We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Eric Akines a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Eric, appreciate you joining us today. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

One of the things that set myself and my team apart from the industry is the Duty of Care we deliver to each and every client whether they are first-time home buyers or buying a $30M property. In doing such, I believe every person deserves honesty and I promise that honesty will be at the core of every communication I have with my clients. I elevate my clients’ best interest over any self-interest. I go above and beyond to advise at every possible opportunity and to educate so my clients understand every angle of a transaction. When a buyer or seller hires me to represent them, I like to treat my clients’ home as though it were our own and put the care and attention into it as I would my own house. My relationships go well beyond the initial deal I do with my clients and, in fact, I remain in their lives for anything they need that enhances their joy and convenience in their home for years to come. And, at the end of the, I promise to be real and authentic for my clients. They need to know I will support them without a doubt in one of the most important purchases or sales they will ever make during their lifetime.

Eric, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Prior to my career in real estate, my business expertise was honed over the course of 25+ years as a global product and branding executive with iconic brands including adidas, Starbucks and Nordstrom. My approach to real estate is based in authentic storytelling, world-class marketing and strong customer service which I combine my passion for design and architecture. I work tirelessly for my clients, so they have peace of mind knowing that every detail will be looked after, and their best interests will always come first. The time I spent at Nordstrom probably influenced my philosophies in how I work with clients more than anywhere else I worked. I learned that by putting the client at the center of each approach and every decision that is made, helps them have confidence in this life-changing decision they are making to buy or sell their home.

I am a Pacific Northwest native and a proud husband and father. I graduated from the University of Puget Sound after spending a year abroad attending the Albert Ludwigs Universitaet in Freiburg, Germany. I’m extremely passionate and have a love for travel, design, and culture which is all reflected in the architecture of the homes I love to sell. Outside of work, my family and I enjoy spending time at our vacation home in Sun Valley, Idaho recreating in the outdoors; I love attending my daughter’s lacrosse games and I’m extremely involved in giving back to the community through my involvement with the Hamlin Robinson School and trustee of the Henry Art Museum at the University of Washington.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Most of my clients are referred to me by former colleagues, friends, family and fellow agents who might not live in the area. As a result, I want to go above and beyond each time by surprising and delighting clients with an approach and things they didn’t even know they wanted or needed throughout the process of buying or selling their home. My referral base needs to know I have their best interest at heart and take very seriously the fact that they believe in me enough to send people my way.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

In going above and beyond for each client I will provide an example for an approach I have to creative marketing which I believe doubles or triples the exposure a home would normally receive. I don’t believe I sell homes, but rather I sell a lifestyle; a dream; an experience. One of the most incredible listings I have received to date was located in a gorgeous neighborhood in Seattle which sits directly on the Puget Sound and has jaw dropping views of the water, the islands and the Olympic Mountain range in the distance. The home was designed by a very famous Pacific Northwest architect named Paul Hayden Kirk in 1953 for the Reinauer family. I hosted a very intimate event and fireside chat one evening in the home with noted Professor of Architecture at the University of Washington, Ken Tadashi Oshima and published historian on the life and work of Paul Hayden Kirk, Dale Kutzera. Both men played off of one another with stories about the architect and his work, however the most profound ideas they had surrounded the influence of Japanese and Pacific Rim culture on the Midcentury modernist movement in the Pacific Northwest. It was an incredible way to highlight this gorgeous and notable piece of history through storytelling and experience which far exceeds sticking a ‘For Sale’ sign in the ground!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ericakines.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eakines/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ericakines
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericakines/