market shift. Companies and brands that are focusing on growing technology (like companies affiliated with the CENTURY 21® brand) need to capitalize on capturing the agents who are looking for something new and refreshing, for a company that stands behind them, is innovative and able to pivot easily. The past two and a half years have been a rollercoaster. Now is the time that we should be taking a moment to catch our breath, honing in on our business plans, sharpening our edge and our blade for when the market picks back up. What we’re experiencing right now is just the natural ebb and flow of real estate. We got so accustomed to everything being so high paced, but if you look at it from a thousand-foot view, these are the same types of numbers and saturation that we were seeing pre-COVID.
As we continue through the second half of 2023, what are you most looking forward to in your respective market(s)?
I’m looking forward to the calm, and things becoming normal. I’m very positive as far as our future is concerned. New construction is making a rebound, which is making it easier on the resale side for people wanting to sell their older homes to buy something new. I also like the fact that lenders are coming back with more creative financing options that are benefiting the consumer, and we’re seeing a lot more affordable housing come on the market. I think that will continue to grow stronger in the second half of this year, with everybody pivoting to maintain their relevance in the market.
What drew you to affiliate with the CENTURY 21 brand?
The support staff, from the top all the way down to my franchise coordinator and everybody in between. I tell anybody considering franchising with the CENTURY 21 brand that they’re not a wine, dine and ditch you kind of company. Everything they stand for is what I stood for before branding with them. The support is what I was looking for to scale my business and help my affiliated agents scale their business. I interviewed eight different brands when I decided that it was time for me to rebrand, and Century 21 Real Estate was leaps and bounds better than any other ones I spoke with.
For more information, visit https://www.century21.com.
