Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chad Anderson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Chad, appreciate you joining us today. Can you recount a time when the advice you provided to a client was really spot on?
The best advice I gave a client (seller) was “The highest offer is not necessarily the best offer. Make sure the offer meets your needs”. It was a waterfront listing. If you anything about real estate, these types of listings are in high demand and can produce quite a profit for the seller. My clients lived out of state, and it was important to me that their home was staged properly, had professional pictures, and marketed specifically to the right audience of buyers. And that is exactly what I did! After doing my due diligence and making sure I pulled the right comparable properties to ensure an appropriate listing price considering the appraisal, I knew it would end in a multiple offer situation. First, all it takes is one offer to sell a house. We were fortunate to have options that went well over asking and included a couple of cash offers. Most sellers will get big eyes when they see how much people are willing to pay for their home to beat out the competition…especially all cash offers! My clients had needs they wanted to address, and it was my job to make sure they were focused on that and not get distracted by how high the offers went in price, but not offering anything that would address their situation being they lived out of state and needed time to take care of their affairs. They accepted an offer that was well over asking, and addressed their needs! And it was not the highest offer, nor was it a cash offer. They were very happy with their decision, their experience throughout the entire process and transaction, and the overall service I provided.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I became a real estate agent to help others reflect on their current situation and address any concerns about the market. Together we’ll explore possible solutions that will help them determine if now is the right time to buy or sell. Purchasing or selling a home can be exciting and scary at the same time. A home is more than property. It’s about your life and your dreams. It’s about how you feel when you walk through the front door. That’s why I work so hard to not only find that perfect home, but also handle the details of the purchasing process…from negotiating the terms of sale to building relationships with all parties involved to facilitate a smooth transaction that provides the highest level of service to my clients. I am most proud of the work I do when it comes to how I engage with people and how satisfied they are with their experience working with me. I am a people person. Prior to real estate I worked in Education for over 25 years. My passion was to provide quality education service to my students and their families that met their needs. And so goes the same as a real estate agent. My clients receive professional, reliable, and efficient service always representing their best interest. I can sit here and use all the cliché words and phrases to tell people why they should use me as their real estate agent or what sets me apart from the rest. To be honest, we all have access to the same resources, and probably use some of the same marketing techniques. The difference is the work ethic…the grind mentality of the agent! People (consumers) are comfortable with popular names of the big brokerages and real estate teams. And I get it! However, you, the client, need to think about what type of experience do you want when you decide to sign a contract with an agent. I am an independent agent, and I treat all my client’s transactions as if it were my home I am buying or selling. The only way to find out what makes me different is to have a real-life conversation to see if we are a fit for one another. I may not be the agent that can help you. And maybe your personality is not a fit for the expectations I have of my clients. Conversation is free. It doesn’t cost anything but time.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
Well, I have been an educator at various levels for over 25 years. I started my real estate career in Rochester, NY back in 2019. Being a native of Rochester, I quickly reached a level of success. When my family moved to Charleston, SC, I had to start again from square one. I didn’t know anyone and had to get familiar with the market here. My plan was to teach for two years while I established my presence in the Charleston area. The 2021/2022 school year took a huge toll on my love and passion for education, and on my mental health. I felt over-worked and angry. So, I quit teaching. With everything that made me successful back in Rochester, and applying that same work ethic in Charleston, I thought I would have at least a couple of transactions. I did not. It had a tremendous financial effect on my household, but we survived. I ended up joining a team, and substitute teaching to make ends meet. I had to do and overcome something that I never had to do back in Rochester that was out of my comfort zone, make calls to people that subscribed to the team’s database. I am a people person. I like to engage in face-to-face interactions. People already have a guard up when they hear a real estate agent on the other end of the phone call. For me, it was challenging not to sound like a “scripted salesman”. Unfortunately, things did not work out like I hoped they would on the team, and not because we weren’t a good fit, more so because I was juggling being a substitute teacher and working on my personal brand all while being on a team. I absolutely learned a lot but decided to go back to being an independent agent to continue working on my brand and presence. I was fortunate to get a position with the county school district at a level with a great salary and lends the time and opportunity for me to continue to work as a real estate agent. I am a risk taker. I think bigger picture, and that everything happens for a reason. Even though quitting my job after the 21/22 school year put financial stress on my life, I have weathered the storm and probably wouldn’t be in the position or on the path I am on if I didn’t. I have no regrets!
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
As a real estate agent, I initially deal with an individual’s personality when making phone calls. And in doing so, I must cater my conversation accordingly. When I first became an agent back in Rochester, I started out on a team before going independent. I was told to keep phone conversations to no more than 4 minutes. In hindsight, I think that led to my discomfort with making calls. There was a script to follow, as there usually are, but was told to stick to the script verbatim no matter who was on the other line. I look at being a real estate agent like being a teacher. I provide a service to a clientele base. It’s not fair to use standardized teaching methods to a class of students who all learn differently, just as it’s not genuine to have a standardized scripted phone conversation with the different type of personalities I speak with. I mentioned before that being a face-to-face people person, it was out of my comfort zone to make these phone calls. I had to unlearn what I was told about 4-minute phone calls in order to start being comfortable having meaningful conversations with strangers, and just being myself regardless if I’m using a script. It definitely put stress on my performance. To be fair, I was told, but not taught, about the different types of personalities when I first became an agent but was somewhat of a contradiction to the “4-minute” rule. Once I moved to Charleston, and joined the team here, I was taught how to recognize the different personality types. People are individuals. Some are “straight shooters” and don’t want to hear all the “fluff”. Some want to hear as much of the “facts” as possible in order to make a well-informed decision. And then you have those who are “talkers” who will tell you their life story over a 10-minute phone conversation before anything about real estate is discussed. So let them talk and make personal connections. Whatever the personality, I had to adapt my conversations to suit the needs of the individual, whether it’s in 4 minutes or 15 minutes. It’s not about the amount of time spent on the phone, it’s about the person with whom I’m on the phone with.
Contact Info:
- Website: listingthelowcountry.kw.com
- Instagram: thecenateam
- Facebook: cenarealty585
- Linkedin: in/thecenateam
- Other: linktr.ee/teamcrg