Worked in real estate for: 44 years

Career path: I took over the business from my father and now my two children are in it as well.

If I wasn’t in real estate: I would probably own a hardware store.

In my spare time: I like to hunt and fish.

The best professional advice I’ve ever received is…take it one sale at a time. If you do business right, they’ll all stack up at the end of the year.

You’ve been affiliated with the CENTURY 21 System for more than 20 years. What first attracted you to the partnership?

I was independent for many years before I joined the franchise. But there came a point when I decided that if I really wanted to grow and remain at the top of our industry here in the Pittsburgh area, I needed to affiliate with a national company. After checking all the national companies, I determined Century 21 Real Estate was the one that would help me grow my business with a corporate style and philosophy I appreciated. So I joined the CENTURY 21 System in July of 1985.

Over the years, what were some of the major advancements that CENTURY 21 brought to your company that helped keep you ahead of the competition?

The company has always been ahead of the curve on innovations. Even with all the technology available to all the other national franchises today, I’m the only Pittsburgh area broker using CENTURY 21 ‘Lead Router.’ This system connects a client on the Internet looking at listings under our company or agent page. The tool automatically dispatches the client’s contact number to the agent’s cell phone and prompts the agent to call the client back in a matter of seconds. Today, most of the buyers are looking on the Internet, and they want that quick response. It’s a great buyer tool and we use it very successfully as a seller tool as well.

Would you still recommend Century 21 Real Estate to an independent business associate?

We still have a few independents in our area, and usually they find a niche that suits their style and where they can make a living. I’m always looking to bring them into our family. Just this week we acquired a small independent competitor. She could have picked just about anyone but she decided to go with CENTURY 21 Frontier Realty.

What tools and programs will you need to help grow your business? Looking at the way the market is evolving, I think we’re going to need even more technological advances. I have to believe that Century 21 Real Estate will remain on the forefront of the technology developments that will keep my office ahead of the game today and long after my children take over the full operation of the company.

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