When Realtors Compete, Consumers Win
CAMAERON WARD
When I opened The Alms Group in 2017, I knew that the challenges of a new brokerage would be met with stiff competition. Manhattan has a strong small-business-focused economy where opportunity in business seems to be blue sky.
One of the first conversations Mike and I had, was about how to serve our agents well by equipping them to compete for business in a competitive market. Behind the scenes, our support staff of an office manager, transaction coordinator, and graphic designer help prepare industry-leading marketing materials as well as deploy top-notch technology and manage the administrative aspects of selling homes.
When I started selling real estate over a decade ago, many agents were taking listing photos on their iPhone 4 and doing little more than printing a flyer to have at an open house. Today the competition in our market and the competition from national online selling platforms has forced agents to drastically step up their game—and consumers are the ones who greatly benefit. In our office, we will not list a property without a professional photographer taking incredible photos, along with shooting an interactive 3D virtual tour. And our full-time graphic designer producing high-quality printed materials, creating a window display for our Aggieville storefront, and much, much more. All to get your property in front of the most buyers as possible. I’m thrilled to provide those services because it’s the best way to serve our clients.
Ask your agent to see samples of their photos and marketing materials before listing your home---if they show you iPhone 4 photos and a newspaper ad—call The Alms Group!
The other aspect of our business that’s created increased competition in our market is our philanthropy. Since Mike and I opened TAG, we have been committed to giving back to local schools with a portion of the profit from every transaction. To date, we’ve given nearly $100,000 to local schools through grants, teacher recognition awards, projects, and more. Other firms have paid close attention to our effort to support education in the Manhattan area and have developed their own ways to give back. I’m frequently asked if it bothers me to see other real estate firms giving to local schools, and my answer is the same every single time: ABSOLUTELY NOT! When real estate firms compete to see who can be the most generous, local schools win. Local non-profits win. Local needs win.
I am so proud to have inspired other real estate firms to join me in a mission to give back. At TAG, we employ a Director of Philanthropy that manages all of our charitable giving, grant and award applications, special projects, and much more. While imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, no one in our market is working as hard or implementing as much strategy to be the most effective when it comes to giving back. It’s in our name, and we take it seriously.
Competition might be scary for some, but it pushes us to be the most effective agents we can be. And we want to see other firms join us in a mission to give back to education. Competition in the real estate business almost always causes consumers and communities to win.
