Published: May 27, 2006 10:06 pm         

An impressive start ...

Realty Pros very successful after just two years of operation

When Kevin Kinzer started his real estate company two years ago, he had himself, broker Dave Stanton and a telephone.

“We had one phone line in a two-room office,” Kinzer said. “Dave and I literally waited for the phone to ring.”

From that beginning, Kinzer began recruiting the area’s top real estate agents.

“I went after top-name professionals in the real estate industry,” he said. “Our individual agents are the secret to our success. When you sell your home, you don’t really hire the entire company, you are really hiring an agent from that company, and we have some of the best in the business.”

Realty Pros now has more real estate agents than any other company in the area, Kinzer added.

As new real estate firm stories go, Realty Pros had unusual success in the first year.

“We did very well that first year and just kept building on it during the second year,” Kinzer said.

Kinzer said the goal for the company was to create a great environment for his Realtors.

“Here at Realty Pros we created an environment that allows for our Realtors to grow and be successful without having to worry about a lot of the fees and other things that prohibit them from doing the best they can,” he said. “We created a family working environment with top-name professionals.”

Kinzer believes most starting agents at traditional real estate companies can expect few deals their first year.

“With most real estate companies, most agents need to pay their dues, literally, in the form of association memberships, continuing education classes, desk fees at their brokerage and other startup costs before they can make a living in the field,” Kinzer explained. “We wanted our people to be successful from the start.”

Kinzer claims that hiring the top-name Realtors with great reputations now equals a home sale each day for Realty Pros.

“We are now the top real estate company in the Beckley area in terms of dollar amounts worth of properties sold last year,” Kinser said. “Many of our people were honored for sales achievement by the Beckley Board of Realtors.”

Realty Pros is a full-service real estate firm, Kinzer said.

“As a company, we do it all,” Kinser said. “But we have created individual teams within the company.”

Realty Pros has a buyer’s agency, a seller’s agency and commercial agents.

“We also have relocation specialists and agents specialized in helping seniors,” Kinzer said.

Kinzer says reports of record home sales and skyrocketing housing prices are invariably the moisture needed to bring new real estate agents sprouting out of the ground.

“It happens in every boom market and usually ends eventually,” he said.

Kinzer said the tremendous growth in the Beckley region has, and continues to be, amazing.

“We are seeing a huge number of people moving into this area,” he said. “Glade Springs has definitely impacted the Washington, D.C., market and we are seeing a lot of retirees coming back home to West Virginia and some second-home buyers.”

Kinzer said today is a good time to buy or sell.

“Nationally, the pace is already slowing down, but right now it’s still a seller’s market,” he said. “Buyers, however, need to consider that the interest rates are going to keep rising and now is also the best time to buy. It’s still a very stable market.”

Throughout the U.S., the number of real estate agents is on the rise. The National Association of Realtors reported membership has climbed 44 percent since 2003, from 876,195 to more than 1.26 million now.

But while the number of Realtors practicing nationally has increased, those in the early years of the job may find the most competition. NAR reported in August 2005 that the median income of agents with less than two years’ experience was only $12,850, while that of agents with six to 10 years’ experience was $58,700.

“That’s why we recruited the top real estate professionals in the area,” he said. “We wanted them to have immediate success and we have created an environment that accomplishes this goal.”

Kinser said the success of Realty Pros means expansion.

“We want to continue to expand our relationships with the public, continue to grow and continue to be the top real estate company in the area,” he said. “We haven’t done bad for a 100 percent locally owned and operated real estate company. We are very proud of our success during these first two years and thank everyone. Expect to see much more from us in the future. We tell people that if you are planning to buy or sell a house, townhouse, condominium, farm, land or any other real estate in Raleigh, Fayette or surrounding areas, then you have come to the right place.”

For additional information about Realty Pros, visit www.wvrealtypros.com or call at 256-0900.

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