REALTOR® Jennifer King Discusses Success
Meet Jennifer King, REALTOR® with The Jennifer King Team, RE/MAX of Reading. We are pleased to showcase her as our second participant in our REALTOR®Spotlight Q&A series, where we get to know her and her top tips for success in real estate.
About Jennifer King
Jennifer has been serving sellers and buyers in Lancaster, Lebanon, and Berks Counties since 2000. In addition, Jennifer holds her Associate Broker’s license. Jennifer has been inducted in the RE/MAX Hall of Fame and the RE/MAX Platinum & Chairman Clubs. She currently serves on the Lancaster County Association of Realtors’ Board of Directors. Jennifer is recognized by her clients and peers for her professional, yet friendly approach to business, her strength in negotiations and her passion for her career of helping clients’ dreams come true every day! Jennifer resides in Brownstown/Ephrata area with her husband Wayne and four children - John Paul, Wayne, Madeleine and Justus. She enjoys travel, reading and time spent at their vacation home in Lewes, DE.
Q: When and why did you decide to pursue a career in real estate?
A: I watched and admired my father and his real estate career for years. I eventually got licensed, so that I could assist him with his business when I was 28 years old. I began as an assistant, moved into a buyer agent position, and by 2005 had started a small team.
Q: What are the hottest neighborhoods in your area this year?
A: In Lancaster County, Manheim Township & Hempfield school districts continue to do very well. Lititz has become the “up-and-coming,” “coolest small town” location in Lancaster County. City of Lancaster also offers Amtrak service to New York City and beyond, and has become a special place with locally owned restaurants, stores, art galleries, theater and more! We serve three counties in Pennsylvania, and each one has their special areas depending what clients are looking for. For example, Mount Gretna, PA (in Lebanon County) is home to many nature & art lovers. Wyomissing and Mohnton areas (in Berks County) are home to many who are looking for larger, less urban settings with lower taxes, larger homes and still featuring an easy commute to Philadelphia and outside areas.
Q: Where do you go / what do you do for networking?
A: We do a ton of business by referral, so this includes client/database appreciation events, networking with agents at RE/MAX R4, and CRS events, etc. We make it a point to attend conventions/conferences whenever possible and to meet the “movers & shakers” in the business!
Q: What are your must-attend annual real estate conferences or events?
A: We rarely miss the opportunity to attend the RE/MAX R4 Convention! The RE/MAX Chairman & Diamond club event was added to our agenda in 2015 and was invaluable for the learning and networking available there!
Q: What media outlets do you read regularly to keep up with news, trends, and advice for
promoting your business?
A: I pay close attention to CRS - Residential Specialist Magazine, KCM Blog, and Inman.
Q: What gets you most excited about working with seller or buyer clients?
A: The most exciting thing in this business is that there are never two identical days, or transactions! Each transaction and each day holds blessings and challenges. I enjoy navigating through both and guiding our clients through the realization of their real estate dreams and goals!
Q: What is your secret for working with tough clients?
A: Working with tough clients is always a learning experience. I have found that maintaining professionalism, and keeping emotions in check allow me to handle these situations with care. I encourage our team to remember that as we deal with tough clients. We are privileged to be handling one of their largest assets and handle it/them with great care. Emotions can and do run strong in each transaction. Remembering that our clients are under a high level of stress, refusing to escalate emotions/issues, and being the stable, calm guiding force has proven effective for us.
Q: How do you deal with a seller prospect who is considering FSBO?
A: We spend very little marketing time in this niche market. We share our professional wisdom freely and honestly. If they choose the FSBO path, we wish them all the best! (We definitely do business with clients who appreciate this approach. They often decide they don’t like selling on their own and end up listing with our team!)
Q: What’s in your marketing toolkit?
A: We have a comprehensive marketing strategy for all of our clients, including website exposure, website pages for each property with custom signage, and of course the QuantumDigital Just Listed & Just Sold direct mail postcards.
Q: What are the top 3 marketing strategies you’re implementing this year?
A:
1. Intentional networking/social time with our best referring clients and agents.
2. Intentional and systematic marketing sytems implemented in one-year increments.
3. Increasing gratitude to, as well as personal “face/call time,” to our best clients and referring agents.
Q: What tools or tactics do you use to get new listings?
A: Our biggest generator of new listings is referrals. That is followed by website leads and sign calls.
Q: What’s the craziest feature you’ve seen in a house you sold?
A: One surprising feature was a hot tub converted to a goat “pen.”
Q: What one piece of advice do you have for new realtors to be successful?
A: Hire a coach early and make yourself accountable. Treat your business like a business. You can choose to run your business, or your business will run you! Shadow/mirror top agents, take them to lunch, find out what works for them, as well as what has NOT worked for them. Remain a student and always listen/observe! Above all, have fun! Remember that there is PLENTY of business to go around (abundance mentality), none of us will ever capture it all. Enjoy the people and the pieces of business you are blessed to be involved with!
