By Beth McGuire
In the following interview, Kristin Beran Krupp and Sherry Beran of The Beran Group, LLC with Long & Foster discuss the advantages of a team dynamic and the value of a multi-generational approach.
Years in Real Estate: Kristin: 13; Sherry: 13
Region Served: Metro Richmond, Va.
Team Members: 7
You and your mother, Sherry Beran, founded the team 13 years ago and have been very successful—named top listing and top closing team leaders for November 2016 at Long & Foster. Talk about the benefits of being a mother/daughter team.
Kristin Beran Krupp: We always have each other to lean on and we have strengths and weaknesses that complement each other. I list and do the business aspect, which means I run things, and I talk to my mom to make sure she agrees with everything I do. My mom, on the other hand, is the communicator and problem-solver.
Sherry Beran: I’m more social and I like to get involved with different networking groups. Real estate is a 24/7 job, and because we’re family, we have the same work ethic and values. We also trust each other implicitly, so when one of us takes time off, it’s seamless.
KBK: My mom and I got into real estate at the same time and set up a 50/50 partnership. We hired an accountant from day one and we treat the team like a business, so much so that we cut ourselves paychecks. I think that’s a huge reason we’ve succeeded. In addition to paying ourselves a set amount on a monthly basis, we’re prepared for a rainy day.
Where do you spend the bulk of your marketing money?
KBK: Online. Even though we have access to great online tools, we hired an online social media company to not only help us incorporate Facebook, realtor.com® and Trulia, but to ensure we’re using all of these tools effectively. We also still believe in the newspaper. We do a great deal of work in construction for active adults, and they tend to look for houses in the paper.
What are you most proud of about your team?
SB: Our reputation. We strive day-in and day-out to do the right thing and treat people the way we want to be treated. Richmond isn’t a huge market, and at some point, if you do enough business, you will work with people again. When I meet agents face-to-face, they’re always complimentary about their experience in working with our team, which is what we aim for.
You both have Seniors Real Estate Specialist® designations. How does this help you? And what does it entail?
KBK: We got the designation years ago and it gave us the opportunity to work with a builder in town who caters to the active adult community. There’s a huge need in the marketplace.
SB: When you work with older adults, not only are emotions higher, but there tend to be more decision-makers involved in the transaction. Families are far more involved. Since this part of the market is huge, selling older adults’ homes can be more …read more
From:: Real Estate News