Wayne Fredrick pairs with Billy Long, Keller Williams

by Paul Schreiber

SBJ Contributing Writer

Billy Long, Keller Williams Realty recently enlisted the services of Realtor Wayne Fredrick.

Fredrick, a 1984 Southwest Missouri State University graduate in real estate and finance, joined Billy Long, Keller Williams Realty as a broker-associate Jan 1.

Fredrick previously worked at Re/Max House of Brokers for 9 1/2 years before launching his own agency, Fredrick Realty Team. He also hosts the radio program, "All About Real Estate," which airs on KWTO-AM 560.

He said his decision to come to Keller Williams came about because it "felt like the place I needed to be."

"Keller Williams has solved all of the basic problems with the real estate industry," Fredrick said. "From the agent-broker conflicts, to the way agents are treated, it is the coming system in the way that real estate offices are going to be set up in the future."

Part of that "coming system" is how the company is structured, according to Billy Long, president of the Springfield Keller Williams agency.

"The biggest gripe Realtors have generally is that their broker is competing against them," he said. To remedy this, Keller Williams employs a non-selling broker who works for a salary, Long added.

The company also utilizes an in-house agent leadership council made up of individuals who are in the top 20 percent of agents in terms of sales, Long said. "It's the equivalent of a board of directors," setting the policy and tone for the agency, he added.

A third feature is a profit-sharing system that directs a certain percentage of revenues back to the agents each month.

While the profit sharing is an incentive, the biggest advantage of working for Keller Williams is "the training that goes on" at various sales conferences, Fredrick said, and "to have a chance to go and be with top agents from around the country."

"It's an agent-driven company," Fredrick said. Company co-founder "Gary Keller's basic philosophy is that if the agent is provided the resources, and if the agents get what they need and the brokerage helps the agent to be successful, then the brokers will be successful."

He added that "in about every other office I've ever been in, it's broker-driven. The agents are looked at as being a customer rather than being the broker's partner. In this way, the brokerage takes a back seat to the agent and tries to help the agent."

Sherre Lane, operating partner and the non-selling broker for Keller Williams, said she thinks Fredrick's decision to move his four-person agency under the Keller Williams banner is a big plus for the company.

"Keller Williams is designed for top people, and I think it validates our system that someone that is the caliber of Wayne Fredrick has chosen this system as what he sees the future of real estate really is."

"It's the first organization I've ever been in where everybody truly does work together," Fredrick said.

"One of the big misconceptions in the real estate business is, if I hire an agent, I'm going to get the collective forces of an entire company helping to sell my house. Keller Williams is the first organization I've ever seen where that's actually true," he added.

Fredrick said he believes the real estate market in Springfield and the surrounding area will continue to remain healthy. He does see a shift, however, in the development of residential areas within the city, particularly up north Glenstone. "I think you're going to see more growth to the north now because basically we're running out of land on the south side of town."

Long said he thinks Fredrick is a valuable addition to the Keller Williams sales team, noting Fredrick's attitude, name recognition and business ethic among the assets he brings to the company. "Wayne has a vast knowledge of real estate" and "we're just ecstatic to have him," Long said.

"It's the best Christmas present I've had in a few years," he added.

The Keller Williams real estate franchise has headquarters in Austin, Texas. The company comprises more than 60 sales offices and almost 3,000 agents nationwide.

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