Chaundra Berghoefer has been a Realtor with Realty Executives Amelia Island for a year. Berghoefer practiced real estate in Jacksonville 18 years ago and then owned her own residential cleaning business, Quality Cleaning Services, for 16 years. She said it was a good job to have while her children were in school and, when they moved out, it gave her more flexibility to get back into real estate.
“I love real estate. I love houses, working with people and flexibility. I do not like a 9-to-5 job, so it really fits with my schedule.”
WHAT HAS HELPED YOU IN RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS?
“I got a lot of my ideas about running my own business from Craig Proctor, a real estate trainer. He has a program where he tells you how to run a business. I think I’ve become more successful by using ideas on running a business. I actually use his marketing plan.”
SPECIALITY?
Residential homes and condominiums.
AREA SHE COVERS?
All of Nassau County and Jacksonville.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE FERNANDINA MARKET?
“It’s still very good. It has slowed down like a lot of areas. Houses are not flying off the market like they were, but it’s been very good for me. It’s still a great market here.”
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT REAL ESTATE IN FERNANDINA?
“The great thing about working here is that even though the housing market has gone up, you can still find affordable housing. There is a resort spirit here, but there really is more of a small town feel. That’s what I like about it. I tell people who want to live in this area, but still work in Jacksonville, that you don’t have the hectic pace that you have in Jacksonville. You don’t have all the traffic, except when we have the Shrimp Festival, and you can walk into a bank and don’t have to wait in a long line. It has a small town feel and people know each other around here. It doesn’t take long for people to get to know you.”
BEST PROFESIONAL ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
Berghoefer said to give people the information they want without information overload. If you give them what they want, she said, they will come back to you if they want more.
ADVICE FOR A NEW AGENT?
“Be able to market yourself and make sure you stand out in the marketplace. Also, you have to capture the market on the Internet by having a good website. Most of my new leads and sales are coming through the web.”
PET PEEVES?
“People not giving you feedback on properties. I don’t like the way people request feedback, so I don’t always give feedback myself. I hate the little sheets that are faxed to the office. You get 15 sheets on 15 different properties and can’t remember which property is which. All of my feedback requests are emailed with a photo of the house, so they just have to check the boxes. I get feedback about 95 percent of the time.”
LESSONS LEARNED?
Berghoefer said she has learned how important marketing is and to make sure it is the right kind of marketing. “If you don’t market yourself correctly, it’s like sink or swim.”
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS?
Nassau County Chamber of Commerce, Amelia Island/Nassau County Association of Realtors.
- by Michele Newbern Gillis
Chaundra Berghoefer
Job: Realtor
Company: Realty Executives, Amelia Island
Hometown: Jacksonville
Church: Jehovah’s Witness
Resides: Fernandina Beach
Family: Married to Dave, an automotive technican. They have three children: Caleb, 23; Kristen, 21; and Chelse, 12.
Hobbies: Goling to the beach and shopping.