The office is at 103 Century 21 Dr. and opened about a year ago. Sam Harrison is the broker/owner and does the recruiting and managing. “My main emphasis is finding prospects for the agents to deal with and managing and growing the business. I want to help the agents to be successful. I will spend a lot of time and effort going out of my way to find prospects to turn over to the agents. Prospecting is very difficult.” The Web site is www.pointtopointrealty.com.
THE OFFICE?
Though the company has a physical office, all of the agents work from their homes. They have the office to come into to meet customers or to use resources like the fax or copy machine. They also allow Katrina Jackson of Bank of America to use the office to meet with customers. She is their preferred lender. “Needless to say we do not require our customers to use her, but she is our preferred source for mortgages.”
THE NAME?
“The name means getting people from point to other points.”
NOT AN ACCIDENT?
Harrison said it is not an accident that the company is located in the same building as the Northeast Florida Builders Association.
“As I started looking around knowing that I was going to open my own company and was going to eventually grow it, I started looking around for adequate office space in Arlington and Southside areas. It just so happened that I saw the sign out there for space to rent in this building. I did not realize at the time the implications. I called the listing agent and then found out what all was here and what they did. We are in the real estate selling business. They are in the home building business. It was a logical thing to do. I realized there could be some compelling advantages in the future for us to be here.”
WHY OPEN A COMPANY NOW?
Harrison said many people (some that he knew and some that he didn’t) walked up to him and asked, “How stupid can you be? I mean people are jumping off tall buildings and getting out of the real estate business and you want to open a real estate company with your own money and make it successful?”
My answer was “Let me at it. This is my last hurrah. I’m not a young man. This is my passion. I figured if I could bring some good people in and we could figure out a way to survive the bad times, when the good times come around it will be ‘Katie bar the door.’”
Before going into real estate, Harrison had a day job selling armored car service and was a real estate investor for 18 years. He worked for Watson Realty for two years before going out on his own.
TEAM MEETINGS
Though his office is small, he would like to hold team meetings once a month in the conference room they share with NEFBA.
WHO IS IN THE OFFICE?
Tiffany Avevor, Gena Casas, Wendy Dennis, Catherine Doris, Kathy Faryon, Vicky Hertzer, Adam Locklear and Tara Newport are agents. Vivienne Courseault is Harrison’s assistant.
FUTURE PLANS?
He’d like to get as big as appropriate. “My object is not to see how big I can get, but to see how good we can grow to and still help people be happy with their homes and our agents do well.”
BUYERS ARE THE KEY?
Harrison said he and his agents are focusing on buyers right now.
“There are a lot of buyers out there that want to buy. Many of them don’t know that they can, especially first time homebuyers.”
HOW DO YOU COMPETE IN THIS MARKET?
Harrison is teaming up with Bank of America to do homebuyer seminars, direct-response advertising and direct marketing. Harrison is also using the Craig Proctor’s Home Selling System as part of his marketing strategy.
WHAT IS DIRECT RESPONSE ADVERTISING?
“To get people who want to buy to respond direct rather than us going out asking people if they want to buy. I’m thinking outside the box and doing some things that get the people that do want to buy that I don’t know about to call me.”
TRAINING?
None. He only hires experienced agents now.
QUALITIES IN AGENTS?
He looks for honesty, integrity and the desire to work very hard to make the customers happy.
THE MARKET?
Harrison said he sees two things happening at the same time. “The market is still slowing and activity is picking up, at least for my company. The housing prices are getting better. Builders are still lowering prices, which makes it even better for buyers. The world is not ending. It is a great time to buy.”
ADVICE TO YOUR FELLOW REALTORS?
“Perception creates reality. We need to truly believe that the cup is half full, not half empty. Things are good or bad by comparison only.”
- by Michele Newbern Gillis