Carol Jones Company achieves record year in 2001

Carol Jones, president of Carol Jones Realtors, has led her sales force to record highs since her July 2000 return to the company, according to Jim Bolin, the company's general sales manager.

The company listed $681,587,561 worth of property in 2001, compared to $535,868,112 in 2000 and closed $441,617,700 in sales in 2001, compared to $349,743,536 in 2000, said Miles Noennig, chief financial officer for Carol Jones Realtors.

The 2001 increases represent a 26 percent growth rate compared to 2000, and they top the company's numbers for all previous years by 18 percent, Noenning said.

"Carol and Jim deserve the credit for the comeback in the numbers," Noennig said. "Especially in Springfield."

Jones started her company from the ground up in 1983. After building it to number one in southwest Missouri, she sold the company to Iowa Realty and retired from real estate in 1994.

Iowa Realty is a division of home services.com.

"Ultimately we are also affiliated with Homeservices.com, one of the largest real estate entities in the United States," Noennig said.

When Jones retired so she could travel and spend more time with her grandchildren, she had no idea that she'd again find herself at the helm of the company.

While she enjoyed her free time, she knew something was missing. Now that she is back in harness, she has no plans to quit again.

"I'll be here until the ambulance comes to get me," she said.

When Jones came back in 2000 she stipulated that Bolin join her in the management of the company.

Bolin had previously worked at Carol Jones Realtors when the firm had an office at Highland Springs.

Jones wanted Bolin on board because he shares her goals, management style and philosophy.

Bolin said the company maintained its status during Jones' absence, but sales had dropped and the company had lost some of its momentum.

"It's been a real challenge to get it back where I wanted it to be," Jones said.

Jones and Bolin still are pushing toward the goal they set for the company to be the first in the region to sell $1 billion in a single year a goal they hope to reach by 2005, Bolin said.

Bolin added that if the company continues at its present pace, it will achieve the goal.

He said he feels confident that the lo-cal economy will re-main strong enough to assure success.

"Because of the di-versity of industry here, the real estate market has been pretty recession-resistant," Noennig added.

Noenning also said that the medical in-dustry and other major employers have helped keep sales healthy in the area.

Carol Jones sets high standards for her agents and implements training and programs to help them meet those standards.

To that end, Jones recently added Gary Oyler, compliance manager, to the company's staff.

Bolin noted that because the company's agents are essentially independent contractors, Jones has only her dedication and energy to promote loyalty. Agents with the company have flourished because of her ability to motivate people.

Carol Jones Realtors has 10 locations in Springfield, Nixa, Ozark , Mt. Vernon, Seymour and Branson. From those locations, the company has 316 agents working. Of the 316, 145 residential and 16 commercial agents work from the Springfield office at 3600 S. National, Bolin said.

Expansion of the Springfield office may be the company's next big decision. With new agents that have joined the company since Jones' return, How many in 2001? the Springfield office is bursting at the seams, according to Noennig. The company will either look for a larger facility in the near future or possibly split into two locations.

Of growth in general, Bolin said, "The only thing we haven't done is go national and we don't have any plans for that."