2021 realtor
spotlight special feature PRESENTED BY
WORDS Dwain Hebda and Catherine Frederick some interviews have been edited for length and clarity
Do South® is proud to recognize the talents and contributions of select realtors in our community. They set the bar for excellence and are committed to going the extra mile for their clients. Join us as we salute their incredible achievements and the passion they share for their profession!
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Top 3 Reasons to Hire a Realtor Experience: The legal paperwork alone can be overwhelming to us. But to Realtors, it’s just part of their daily life. Plus, they can help you get the best deal possible, and help you avoid mistakes by using their hard-earned knowledge.
Negotiation: Let’s Make a Deal is a great TV show, but it’s not so much fun when you’re negotiating on your own. You need a professional on your side to make sure you get the best deal possible.
The People They Know: Realtors have connections with real estate attorneys, home inspectors, mortgage brokers, movers, even people who stage houses. That network can make buying or selling a house so much easier!
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Linsey Yates and Vicki Bush L i n s e y E . & Co . R e a lto r s ® As one of Fort Smith’s most prolific hometown success stories, Linsey E. & Co., Realtors® gains their clients’ loyalty the old-fashioned way – they earn it. “We’re not a franchise, we’re a locally-owned boutique real estate firm that is selective when hiring agents,” said Linsey Yates, principal broker and co-owner. “We focus on quality versus quantity by employing agents with strong local knowledge, credibility and connections within the community.” After graduating from the University of Arkansas, Linsey began her real estate career on grit and hustle; canvassing neighborhoods and knocking on doors where she saw a “For Sale by Owner” sign in the yard. Mostly, she just plain outworked the competition, en route to being recognized as one of the top agents in the Fort Smith area. “For many years, it was routine to work seven days a week,” she says. “That established hard work and dedication as the foundation for what would become Linsey E. & Co., Realtors®.” Along the way, Linsey recruited Realtor® Vicki Bush and the duo quickly realized how beneficial it was to collaborate each other’s strengths. Both women have nearly twenty years of real estate experience under their belt and Linsey’s magnetic personality and negotiation skills combined with Vicki’s finance and marketing expertise make for an unbeatable combination. Together, they formed the company three years ago and have watched it evolve into the fastest growing and most respected real estate firm in the area, with fifteen agents and counting. “The needs of our clients come first,” Vicki says. “Most people who want to get into real estate get into the business because they think they can set their own schedules. Well at our firm, the clients set the schedules. We always put their needs first.” The duo, both River Valley natives, hold themselves accountable to this philosophy every day, setting a high bar for expertise and customer service. And it works – despite the challenges of 2020 with the Covid-19 pandemic, Linsey and Vicki enjoyed their highest sales volume ever. “We offer one-on-one training for all agents and have a variety of personalities to match our clients’ needs,” Linsey says to explain their success. “Rest assured, the entire office is dedicated to the best interest of the client.” “Our company offers a premium and customized level of service that all clients are looking for,” adds Vicki. “We have proven our ability to compete with the larger real estate firms.”
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Nick & Ellie Glidewell Sa g e ly & E dwa r d s R e a lto r s ® As natives of Fort Smith, Nick and Ellie Glidewell of Sagely & Edwards Realtors® treat every one of their real estate clients less like customers and more like family. Individually, they represent years of real estate experience and together, they are a formidable ally to anyone looking to sell or buy the home of their dreams. "As a Realtor® and now a broker, I’ve learned a lot of valuable life lessons as well as quite a few important lessons about real estate,” Ellie says. “The main one being that real estate is first and always a people business. I like to help simplify the real estate transaction process for those who trust me to provide them with outstanding service and expertise.”
Glidewell "Ready To Serve You" Nick & Ellie
“I’ve had the privilege of living my whole life in Fort Smith,” says Nick. “I love this community and truly believe this area is one of the best spots in the world to live. I like the people and the land, so real estate was a logical way for me to have great encounters with both.” The couple says there are important differences in Realtors® and that clients should be prepared to ask questions when shopping around for one. For the Glidewells, market knowledge and experience combine with top-of-the-line customer service. “Our focus has always been on what the client wants," Ellie says. “We’ll advise them on all of the small print they’ll be facing, sure, but we never let our expertise overshadow their needs and desires.” "We listen to what people say, that’s the bottom line,” adds Nick. “Clients are the ones who have to live with their transaction, so we serve them best by maximizing our role as agents who solve problems." One of the ways that the couple meets these challenges is through technology. Nick and Ellie harness professional photography, drone videos, virtual 3D home tours as well as their website, YouTube and social media to aid in showing and viewing homes. This has proven especially important in the era of Covid-19. But, as Ellie is quick to point out, technology can never replace one-on-one service and expertise as the key tool in the Realtor’s® toolbox. “It’s not just the technologies; it’s how we customize and structure our use of them for each individual we work with,” she says. “No two buyers or sellers are the same, just like no two properties are the same. We put a lot of thought into creating an optimal marketing environment for each transaction, balancing the right technologies with a human touch.”
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When You’re Buying or Selling a Home,
Everything Should Revolve Around You
Buyers:
Learn about and visit only the properties that match your specific desires and budget. We’ll advise you on every move, every decision, every step of the way.
Sellers:
Benefit from proven selling technologies like 3D Virtual Home Tours and stunning photo and web promotion. We pay for these strategies – not you. Discover how simple and rewarding it is to buy or sell a home with Nick and Ellie Glidewell, Realtors who are 100% invested in your ultimate delight and satisfaction.
Call or visit:
(479) 739-6333 NickAndEllie.com
Jeanette Marie Jones R e / M a x e x e c u t i v e s r e a l e s tat e The phrase “big enough to serve you, small enough to know you,” aptly summarizes Jeanette Marie Jones’ fifteen years in real estate. The Realtor®, principal broker and perennial market sales leader co-owns RE/MAX Executives Real Estate with her husband of thirty-four years, Andrew Jones. “We are a locally owned and operated franchise with a worldwide brand that has a proven history,” Jeanette says. “I do believe that’s one of the primary things that sets us apart. “RE/MAX agents have experience, the tools and the know-how. They come on and they’re trained to take a transaction all the way through from contract to closing.” The payoff of these many resources is reflected in sales performance. Michael Jones, Realtor® and executive broker, says RE/MAX Executives Real Estate agents average more than twenty-six transactions and $3.9 million in sales annually, well above other agents in the market area. “RE/MAX’s presence is well-known nearly everywhere you go in the United States or abroad,” Michael says. “The agents we train have a lot of knowledge, making it easier and smoother for us to help new buyers and sellers as well as those who are experienced.” One major advantage to being part of a global network is an excellent referral system that gives the company a leg up on new residents moving into the community. “Other parts of the country, even other parts of the world that are connected with RE/MAX agents, come into our area and they like the reputation that RE/MAX agents have,” Michael says. “On the other side of it, we’re building our own referral business by the way we serve clients locally. When we do a good job for someone, we’re going to get them back when they sell or get their kids or their mama or whoever. We’re building generations of business off of that first encounter, so we treat every client with the utmost respect.” For all that’s changed in Jeanette’s years atop the sales charts – from digital tours to GPS to nearly paperless mortgages – the most important elements of RE/MAX Executives Real Estate have remained intact from Day One. “It’s still all about relationships and you still build relationships through communication, hard work and responsiveness,” she says. “All the technology and tools we have certainly make things easier, but at the core of it all people really care about is if you’re honest, if they can trust you and that you know what you’re doing. That hasn’t changed in the slightest.”
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Jeanette Jones 479.414.6898
9207 Hwy 71 S, Ste 6 Fort Smith, Arkansas
Michael Jones
Dakota Salisbury
Ethan Adams
Diamond Cantrell
Hunter Cardwell
Larry Rhodes
Amanda Hester
Michelle White
Monika Jones
Nicole Menasco
Tina Stratmann
Wilma Griffith
479.530.5190
479.226.6623
479.461.4549
479.462.4590
479.650.3981
918.208.8203
479.252.0548
479.414.4945
918.571.3498
479.252.0292
479.650.4353
479.883.3687
DON'T WORRY, WE'VE DONE THIS A MILLION TIMES! L o c a l l y, i n d e p e n d e n t l y, a n d p r i v a t e l y o p e r a t e d .