This May marks Inman’s sixth annual Agent Appreciation Month. Look for profiles of top producers, opinions on the current state of the industry and tangible takeaways you can implement in your career today. Plus, the prestigious Future Leaders of Real Estate return this month, too.
It was the summer of 1977, and I was planning to attend graduate school in the fall. My dad offered me a temporary job at his real estate company in Leesville, Louisiana, and I gladly accepted. Little did I know that this decision would change the trajectory of my life.
Nearly 50 years later, I have spent my entire career in the real estate industry. I worked alongside my dad until he retired, and then I took over the company. Along the way, I helped a handsome Army officer named Lee buy a home while stationed at Fort Polk. We started dating, and after we got married, Lee left the Army and joined me in the real estate business.
It’s a great partnership, and we complement each other perfectly: Lee sees the big picture, and I love all the details.
To change or not to change
A really important thing I learned early on is not to be afraid of change. We were one of the early adopters of franchising because we believed it was the best way to grow. The ERA Franchise was available, and at 21, I had just flipped my first home. I was able to pay for the franchise fee out of those funds, and the trip to Kansas City (then the headquarters of ERA) was on.
I remember the convention when websites were introduced. We didn’t even own a computer at that point, but we knew this was a game changer, so when we got home, we went right out and bought one.
When drone technology came online, Lee spent a lot of time learning how to apply it to our business. Lee was selected out of hundreds of entries to participate in the Innovation Award from ERA Real Estate and recognized by the judges as a cutting-edge broker, receiving the ERA Innovation Shark Tank Award.
We do our best to recognize changes in our market that affect our business and make adjustments, such as recently adjusting our commission plan, which resulted in zero breakage. When we started hearing the buzz about buyer agency contracts, we got out in front of it and developed our own contracts that ultimately became the standard in our market.
At the same time, we also knew that some things about the real estate business would not change, and that was the importance of our relationships with our clients. It might seem counterintuitive, but we have developed lifelong relationships with clients in a market where people move frequently.
Serving those who serve
Growing up in Leesville, home to the Fort Johnson Army base, I met a lot of kids who moved around a lot. I felt a lot of empathy toward them and would take them under my wing at school so they could feel more welcomed and settled. In the military, people are moved every three years, so there were always new kids. I believe that this was a formative experience for me that I carried into my real estate career.
I also believe homeownership is important for everyone. Still, it is even more so for military families who move every three years and may not be able to build equity as easily as people who don’t move so frequently. We have worked with our military clients on investment properties here in Leesville that help them build wealth for their retirement.
About 20 percent of the people deployed to Leesville return here to retire. And many of the people who are deployed here for their last duty station, fall in love with Leesville and decide to stay after they leave the military.
I’ve also had the pleasure of working with many military spouses who learn the craft of real estate here in Leesville and are able to take those skills with them when they move on to the next deployment. I love the feeling of “teaching a person to fish” and have developed some very special relationships with agents over the years, who are now scattered literally all over the world.
These agents feel like sons and daughters to me, and I am so proud of all that they have accomplished. In both of these instances — with clients and agents — we have forged relationships for life, something that I truly believe enriches my life.
All in on agent development
As a non-competing broker, I am able to fully devote myself to developing our agents. We have a multitiered approach to training: I handle the basic skills of selling, Lee works with agents on the fine art of contracts, and our technology person, who is also our relocation director, helps agents leverage all of the business-building tools we have at our disposal.
We also make a point to foster a supportive and collaborative team, which not only creates a comfortable place to work but also pays dividends in the business. Close to 40 percent of what we list, we sell in-house.
Part of our agent development and support is a commitment to business planning. We don’t make it mandatory, but just about everyone participates because they know it works. All they have to do is look at our MLS and see that 10 out of the top 25 agents in our market are affiliated with ERA Sarver, and all of them have business plans.
Another reason we have such great buy-in on business plans is that Lee and I make it a point to figure out what motivates each person and build a plan that aligns with that.
Looking back and looking ahead
Sometimes I can’t believe I’ve been in real estate for more than 40 years, but as they say, time flies when you are having fun. Not only have I been having fun, but I have also found a career that truly fulfills me. When I first started out, there was no MLS, and we sold everything in-house. Today, we have MLSs, listing distribution partners and social media.
The pace of change has accelerated, and we have embraced these changes to elevate our ability to build relationships for life. For me, that’s what this business is all about. And that will never change.
Ranelle Birmingham is the broker-owner of ERA Sarver Real Estate, Inc. Connect with Birmingham on LinkedIn.
