For the owners and sales team of RE/MAX Blue Chip Realty, one of the first steps in giving their clients outstanding service is ensuring they are matched with the right agent. "We ask clients basic questions to try to determine what type of agent will suit them best," says Doris Shank, co-owner of RE/MAX Blue Chip Realty "We try to match their personalities with our agents." The 33 sales associates at the agency were all hired because they showed strong ethics and prioritize service over sales.
When Shank and co-owner Jack Wruth took over RE/MAX Blue Chip Realty in 2005, they restructured it into four segments: city residential, rural residential, agricultural and commercial, serving Yorkton and its surrounding areas. Each sales associate specializes in one of these four segments, enabling them to focus on and gain expertise in a particular area. The agency has 33 agents serving its residential clients, with 10 in Yorkton and 23 in surrounding rural areas. People in Yorkton and its neighbouring communities looking to buy or sell their home benefit from RE/MAX Blue Chip Realty associates’ expertise and emphasis on service.
Sales associates at RE/MAX Blue Chip Realty benefit from the agency’s prioritizing of teamwork. "The agents are supportive of each other," says Shank. For sales associates, this means that their successes are celebrated, and when they need help, it’s available. Shank fields 20 to 30 calls each day from agents, assisting them with various aspects of the sales process. "Everyone can come into the office for help," she says. "We look after them." For clients, having an agent with extra team support ensures any questions they have will be answered quickly, and any issues that come up will be dealt with effectively.
The team approach has proven successful, with annual gross sales increasing from $3.7 million to $155 million since Wruth and Shank bought the agency nearly nine years ago. Monthly meetings bring the agents together to discuss topics ranging from how to operate a business to how to be a better listener. The team’s dedication to honest, ethical service is continually reinforced. "When a client comes to me, they can expect total honesty, and I will do my utmost to get them into the right home for them," says Bill Harrison, sales associate for Yorkton residential clients. "I work my hardest to match each person to the right home."
Ongoing education is encouraged at RE/ MAX Blue Chip Realty, from pursuing broker’s licenses to hearing speakers address issues such as motivation and prospecting.
For Nancy Johnson, a rural residential sales associate, rising to the occasion means going beyond the call of duty for her clients. "It’s everything from advising my sellers on current market prices and getting the best price possible for their home, to searching for the right home for my buyers, arranging and being present at all inspections, following up with the bank and documentation, and ensuring all is done within a timely manner," says Johnson. "I earn the respect of my sellers and buyers through hard work and determination. It is up to us as agents to deliver the professionalism and integrity which the RE/MAX® brand carries."
Along with team support, there are several other factors that make a RE/MAX Blue Chip Realty sales associate a realtor of choice. To help you sell your home quickly and for the best possible price, effective management of the transaction throughout the process is essential. RE/MAX Blue Chip Realty residential agents’ knowledge of the market, correct home pricing, home staging to draw buyers and ability to negotiate offers that deliver strong returns assists home sellers in navigating the process successfully.
RE/MAX® sales associates average more sales than other real estate agents, an outcome of providing clients with the best service possible. RE/MAX Blue Chip Realty’s emphasis on education benefits every client they serve, and enables them to offer the most up-to-date information and home buying and selling methods. Areas of specialized education include foreclosures, relocations, the luxury home market and working with first-time buyers. Drawing on their education and the overall training of the team, agents can customize their service to each individual buyer or seller.
"Each client I work with receives a personalized service to their specific needs," says Fawn Wickham, a rural residential Sales Associate. "I am always professional, ethical and dedicated to the people I serve."
Closing residential sales requires in-depth knowledge that RE/MAX Blue Chip Realty agents provide. Several details remain after an offer is accepted; the agency’s sales associates can ensure these are attended to in a way that makes transactions smooth and successful. RE/MAX Blue Chip Realty agents’ explanations of contingencies and closing loopholes assists their clients in evaluating offers so they get the best terms possible. After an agreement has been reached, other items may arise such as home inspections, resolution deadlines, mortgage lender appraisals and more. RE/MAX Blue Chip Realty sales associates provide guidance throughout, so that their clients can close with confidence.
"When a client comes to me they are promised dedication and professionalism," says Lisa Kirkwood, a rural residential sales associate. These qualities are found not only in Kirkwood, but in the entire RE/MAX Blue Chip Realty team, a result of the agency’s emphasis on hiring exceptional people in each community they serve.