| Publication:WoodSlice; | Date:Aug 17, 2005; | Section:BUSINESS; | Page Number:6 |
MARKET VALUES Vista Grande Realtor, others marketing beliefs, special skills to attract customers BY GINA GRATE The Slice
As a real estate agent based in Vista Grande, Kitty Williams competes against hundreds of agents for business.
Like others in the industry, Williams knows promoting her services to people with similar backgrounds and personal beliefs attracts new clients.
Williams mentions her Christian faith on her real estate Web site. Many who run across her Web site call her because they share the same faith.
"I work with everybody, it doesn’t really matter to me," Williams said. "Some people just want Christian Realtors. They just seem to want that. Those people look up Christian Realtors and my name comes up."
About 25 percent to 30 percent of her clients are Christians.
Williams is among numerous real estate agents in Colorado Springs who tout personal beliefs or specialty areas in their marketing materials and Web sites.
Agents also specialize in helping Jewish, military, gay and lesbian and Spanish-speaking clients.
When agents speak Spanish, have moved repeatedly through a military career or know the area’s churches, they are better equipped to assist their clients.
It also makes clients more comfortable; they feel they can trust their agents, Williams and other agents said.
"There’s various agents that may market to specific groups or specific people, and a lot of times that has to do with their comfort level, because a lot of times people tend to gravitate to likeed people or who have like interests," said Michael Labout, president-elect to the Colorado Association of Realtors, and a broker with ERA Shields Real Estate, 5475 Tech Center Drive.
With 3,800 agents registered with the Pikes Peak Association of Realtors, standing out from the crowd is difficult.
Most agents who promote themselves to specific groups say their goal is to serve clients better; increasing business is a bonus.
Deb Jones, an agent at Merit Co. Inc., 1150 Elkton Drive, specializes in military relocation because as a 22-year military veteran, she understands what military families face when moving.
"I feel like I can help my clients better," she said.
She is familiar with financing available for military families, and considers details like how a property will appreciate in value during the short time a military family is stationed here and how to help out-of-town clients look for a home when they have to move on short notice.
"Having a niche market is good for both me and my clients," Jones said. "They know that I have a specialty in a particular area."
Linette Romer has purchased a home every time the military has moved her family. She looks for an agent who specializes in helping military clients and found Jones through her Web site.
Jones helped her find a home in Meridian Ranch, e-mailing photos and maintaining phone contact while Jones was still out of state.
"The people that we’ve had the best luck with have been government people," Romer said. "They seem to really understand what kind of things that we’re looking for. I would definitely look for somebody who specializes in the military."
While agents like Jones can better assist clients because of their similar back- grounds, other agents see their businesses as a way to reaffirm personal convictions by uniting agents and clients around a common cause.
Corey and Shalimar Masters joined forces last year with about 20 independent agents to form a nonprofit organization, Pro-Life Real Estate. The organization launched an advertising campaign to promote the cause. Signs appeared on bus benches and ads played on radio stations.
Pro-Life Real Estate matches potential clients to agents who share their views. The Masters’ goal is to raise money for crisis pregnancy centers and anti-abortion groups in the community, as well as present a positive message about human life through advertising, Shalimar said.
The organization generated so much interest from professionals in other industries that it is expanding to include them, too.
"There’s no reason why, when we’re all doing what our convictions are telling us, it can’t help but make you more successful," Shalimar said. "Maybe you don’t see it in a dollar amount but you see it in another area, including how you feel about your career. It can push you forward. For the new agents, it can give them a place to start. It takes a while to build up clientele in real estate."
Zeno Nolet, an agent at Re/Max Partners, 3225 Templeton Gap Road, who joined Pro-Life Real Estate last year, said identifying himself with the cause could repel new clients as well as attract others. But he doesn’t mind. He’s glad he can simultaneously promote his business and his passion.
"It’s killing two birds with one stone," he said. "We all have to work, we all have to survive. If it affords me more listings or sales, that will only benefit the whole cause. Having more business makes you able to do more."
c Reach Gina Grate at 636-0296 or
ginag@gazette.com Special agents
Numerous Colorado Springs real estate agents promote themselves to groups with similar lifestyles or personal beliefs. The following is a sampling:
c Kitty Williams, who targets the Christian community, operates at Heritage Realty, 5265 N. Academy Blvd.; 637-8177.
c Carolyn Cathey, who works with the gay and lesbian community, operates at Colorado Pride Realty; 538-5734.
c Harry Salzman, owner of the national relocation office Shalom Home Inc., is a broker who serves people in the Jewish community; the office is headquartered at 538 W. Garden of the Gods Road; 598-2400.
c Pro-Life Real Estate matches clients with pro-life real estate agents; call 955-5433.
c Deb Jones, of Merit Co. Inc., 1150 Elkton Drive, specializes in military relocation; 1-800-822-0617.
On the Web
c Pro-Life Real Estate: www.proliferealestate.com
c Find a gay real estate agent: www.gayrealestate. com
c Work with Jewish real estate agents: www.shalomhome. com
c Visit Pikes Peak Association of Realtors: www.ppar.com
c Visit Colorado Association of Realtors: www.coloradorealtor.com
Gina Grate The Slice A real estate agent based in Vista Grande, Kitty Williams (right) helped Ed and Karen Frontin find their Village Seven home last month. They brought their family, including Emma, 6, from Syracuse, N.Y., found Williams on the Internet and chose her to be their agent because Williams mentioned her Christian faith on her business Web site. Many agents are attracting like-minded clients by identifying their background or personal beliefs in marketing materials.