Local real estate firms post solid growth in 2005

Carol Jones, Realtors Nov. 15 announced $1 billion in year-to-date contract sales for 2005, shattering the company’s 2004 record of $882 million in contract sales. Closed sales for 2004 were $701 million.

“In 2000, I said my goal is to be doing a billion in 2005, and everybody raised their eyebrows and smirked. I again said it in 2002,” Carol Jones, CEO and president, said. “We’re a product of ourselves, and if we believe we can, we can.”

Jones cites a focus on aggressive recruiting and agent training as reasons for reaching the sales benchmark. The company hires about 100 new agents each year, she said.

Jim Bolin, general manager for Carol Jones’ commercial arm, said an expanding commercial and residential real estate market is only a small factor in the company’s growth, as internal improvement has been the key to its success.

“I’d like to think it’s training and maturity on the agents’ part, and then you add that into a very strong marketplace,” he said. “There are companies out there that haven’t grown anywhere near what we have, and part of it is they’re satisfied with where they’re at, and we’re not satisfied.”

New office

To keep up with its growth, Carol Jones is expanding its National Avenue office by adding an adjacent 7,000-square-foot building. A new location in Ozark is being constructed on South Street. Both will be complete Jan. 1, Jones said, and then renovations will begin on the company’s main office.

Meanwhile, Murney Associates also is pushing for a record year, though company officials would not disclose year-to-date sales.

“We’re a lot ahead – we have a pretty good increase,” said Twila Hillme, broker-manager for Murney. “Even our holiday (season) is a little stronger than it was last year at this time.”

Murney had $808 million in closed sales in 2004.

The growing market has Murney laying out expansion plans as well. The firm is moving its Ozark office in mid-December to a new location in front of the new Wal-Mart and will triple its square footage.

Murney also has selected a plot of land in Branson where a new office will be constructed by the end of the first quarter next year. The size will be comparable to the firm’s Nixa office, Hillme said.

A strong sales staff and stable Springfield real estate market have pushed Murney’s sales higher each year, Hillme said.

“We have a lot of experienced agents, we have great training for our new agents, and of course, the market’s good,” she said. “I don’t expect Springfield to take a dip, even if the market leveled out next year.”

Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realtors, which had $160 million in closed sales in 2004, is at $250 million in year-to-date closed sales, an increase of 18 percent over last year, President Judy Huntsman said.

Community growth

Despite consistent growth, Coldwell Banker hasn’t placed an emphasis on adding to its roster of 105 agents and staff or opening a second office, Huntsman said, though the company always has room to grow.

As Springfield’s surrounding communities continue to boom, Coldwell will be ready, she said.

“There’s a lot going on in Republic right now – commercial stuff – and there’s going to be a lot happening in Rogersville, too,” she said. “We’re excited about that because we’re right in the middle.”

All three firms seem to agree that the success of the local market is in little danger of slowing down.

“People ask my agents, ‘When is the bubble going to burst?’ We have never had a bubble here,” Huntsman said. “We’ve had strong, consistent economic growth because of a very diversified economy, and it’s going to continue to grow for many years.”

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