One Year | What a Wild Ride!
Today we are celebrating the one year anniversary of Kelly's real estate brokerage. One year ago, nervous to forge out on her own, Kelly was finally ready to take the leap. She works hard and relentlessly, so our confidence was high that she would be successful. A strategy and a target date were developed, but let's face it, we were nervous. Time to face the unknown.
Kelly's role was to continue doing what she's always done best...matching up Avalon properties for sale with the buyers who want those properties, and making friends along the way. A gregarious "people person" who's hard to miss as she zips through town, Kelly is also the most ethical real estate broker I've ever met. Kelly has genuine concern that every transaction has a favorable outcome for all parties involved. She works very hard at that.
She invited me along for the ride. My role was to be her cheering section from behind the scenes. I would work to make sure her name was out there, design her logo, signage, website, marketing materials and keep track of the books.
Now we just needed some properties to sell. The listings Kelly had acquired for her former brokerage no longer belonged to her. She literally had zero listings when we started discussing a launch date. I asked her to "Please just try to get three listings for your first KNBRE ad. I've already designed an ad and it has three spots for properties." Her response? She brought in SIX new listings. If you give Kelly a goal, she is motivated to exceed it.
One month after opening, Kevin Norton came on board. Kevin tirelessly provides remarkable and resilient administrative support to a whirling blonde tornado. His ability to adapt under stress and learn new skills on the fly makes good things happen and keeps Kelly grounded.
As one of our marketing meetings was ending, she said something that made me laugh. "You gotta move fast, before you run out of gas!" she says, dashing out the door to meet clients at the boat. It's astounding, the amount of things she gets done in a day, and when you look at the numbers for the last twelve months, it's truly astonishing!
Properties Listed, Sold or In Escrow:
26 Listings in 12 months | $37 Million Total Listed Price
11 SOLD Transactions | $11.9 Million (Kelly represented both buyer and seller in 5 of these)
12 Currently Active Listings | $21.5 Million in Active Listings
2 In Escrow | $1.5M
KNBRE Website Activity:
28,000 Visitors from 85 Countries
45,000 Page Views
Knowing that there are never more than thirty active listings at any one time, it seems interest in island real estate is truly booming! We've learned a lot, laughed a lot and continue to be amazed at how busy we are. We couldn't have done it without Cheri at Jean Allen Escrow, Brandon at Chicago Title, Joe Cosenza at Property Inspections of California, and the many lenders who make it possible for her wonderful clients to close transactions.
Behind all of the numbers is the heart of Kelly's business...her kinship and connection to new clients and old friends who love the island and want to buy or sell Avalon properties. Sellers have interesting and heartwarming stories behind their desire to sell their properties, and buyers almost always have a fond memory of Catalina Island in their past or a romantic notion about future island living. That experience becomes a desire to own a piece of the paradise they've come to love.
We love it here too, and we're excited for anyone lucky enough to Come Home to Avalon. This has been the best twelve months of her real estate career. We're so grateful. Thanks for a great year.