Justine Simoni walked into the Mountain Life Properties of Landmark office with the intent to discuss buying a home in the western North Carolina mountains. By the end of the meeting, she not only agreed to have the team represent her for this effort, but also walked out with a new agent for her Gulf Breeze waterfront home. Neither Simoni nor her new agents, Douglas Treadwell and Dan Doughty, could have predicted this result.
“After we began talking, we quickly realized that Justine had two needs. Not only buying a mountain home, but also selling her Pensacola, Florida, oceanfront home. This presented a unique opportunity, as I also have a firm in Florida. We were very excited to have our teamwork with her to position her home in a way to offer maximum exposure to potential buyers,” says Treadwell.
This is where these two firms shine. Over the last few years, Treadwell has seen competition amongst the luxury real estate sector. With the recent changes in people working from home, demand for second homes have boomed in a way not seen in decades. Particularly, in second-and third-home markets where his firms specialize.
Highlands, North Carolina, and oceanfront Florida are complementary markets as many second homeowners like to split their leisure time enjoying the best of both worlds, Treadwell says. During the summer months, people head for the cooler temperatures of the western North Carolina mountains and during the winter, Florida offers an escape from chillier temperatures of the mountains.
Mountain Life Properties of Landmark and Blue Ocean Real Estate supports these clients by offering services in both, high-end markets.
There is no “I” in “team”
Setting themselves apart from other firms, Treadwell uses several innovative marketing and operational tactics. Typically a highly competitive industry, he formed a diverse and knowledgeable team, offering concierge services.
While teams are not unusual in real estate, Treadwell takes a more hands-on approach. Each of his agents provides “backup” for each other when showing properties or interacting with their clients, allowing for more flexibility and an ultimate customer experience.
“Teams in our industry usually started out with a wife and husband or family group. Our firm’s agents complement each other and leverage each other’s strengths. Personality plays an integral part in the agent selection process, and we recognize that one agent may suit a client’s needs better than another,” Treadwell says.
His agents often work in partnership with each other to ensure a seamless transaction. An additional benefit is the coverage provided by the team, allowing a better lifestyle for team members, he says.
The Marketing Difference
Video has become a tool many agents are now using in the showcasing of upscale homes for sale. But Treadwell has a secret weapon. Dale Gordon, the former Tampa Hillsborough Film commissioner, joined his team last year.
“We had already begun filming a few of our listings when Dale joined our team. What she has been able to do with incorporating people and scenes into the home, has taken our marketing efforts to the next level,” Treadwell says.
Gordon and her family relocated to the Highlands area three years ago, after stepping down as film commissioner.
“Having spent my entire career in the film sector, it made sense to me to tell the story of a home. And, more importantly, to help the potential buyer visualize themselves in that home,” Gordon says.
After the videos are shot and professionally edited, Gordon works on several platforms to get the content out to targeted prospects. Storytelling, in a video format, along with professional staging provided by agent Dan Doughty, have made a noticeable difference in the positioning of listings, as well as the firms. Additionally, the use of QR codes has become a tool in getting video content out.
Growth and Looking to the Future
Specializing in second-, and third-, home markets is a niche within the real estate sector and one where Treadwell excels.
“As the market has changed over the last few years, with folks working more and more from home, they are also looking to remain active outside their work schedules. So, following our clients’ needs, we are expanding into the communities that are ideal for this lifestyle,” Treadwell says.
With a presence in the Naples and Highlands areas, Treadwell is now developing and nurturing leads within the golf club and upscale communities of Savannah, Sea Island, Atlanta and Gulf Breeze.
Estate homes, such as Simoni’s in Gulf Breeze, require attention to detail in marketing to a new buyer.
it is not just the home they are selling but, also, a lifestyle.
With Treadwell’s staff and fellow agents all jumping in to offer their assistance and specialties, both buyers and sellers receive the best experience possible, while also looking forward to the next chapter of their own story. ♦
Photos by Derek Ferebee, Emerland Coast Photography
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