Ozarks Profile - Wayne Fredrick

What is your job?

"As of July 1, I'm the managing broker of the Springfield office of the Re/Max House of Brokers," Fredrick said. "My job is to train, recruit and consult real estate agents. My passion has always been for teaching. This job finally allowed me to do on a day-to-day basis what I most love. I know the issues and dynamics of hiring people. I know the scripts and dialogues that you have to have as a Realtor. I've been through all the wars, and now I get to train Realtors in all that. It's my job to meet the needs of the real estate agents who want to come and work with us."

Please tell us about your company.

"Re/Max is hands-down the number one real estate operation in Springfield on transactions per agent," Fredrick said. "We realize that everyone will claim number one on something, but as far as producers, we have the top producers in Springfield. Our average agent last year did 34 transactions. The next closest company did 12 transactions per agent, so we're about three times the city average."

What prepared you for work in real estate?

Fredrick said he grew up around the real estate business. His father, Jack Fredrick, was a developer. "Still is," Fredrick said. "I started helping him when I was 5 years old." Fredrick also graduated from SMSU in 1985 with a degree in real estate finance. "I started selling real estate, and bounced around to two or three different companies," he said. "Then I was here at Re/Max for 9 1/2 years, then I went out on my own. My long-term goal was ownership and the ability to train, recruit and consult real estate agents. I'm now one of the lucky people who pops out of bed every morning and can't wait to come to work."

Can you tell us something about your personal life and family?

Wayne and Cathy Fredrick have been married 16 years and have three children Nathan, 12; Madeline, 7; and Anna, 20 months. "Nathan is interested in golf," Fredrick said. "He plays, and he plays well. He takes lessons. It's been really neat, because now he goes out with me when I play." Madeline, he said, is "big on the swim team and gymnastics, and she's just taken up horseback riding. Anna has no hobbies yet, other than telling you everything is hers." Fredrick added, "Cathy loves to drive the children around to all of their activities and does get to play tennis one day a week. She's a good player. She really is."

How do you like to spend your leisure time?

"Family and golf. We love to spend time with the kids." Hesitant to discuss his golf ability, Fredrick finally acknowledged that he won the state amateur Missouri Stroke Play Championship, sponsored by the Missouri Golf Association. "I'd won the state amateur match play event in '96," he said. "Match play is where if you win you move on to play someone else. Stroke play is like you see on television 72 holes, tee it up, low score wins." Of the family's leisure time, he said, "We like to just hang out. We try to schedule a couple of family vacations, just to get away. This year we're going to Florida. But we like to just hang out together."

by Frank Shipe