Years of experience usually equates to little if that experience is not tempered with change. This is the change necessary to accomodate an industry that is constantly evolving. There has to be something inherently wrong with an industry that has a 35% turnover rate each year (in Charlotte, higher in other areas).  We have no trouble attracting new people to our industry. There is no other field I know of that is growing by 25% per year. Yet, the old methods of developing agents into self sustaining successful individuals has had a dismal success rate.

At the heart of the problem I believe is sustainability. Everyone who contemplates joining our lot does so with some assumtions. One is that the 3 to 6 sphere-of-influence customers they already have will sustain them until they can be replaced with new customers. This is usually not the case and soon the new agent finds themselves stranded on the real estate iceberg!

We are told truthfully that the key to success and longevity is "Lead Generation". But then we advise the agent to generate leads the way we learned to do it 20 or 30 years ago. If our goal if to eliminate the new people, this method is extremely effective. On top of that, our old methods were expensive and then they went up in price.

I want to leave a legacy of committed agents giving great customer service. I want to see an industry where people really enjoy their work. More importantly, one where they enjoy their lives!Cumulatively we have over 20 years of experience. More importantly, we have seen the needs of comsumers change. At the same time we have witnessed an industry that is slow to respond to the needs of its members. That is why we started Banks Calkins Real Estate.