Though Davis has only been a Realtor for a year, she’s doing well. She’s with Exit Real Estate Gallery in Jacksonville Beach.
Prior to real estate
Davis was in medical device sales with One Source for a year and a half. Before that, she was in hotel sales for 13 years.
Why real estate?
Her company lost the Medicare bid in Florida and everyone in her company was dismissed. “I’ve always wanted to go into real estate, so when that happened, instead of going out and looking for a new job, I decided to get into real estate. It was a good opportunity because my husband has a good job and it was a good time to do it.”
How’s it going?
Davis has had over 20 closings this year. “My average closing has been $154,000.”
Then and now
“It’s all about dealing with people and listening to what they want and what they need. That skill has helped me immensely in real estate — to be able to hear what someone is saying without them actually saying it. A lot of times people don’t know the right words to say or how to explain it. Customers go on my Web site and they pick out the places they want to go to and are interested in. We start out that way. We go visit the houses and I listen to their needs or what exactly they are looking for. Several times I’ve been able to help the find what they want just by listening to them.”
Her primary area?
She likes working at the beach, but will travel wherever her customers are. Since Exit has other offices around town, she can get help from agents elsewhere if she needs it. “If I get overloaded with so many people that are looking and I don’t have time I know good agents in other offices, they are able to assist me with those customers.”
How’s the market?
“People say this is a bad market but I don’t know where they are looking. I don’t think it is a bad market. It might not be optimal for someone to sell right now, but we are having so many buyers. First time buyers who could never have afforded to by a few years ago are buying now.”
Success stories
“I have a couple who have a contract on a house in Mandarin. He is 24 and is going to own his own house. It’s a three-bedroom, two bath, 2,400 square foot home with a nice yard in a nice quiet neighborhood. Most people could never have bought a house at 24 for $130,000. I have another couple, newly married, that just bought a house in Ponte Vedra Beach with a pool. They are only 25 and 26. It’s just such a great time for people to buy. These young people don’t have the bad credit that people who have had to walk away from homes have. They are just starting out their life. Whoever thought you could live at the beach for under $200,000? You can now. There are 18 houses for sale at the beaches for under $200,000.”
Finding clients
Most of her clients come via her Website. “It is so easy to use. I also am a premier agent on Zillow.com which allows me to stay in certain areas, so a lot of the inquiries I get are in the beaches. Eighty-eight percent of all buyers come from the Internet. I also have a sign at the exit of my daughter’s school and I also get referrals from past buyers who have used me.”
What she likes
“I like when you find that home that they are going to buy and they are excited about it.”
Best advice
Always expect the worst case scenario. “As a Realtor, there is only so much you can have control over and there is only one side we can have control over. If you concentrate on errors or bumps in the road along the way, you can get discouraged quickly. For every bad experience, there are five good experiences in this business. You learn along the way and realize that next time you will do it this way instead.”
Advice for loan officers
“I like dealing with loan offices who respond to my needs. I’ve dealt with loan officers who won’t return calls for three or four days, don’t respond to email and aren’t available on weekends. I have a sense of urgency and I need someone to be available.”
Professional associations?
Northeast Florida Association of Realtors. She also does a lot of networking in several social realms. “Every opportunity that I have, I let people know that I am a Realtor.”
Advice for new agents
“Put your focus on what you’ve done right, keep doing those things and learn your lesson on what you made mistakes on. Keep it fun. If you get depressed or start thinking the market is bad, it will be bad.”
Lesson learned
“Deal with the punches as they come. Fix it and move on.”
— by Michele Gillis