With the recent hirings, firings and relocation of agents to different companies in the Ortega area, there is a lot of moving around in the area. Several agents left Atkinson and Knight’s Ortega office and relocated elsewhere. There was a management change at the Watson Ortega office and several agents have left that office as well. Staff writer Michele Gillis sat down recently with Lee Norville of Norville Realty to find out what is going on.
YOU RECENTLY BROUGHT IN MORE AGENTS?
“We now have two more full-time agents and two part-time agents.”
WHAT MAKES AGENTS MOVE AROUND?
“Maybe things have changed at their office where they have new managers with new policies. Things like that cause people to move.”
DOES YOUR COMPANY NOW HAVE THE MARKET ON THE AVONDALE /ORTEGA AREA?
“We’ve stepped up. But, in the long run it will all settle down. Our area is different in that — it is who you know, not who you work for. Everybody around here has lived here forever and the agents have lived in the area forever. We get a large percentage of our business from referrals and past customers. It’s good to be involved in your community with such groups as church, Rotary, Garden Club and things like that. We have a excellent reputation of dealing honestly and fairly, not only with the general public, but with the other agents.”
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOUR OFFICE?
“Change happens and occasionally it can be good for us. Something that I am kind of proud of is that things change, managers change and companies have big shake-ups but, we have been here since 1986. It’s started out with just me and I slowly added some very good agents. We have very little turnover with agents here.”
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?
“I’m very good and loyal to them and in turn they are very good and loyal to me. They find me behind this desk every day. I am involved with every sale to a certain degree. I don’t interfere, but I like to keep abreast of what is going on.”
WHO’S IN THE OFFICE?
Norville is the president and Susan Brown is the administrative assistant. Betty Yerkes, Janie Boyd, Claire Morgan, Katherine Klockenbrink, M. Reese Dusenbury Jr., Barbara Morgan, Robin Snipes, Toy Scott, Jeanne Moss and Elizabeth O’Steen are agents.
WHAT DOES NORVILLE DO?
“I’m kind of the broker, bookkeeper, owner and sales person.” He oversees the office and takes care of the agents.
DO THEY HIRE NEW AND EXPERIENCED AGENTS?
Yes. When they hire a new agent, they send them to a real estate school for training and they are also trained by Norville.
SPECIALIZE IN?
Listings and sales of residential properties in the Avondale, Riverside, Venetia, Ortega, Murray Hill and Lake Shore areas.
WHY IS YOUR OFFICE UNIQUE?
“We are small and family oriented. When someone comes to work here, a prerequisite is not how much can you sell a year, but that they will get along with everyone in the office. I’m right here, so people don’t have to go far to get answers, there is not layers and layers of management to go through.”
DOES HE SELL?
Yes, he does, but he doesn’t try to compete with his agents. Most of his business comes from referrals from past customers. “I’ve always had to make a living and as we get bigger it will be less important that I do that.”
SPEAKING OF GETTING BIGGER?
Due to the size of their office, Norville said they will probably only add one or two more agents and then be maxed out. “We are about full, but if there was someone that we really wanted to hire, we might be able to squeeze them in.”
WHY WOULD SOMEONE WANT TO BUY IN ORTEGA?
“It is a very historic and traditional area. It is convenient to downtown and it is a beautiful area.” He said that some of the houses in the area that have been neglected are being torn down replaced with new houses sporting a traditional look.
HOW DO YOU HELP YOUR AGENTS TO BE SUCCESSFUL?
“I bring in informational speakers to the weekly sales meetings.”