Diana Jackson has been a Realtor with Century 21 St. Augustine Properties for eight years. She has been in real estate with various companies over the past 22 years in three different states.
BEFORE REAL ESTATE?
She and her husband owned a medical X-ray equipment sales and service corporation. “Most of my background was as an executive secretary.”
WHAT MADE HER GO INTO REAL ESTATE?
She and her husband got their real estate license while they still had their company. “It was a nice diversion. We wanted to get away from the focus that we had in the medical field. So, we went to the real estate school. Both of us went and we passed the test on the first time. It was almost like a vacation. It gave us the break that we needed. It gave us some recreation. You train yourself in doing the medical field. Real estate was kind of like another avenue to go into. It gave us a whole other support system and a whole other group of people you normally wouldn’t see and it worked. It was great.”
HOW DOES HER PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE HELP HER NOW?
Jackson said it helped her with her organizational skills and her communication skills with customers.
GARAGE SALE/OPEN HOUSE?
Jackson answered a question of the month in Realty/Builder Connection last month where she brought up the idea of having an open house in conjunction with a garage sale. She said she had a customer who did this and had 54 people come to the house. “Most of the people were there for the garage sale, but 30 of them went through the house. But, the mere fact that she got 54 people there is great. Some people are not open to the idea of a garage sale and that’s ok. But, I’ve always sold a house when I’ve had the garage sale. They are there having the garage sale, I’m there with my flyers.”
AREA SHE COVERS?
She focuses on a 20 to 30 mile circle around the St. Augustine area.
WHAT’S GOING ON IN THE ST. AUGUSTINE MARKET
“The St. Augustine market is starting to pick up. Prices are now low enough that people are going to say, ‘Oh, I better hurry and buy that’. It’s either going to be taken off the market and rented or totally withdrawn and people will stay there. Some people can’t afford to lower much more.”
WHAT IS SHE DOING DIFFERENT IN THIS BUYER’S MARKET TO GET BUSINESS?
“I am doing as many open houses as possible. I did 18 in April. You have to be sparkly and you have to get out there and move the bushes around and get the peaches off the tree. You have to have balloons and signs. It’s almost an attitude of ‘Yippee-ki-yay.’ I leave a piece of paper in the bathroom and around the house with ‘Make an offer, make an offer, make an offer’ on it. I start out with small print and get bigger font as it goes down the page so it screams ‘Make an offer’ at the bottom of the page. Some people are afraid to actually make an offer because they are embarrassed. One guy came out to where I was, because I don’t follow them around, especially in a vacant home, and was like, ‘Ok, I’ll make an offer.’ His offer was too low, but after going back and forth, we did reach an agreement and he eventually did buy the house.”
OTHER IDEAS?
If the customer doesn’t like the home she’s in, she has flyers of listings in the area available for them to peruse. She finds out what they are looking for and if they like one of the other listings, she will show them another house that might be more suited to their needs in the same area.
DRAWING ATTENTION?
Jackson said it is important to draw attention to yourself in the best way you can. “Whereever I go I wear all my badges. I keep myself sharp. This (my hat) has drawn a lot of attention. They say, ‘Oh you work for Century 21’. I say, ‘Yes, I do. Are you thining about selling?’ You just make yourself noticable.”
BEST ADVICE SHE’S EVER RECEIVED FROM A CO-WORKER?
“Keep doing what you are doing and keep that energy up. Keep being positive.”
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS?
St. Augustine Board of Realtors and the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors.
- by Michele Newbern Gillis