Building Your Real Estate Brokerage from the Ground Up – Rennie Barton

On this episode of The Closing Table, we sat down with Rennie Barton!

To watch the full episode, check it out on YouTube below. In the meantime, here’s a summary of the conversation…

Here’s what you missed from Rennie Barton…

The conversation began with a word association icebreaker on home inspections, land, real property, and more. Rennie then shares his journey of getting into the real estate business during the tough times of 2008-2009, when foreclosures were rampant. He mainly serves the Grand Rapids area and has expanded his franchise to Michigan and Florida. Starting as one of the first agents of a brokerage franchise, Rennie suggested franchising after a few years and eventually became owner.

Next, Rennie shares his motivation to build a good community of people and sell a strong vision, which he believes will make the company global one day. Rennie also talks about the challenges he faced when transitioning from working solo to working with a team, and how he learned to trust the process of starting from the ground up. In addition, Rennie discusses his experience in developing systems for his real estate franchise, especially during the pandemic lockdown. He talks about the struggles they went through and how they overcame them by strengthening their system.

During the early days of Rennie’s career in real estate, he was hesitant to take on listings due to his fear of contracts. However, he learned to overcome this fear by educating himself and now he feels confident in his ability to do anything in real estate, from development to sales. When it comes to helping clients buy or sell a home, Rennie believes that it all comes down to caring about the people and their goals, rather than the specific task at hand.

Following that, Rennie talked about building his franchise brand, he acknowledges the challenge of competing against bigger name brands, but he believes that City Shore is built for today’s economy and has systems that are just as competitive as the bigger companies. The challenge they face is simply that people don’t know who they are yet, but Rennie is confident that if they did, they would be shocked at what City Shore has to offer.

Word of mouth has been a significant driver of growth for Rennie’s franchise. Despite their budget for marketing and branding, he explains that they have spent a lot on these efforts. However, the biggest return they see is from their sphere of influence. Rennie emphasizes the importance of building a sense of community, even with the upcoming growth of AI. When it comes to cultivating strong relationships with clients and agents, Rennie believes in keeping it real. He focuses on building connections with his clients by getting to know them beyond the transaction.

Regarding the number of homes he is willing to show to clients, Rennie shares that he has shown over 150 homes to a single client in the past. While this may seem like a lot, he explains that some clients are indecisive and need more time to make a decision. Rennie’s limit is determined by his sense of whether the client is still serious about buying a home. If the client is committed but just struggling to find the right home, he is willing to go above and beyond to help them. Being an experienced realtor, Rennie has seen different market shifts throughout his career and has adapted his approach accordingly. His advice to agents facing a changing market is to not let fear take over and to look for opportunities.

The conversation wraps up with Rennie explaining the evolution of the real estate market in Grand Rapids, Michigan, over the past decade and how he foresees trends in the future. He mentioned how homes that once sold for $50k now close at $250k and how interest rates have affected the market. He also shared his thoughts on the possibility that people may not be able to own homes in the future and how him being in the stock market provides him insights into the future.

Check out Rennie Barton:

https://www.facebook.com/rennie.barton

https://www.facebook.com/RennieBartonTeam

https://www.instagram.com/renniebarton/

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