He is a real estate agent with Kent Realty & Associates and a loan officer with Challenge Mortgage in Orange Park.
ONE STOP SHOP?
“I call myself the ‘one stop shop’. He can list the property, get the loan approved, write the contract and process the loan. One hand feeds the other. The customers like it better too because they are dealing with one person.” He uses various title companies for his closings. “I like being able to handle 100 percent of the transaction leaving no loose ends.”
BEST MARKETING TOOLS?
His website is www.toddarnold.com and his phone number is 813-TODD.
ALWAYS ON CALL?
He has a hands-free headset that he has attached to him at all times. “My phone number is on the top of every listing and that’s been my specialty — that I am able to answer every call. I tell every customer that I’m with ‘Please don’t take this as my being rude to you, but I try to answer every call like you would want me to do when you call.’ A lot of times they are out and see something they want and I try to be there for everyone.”
LIVE FOR WORK?
“I’m single, no children and I live my life for work and I enjoy it. My girlfriend is work and my new Beamer. I really enjoy my work and I enjoy success.”
HOW DID HE GET INTO MORTGAGES?
He overheard someone he respected saying that the place to be was real estate. So, he decided that he wanted to learn real estate from the bottom up and got a job processing real estate mortgages. He then decided to become a loan officer and joined Challenge Mortgage.
HOW DID HE GET INTO SELLING REAL ESTATE?
“I was a loan officer for two years and I got tired of listening to real estate agents calling in who didn’t seem as professional as they should.” Arnold said that the information gathered from a real estate agent is very similar to the information gathered by a loan officer. “I said to myself that if they can do that [basically the same job I was doing] and make money, so could I. I just needed to get a little more information from the person.” He took one week off work last year, got his license and became a real estate agent.
BEFORE REAL ESTATE?
He worked in several service jobs including landscaping golf courses, selling vacuum cleaners and as a service manager at Regency Kawasaki, a jet ski and motorcycle service shop.
HOW DOES HE BALANCE HIS TIME?
“I do so much and there does come a time when I have to branch out and delegate loans to other loan officers. I am a control freak. I want to be in control of all of it, but sometimes I do delegate work out.”
AREA HE WORKS?
All over Jacksonville.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO NEW AGENTS?
“To not think of yourself not as a salesperson, but as a service person.”
WHY WOULD SOMEONE WANT TO LIVE IN ORANGE PARK?
“You can get more house for your money in Orange Park.”
BIRTHPLACE
New York, but he moved to Jacksonville when he was three years old.
RESIDES
Mandarin.
HOBBIES
Golf and networking.
FAVORITES
His favorite television shows are “Friends” and “Seinfeld.” His favorite type of food is Mexican and he cited Los Torros as a good place to eat. When listening to music, he enjoys everything but country music.
— by Michele Newbern Gillis