Melinda Back has been the marketing manager for Taylor Woodrow’s new community, St. Johns Forest, located on CR 210 for 10 months.
WHAT DOES SHE DO?
She directs all the advertising, public relations and event coordination for the community. “I also work with each builders” sales team on the traffic and leads. I do all the marketing for the community to get them exposure. Once the clubhouse is in, I will oversee all of the community relations including the amenity management company, property management company, architectural review board and potential buyers.”
WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT YOUR SETUP?
Since the community will be gated, all visitors to the community must go through the clubhouse first. “Everyone will come through the clubhouse, get greeted, get a presentation on the community, get registered and then get sent on to the builders. It’s a different structure. It’s a little confusing because I haven’t seen it done in this market before, but at the same time, it sort of eliminates an onsite sales agent team in the clubhouse. You have a clubhouse where I’ll be there with a couple of greeters to make sure that the community’s story is told and that everyone has all the information they want on the development, so when the builder’s agents see them, all they have to do is sell them the home.”
NEW EXPERIENCE?
Back started work the first week they put their trailer on the property. “I was here before there were roads. It’s nice to get to see a community grow. Every day you can come in and see progress being made. You can actually see the results of everyone’s work and know that in the end people are going to be proud to call it their home.”
HOW DID SHE GET THE JOB THERE?
The person who was in the position prior to Back had to relocate to Orlando with her husband. “An opening came up and I had recommendations from different people.”
BEFORE TAYLOR WOODROW?
Back has had seven years experience marketing and selling real estate in Jacksonville. She started her career doing sales support and marketing at Queen’s Harbour Yacht and Country Club. After becoming licensed, she moved to Ocean Grande at Serenata Beach as a site agent. Most recently she worked for Arthur Rutenberg by Marcus Allen Homes doing marketing and sales.
THE COMMUNITY
There are 540 home sites planned. The builders are Morrison Homes, David Weekly Homes, Richard Dostie, a Toll Brothers Company, and ICI Homes. Prices will range from $200,000’s to the $900,000’s. Of the 100 sites released so far, about a third are already sold. There will be an amenities center, fitness center, pool with tower waterslide, tot lot, basketball and tennis courts, a multi purpose field and a roller hockey rink. The model homes should be complete in January 2005 and the clubhouse will be complete in March 2005. The site agents for the builders are selling outside of the development until their models are finished in January. “If a Realtor wants to bring a buyer out, they need to contact the builder team and set an appointment. That team can come out and meet them, show them the lots and take them back to their office to show them the floor plans.”
TYPES OF BUYERS?
Back said she has seen young first-time homebuyers all the way to older couples wanting to build their dream home. “There has been a strong representation from people in the local area, but we also had people looking to relocate to Florida and were comparing us to other markets like Orlando or Tampa. That is very exciting.”
WHY GET INTO REAL ESTATE?
She started with Queen’s Harbour while she was still in college. “I was hired on as a receptionist/front desk work. The team there was fantastic and it really opened my eyes to the whole real estate industry. While I was there, I got to work with people who were constantly in a good mood because they were buying a home. When I looked out over Jacksonville, I saw so much growth happening, I realized that this was a job I could have for the next 30 years. The Queen’s Harbour team were so supportive and really showed me how everything goes together including how developments run, how sales work, how marketing plays in and this was all while I was finishing my degree. When I graduated, I really wanted to focus on advertising in real estate, developing and building industry. I was fascinated by it.”
COLLEGE
Back has a bachelor’s degree in communication with an emphasis in advertising from the University of North Florida.
RESIDES
She lives in a little community, South Lake, on CR 210. “It’s a great location and a great commute to work.”
ADVICE FOR SOMEONE INTERESTED IN GETTING INTO MARKETING?
“Listening is something you can always work on and improve. Being detailed oriented is important. You have to have an outgoing personality and like people.”
LESSONS LEARNED?
“To be as direct and honest with people as possible. You need to be consistent and open with all the information that you are giving to people.”
PET PEEVES?
“My pet peeve recently has been the elements that we are so susceptible to here. I know everyone has had a really rough month, but the power outages have been my pet peeve recently because they make everything so difficult.”
PERSONAL SIDE?
When she is not working, she enjoys playing with her dog Nikita, working out, going to the beach and reading. A book she recommends is “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown. A movie she saw recently was “Ladder 49.” “It was a really good movie.” When dining out, she enjoys Miyagi Japanese Steak House in Baymeadows. Her favorite getaway spot is Wilmington, N.C.
- by Michele Newbern Gillis