Shawna Alt
CEO
First Weber, Inc., ein Mitglied der Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®
Madison, Wisconsin | www.firstweber.com
Region served: Wisconsin and parts of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
Years in real estate: 28
Number of offices: 60
Number of Agents: 1.400
What’s your secret to staying relevant in today’s ever-changing real estate landscape?
Be a good listener and not hesitate to make decisions. I spend a lot of time talking to our reps, sales managers and employees to see what the needs are and to help identify gaps. Then decisions are made to fill those gaps. As a company we have a very strong vision of where we want to be and we are constantly analyzing the different ways to get there.
How do you keep in touch with your customers?
My clients are First Weber agents and employees, and I have several systems in place to ensure I personally contact as many of them as possible. We’re putting a lot of focus this year on how we communicate with our agents and our employees, so I spend a lot of time personally letting people know they matter and recognizing them for their hard work.
How have you helped your agents overcome the challenges posed by the pandemic?
We were well positioned to address the issues of the pandemic. Thanks to our IT department, we were able to easily switch from stationary work to remote work. Using Microsoft Teams for most of our meetings and training has proven to be one of the bright lights of the pandemic. We have a large footprint and using teams has made it very easy to provide support and information to anyone across the country.
In addition, we offer several training courses, business coaching, mastermind groups and sales meetings on a monthly basis. We also had the opportunity to bring in senior subject matter experts to talk to our agents about the economy and current real estate trends.
How do you attract the top realtors in your area?
It’s all about the mix of culture, support and technology. We are a full service brokerage firm and offer a very high level of agent support that includes everything including a staff attorney, in-house printing facility, full service marketing team and sales managers with decades of experience. A successful career in real estate requires the right combination of all three.
How are you setting your agents for success as we move on into 2022?
The competition to get listings is fierce, as is the competition among buyers for the best deal. Therefore, we give our agents the tools they need to serve their customers at the highest level. We also have mastermind groups with our agents so they can share ideas, motivate and inspire each other.
Where do you see your company in five years?
What I’ve learned over the past two years is that the strength and essentials of a business come from its ability to be flexible. Who would have thought that we were dealing with another wave of the pandemic?
Wisconsin has traditionally had a high affordability index, and as millennials fuel demand for housing, we will be at the forefront of identifying and meeting those needs. Our equity and engagement initiatives will help more people from all backgrounds succeed in this business and experience home ownership for the first time.
For more information visit www.leadingre.com.
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