Grady Clark has been a Realtor with Top List Realty, Inc. in Southside since last fall.
NAME SOUND FAMILIAR?
You may be familiar with Grady Clark Photography. He’s one in the same. For over 20 years, he’s done commercial photography including advertising, editorial, calendars and catalog work. He has shot for Rolling Stone magazine, Venus Swimwear, No Limits, Jacksonville Jaguars Cheerleading calendar, Ocean Waves Sunglasses and Jacksonville Today Magazine.
HOW DID HE GET
INTO REAL ESTATE?
“One of the things I did a while back was that I was the photographer for the Jacksonville Bulls, the football team.” He developed a friendship with one of the cheerleaders, Jana Bakkar, and kept in contact with her over the years. “Somewhere along the line, she got her real estate license and about a year ago she got her broker’s license. In the meantime, I had decided to sell my studio downtown. It made me realize that I didn’t ever want to get into commercial real estate. I bought a house and a couple properties along the way and I just developed an interest in residential real estate. We just kept kicking the idea around to open a company since she had her broker’s license.”
TOP LIST REALTY?
Top List Realty, Inc. opened in the spring of 2004. “I got involved because I could bring a lot of things to the table, such as coming up with a name and a logo, which I was able to do since I also do graphic design.” He and Bakkar worked together to come up with a name and logo and Top List Realty, Inc. was born. Top List has an office in Southside, but it’s more of a meeting space and answering service. All of the agents, including the broker have a home office and service customers from there, but have the office for meetings if necessary. “We have about for or five agents right now. We are talking to other people. We are not willing to grow huge, but we wouldn’t mind growing.” He said they are working on having an official office in the next year. “Although personally, I’m going to keep working from my home.” The company website is www.toplistrealty.com.
HOW DOES YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY EXPERIENCE HELP
YOU NOW?
“Normally, you look on the Multiple Listing Service and about 1/3 of the listings don’t have photos, another 1/3 have a photo and others have several. We’re trying to do it so I go in and really take photos of our listings and display them well.”
WHY SELL
YOUR STUDIO?
Clark moved back to Jacksonville in 1984 from Provo, Utah and opened Grady Clark Photography. He decided to sell the building a year ago and work out of his home. “The photography business has changed so much. Everyone who has digital camera thinks they are a photographer now. Some people will believe them and hire them to do work. It takes work away from legitimate professional photographers. It was getting to be a very difficult business to make a living in.”
DOES HE STILL DO PHOTOGRAPHY?
Yes, he still does contract commercial photography on the side.
HOW’S BUSINESS GOING?
“The funny thing is my mom has helped me as much as anything by referring friends of hers. A week or two ago, I had a phone call from a friend that was getting married and moving to Pennsylvania. He wanted me to list his house. Things are going well.”
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT REAL ESTATE?
“Before, I used to get up and go to my studio and work there. It was like a workshop. Now, it’s like the total opposite. I go out and meet people and show houses. It’s a different ballgame totally, but so far it’s been fun. I’ve enjoyed the back and forth negotiating, although sometimes it’s a pain. It’s a learning process.”
AREA HE WORKS?
All over Jacksonville. “It’s funny, the first listing I had was out in Penney Farms of all places. I had to go out there three or four times a week to show the house. I actually developed some things out there from people seeing my sign and calling me. PET PEEVES?
Clark said one thing he has found to be a problem is trying to reach Realtors who are listing a home, but only getting voicemail and no return call. “Someone wants to see a house so I’ll call the listing agent and I have been treated like crud on occasions. Just last week, I had a client in the car who wanted to see a house. I called the listing agent and they put me through to a voicemail, twice. I thought, here I am sitting with a client who wants to see this house, something that they are going to make money on, and they are being that discourteous. I’ve had that sort of thing happen time and time again. Supposedly we are supposed to be working together and there should be cooperation, but I’ve seen a lot of un-cooperation.”
—by Michele Newbern Gillis