by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
Let’s face it, buying or selling is a hassle. Processes that take days seem like eons. For every step forward, there seems to be at least one back. The paperwork may only total 50 pages or so, but it sure seems like a ream.
Not at Flaschen Realty Professionals, a Ponte Vedra-based, father and son company that specializes in doing to work for both the home buyer and the builder.
Jeff Flaschen owns FPR and offers a unique boutique realtor service — one-stop shopping where he plays middleman between the builder and the new home buyer.
“Basically, we are a real estate company that specializes in helping people buy new homes,” said Flaschen, adding that builders often employ their own team of real estate agents, but those agents have to follow processes and procedures set out by the builder which are all certainly legal and necessary, don’t always lend themselves to personalized customer service.
Flaschen’s background is varied enough to qualify him as an expert in both customer service and the real estate industry. He is from Detroit but moved to Florida 43 years ago where he once owned several Autofiles before going into real estate a dozen years ago.
“I have lots of experience and contacts in the industry and both of us (he and his father) are realtors,” said Flaschen.
The company’s method is pretty simple — work with a few home buyers at a time through every step, from selecting an area of the First Coast to assuring the new home has a valid and enforceable warranty. In between, Flaschen works the customers to pick a neighborhood and plan for the lot. FPR also guides the home buyer through what can be a literal maze of contracts and clauses as well as assisting with obtaining a mortgage and helping maintain a good communication flow between the home buyer and the builder. Flaschen monitors the progress of the home, sits in on the closing and makes sure the home is ready to move into by the specified date on the contract.
This all may sound very much like what a typical real estate agent does, but with FPR there are a few differences.
“It does not cost the buyer anything. The builder pays my commission,” said Flaschen. “Also, sometimes the big companies don’t have as much time for the customer. At Prudential, you may be one of 10,000 customers. With us, you are only one of five or six. We try to keep our number of customers kind of low. We won’t turn anyone away, but we try to keep six to eight customers at a time.”
Flaschen has been in this specialty business for a bout a year and says business is good. He hasn’t sold hundreds of homes, but that doesn’t bother Flaschen.
“We don’t want to be a big company,” said Flaschen, adding he’d like the company to grow a little over the next year, but not too much. “We’ll bring in a few more agents, but we want to stay a specialty company and that’s fine with me. I have no problem specializing.”
FPR may be small, but their geographic territory is typical for First Coast real estate agents — anywhere from Nassau County to Flagler County. Flaschen said his decision to start a small, specialty firm was based on his experience working for area builders. He also has extensive contacts in the mortgage industry that helps him line up customers with financing.
So, why predominantly new homes?
“One, the house comes with a warranty. Two, it shouldn’t have any defects,” explained Flaschen. “Three, generally as an investment — and this is just my opinion — there is quicker appreciation than in a used home. Finally, new construction is better these with things like hurricane codes and roofing materials.”