Keller Williams opens in Joplin

The Feb. 2 opening represents the culmination of years of hard work for Donny Allen, team leader of the Joplin office, 531 E. 15th St.

“I was 26 years old when I started in 1996,” Allen said. “I worked at Century 21 for six and a half years, but was always intrigued and enamored of the idea of working for myself.”

Allen holds both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in real estate and is certified as an Accredited Buyer’s Representative, a Graduate of Real Estate and an Internet Professional. However, because of his youth, he knew that he needed to find a way to open his own company that would set him apart from more experienced competition.

After researching different companies, Allen’s quest took him to Keller Williams, an Austin, Texas-based company founded in 1983. Keller Williams has 547 offices nationwide and more than 58,000 licensed agents.

According to its Web site, www.kw.com, Keller Williams posted 2004 revenues of more than $2.1 billion. In addition to traditional commissions, Keller Williams agents also receive a percentage of the profits earned by other agents they recruit. To date, agents have received more than $100 million in profit-sharing proceeds.

“When I looked into this company, I found a different way to do real estate,” Allen said. “This way agents can build supplemental income. It’s a phenomenal theory considering typical ownership, where owners may not be not as hands-on or as concerned with day-to-day operations. Keller Williams spreads the wealth around and works toward including agents as partners.”

Allen also was attracted by educational and professional development possibilities offered by the company.

“They have online and live seminars, and offer mentoring and coaching,” he said. “Because we’re focused on the belief that if agents are trained well, Keller Williams will be the company of choice, this system rewards owners, agents and consumers.”

When Allen was approached last spring by Doris Carlin, who’s been in real estate for several years, about the possibility of opening an office in Joplin, he jumped at the chance. Carlin, who’s been working in real estate in Missouri since 1982 and was a partner in Pro 100 Realtors before joining Allen, now serves as the operating partner for Keller Williams of Southwest Missouri.

“We found two agents, Kent Eastman and Mike Flanagan, who were interested and drove to Austin for a meeting and liked what we heard. We talked it over, and decided to join,” Allen said.

Allen’s goals are ambitious for Keller Williams of Southwest Missouri’s first year in business.

“We’d like to have approximately 50 agents by 2007 and eventually grow to around 100 agents,” he said.

Chances are, the Joplin area will be able to support that growth.

“We’ve seen tremendous growth in commercial and residential real estate. The Ozarks is one of the best-kept secrets across the country,” said Scott Binns, president of the Ozark Gateway Association of Realtors in Joplin. “People moving in are amazed at the comparatively low cost of living. These areas have a lot to offer that they might not find in larger cities.“

While Joplin has about 44,000 residents, according to the Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce, the city serves a trade area of about 430,000 people, Binns said.

“People come in from Oklahoma and Kansas to take advantage of the retail and clothing stores and many restaurants,” Binns said. “To me, the opening of the new Keller Williams indicates good market conditions. They can be a real asset to the area, where business is good. A competitive market does more for the consumer. People don’t take clients for granted, and that’s better for everyone.”

Carlin agrees that the Joplin real estate market is very strong.

“We don’t have the same appreciation as the East or West coasts. We have a slow and stable market,” she said. “It’s affordable and primarily owner-occupied. People who can afford to own tend to take care of their neighborhood, which contributes to our overall quality of life.”

Keller Williams of Southwest Missouri deals in both commercial and residential real estate, and presently has more than 100 listings.