TRENDS & ISSUES A collaborative culture is made easier when the team likes and respects one another. We want everyone to be successful, even among the branch leaders. Poaching, or anything along those lines, is not tolerated. Nobody should feel that they must watch their back when they come to the office. This is something I take very seriously. It’s a discussion I have when I’m interviewing people, and those are expectations I lay out ahead of anyone joining our office.
Helping, Having Fun, Growing and Making Money Commentary by Laura Croll
I
n my two-plus decades of experience as a real estate investor, sales professional and now managing broker of CENTURY 21 North Homes Realty, I’ve learned that within moments of great transition, there are also moments of great opportunity. So, as the world works together to thrive in a post-COVID normalcy, I feel that this time in history is an opportunity. And our goal moving forward will be to elevate and give 121% in providing real estate consumers with the best experience possible, have fun doing it, grow marketshare and make more money than ever before. The way I see it, doing so equates to happier brokers, better local, state and national economies, stronger communities and personalized outcomes for homebuyers, sellers and investors.
Granted, it’s a unique leadership style, but an extraordinary offshoot of an office culture like this has been the collaboration among our team, from the office admin to sales to operations to the industry professionals we partner with. I have worked and talked with peers from other offices, and the stories I hear and read are very different from what we have built here. In the last office I worked in, there was a hierarchy of desks and a class
system that presented itself in many other ways. At CENTURY 21 North Homes Realty, I make it very clear that there are no lines like that. Everything is fluid. I don’t want people writing things down with their elbow over a piece of paper or feeling that there’s jealousy and that they can’t help one another, because there’s enough out there for everyone. Collaboration is a must if we are to hit our aggressive growth goals.
I’ve learned that within moments of great transition, there are also moments of great opportunity. Looking ahead at our plans and goals for 2021 and 2022, I’m diving deep and having a lot of conversations about our economy, media and how workplaces and the ways we communicate and engage with each other are changing, and the impact on consumer perceptions and expectations. We are all media creators and communicators who demand (and deserve) positive experiences from our chosen product and service providers. To deliver on that promise, I take pride in leading a team that enjoys helping people get to their desired real estate outcomes, having fun throughout the client relationship and growing marketshare all while helping our brokers make more money than ever before. Laura Croll is managing broker at CENTURY 21 North Homes Realty in Portland, Oregon. For more information, please visit www.century21northhomes.com/portland. RISMedia’s REAL ESTATE July 2021 75
