Get the inside track on growing YOUR brand! In this Q&A style blog, we hear from The Rupp Peri Group, powered by Worth Clark Realty. This team of Tim Rupp, Gillian Peri, Josh Jones, Misty Ostrem, and Matthew Shelby collectively closed over 75 transactions and $26MM in real estate volume over the past 12 months #RealEstateGoals! So, grab that cup of joe and check out Tim and Joshua’s insightful responses in this fast five-minute read.
Q: What inspired you to start your respective real estate careers?
- A. (Tim) I was an Airline Pilot for TWA and got furloughed after 9/11. I had a pilot friend of mine talk me into going to real estate school, which was something that had always interested me. We went to real estate school together, and actually were going to form a team, but after we both got our licenses, he went with one office and I went to another.
- A. (Joshua) Our move to St Charles. We had Jace (our 6 yr old son) on the way and this relocation to be home near family was a new opportunity.
Q: What was that moment or time period you knew you wanted to move from being a single agent to being part of a team?
- A. (Tim) I started the first two years of my career as a solo agent and within the first 10 months in the business, I was consistently in the top two or three agents in a very large office and made it into the President’s Club. Although my real estate career was in high gear, my passion has always been flying, and I had an opportunity to return to the airlines in 2004. My newfound passion for real estate was something I was not willing to give up and in order to do both, I knew that I had to have a team in place for the times that I would be gone. I went through several different iterations of team building and team structures and finally found the secret sauce.
- A. (Joshua) There was an ALC (Agent Leadership Council) meeting and I met Gillian Peri. Next thing I know I met Tim Rupp we all discussed life, real estate, and happiness. 6 years later we have an outstanding balance and open-minded relationship. We’re better together than apart!!
Q: What is the best real estate advice you’ve read or received?
- A. (Tim) I’ve had some great advice over the years, but I would say one of the most profound to me was “Balance is the key to success.” It’s very easy to allow the business to run you, instead of you running the business. Without balance, burnout is inevitable.
- A. (Joshua) “If you’re standing in front of a judge, what would they say?” -Tim Rupp. You have to make sure to protect yourself and your client from all kinds of liability.
Q: New Realtors® often struggle with lead generation. What would your advice be to a brand new agent in building their business?
- A. (Tim) As a brand new agent, I remember the top five agents in the office had their own offices with doors. That was something I wanted, and I went to each of those agents and asked them, “what did you do to get this office. “ It amazed me that all five agents each had a different answer in what worked for them. One agent was religious with farming/mailings, another agent found success with open houses, while another agent had been in the business for 40 years and was strictly SOI, the fourth agent worked expired’s and FSBO’s and lastly, the 5th agent networked like nobody I’ve ever seen.
- A. (Joshua) Follow up!!! You would be surprised how excited some people are to hear from you.
Q: Although Worth Clark Realty has established itself in many markets, making a switch to a brokerage can be stressful, and there can be many unknowns. What first attracted you to Worth Clark?
- A. (Tim) I genuinely believe the landscape of selling homes is changing. The traditional brick-and-mortar brokerage is slowly going to disappear. I think WCR will be able to fill that void left by those brokerages that were unable to control costs and limit overhead. In addition, a business model allowing agents to become vested was something that we as a team were looking for.
- A. (Joshua) Worth Clark is a new way of doing real estate. The idea of paying for the brick-and-mortar brokerage is in the past. We have to have an entrepreneur mindset as opposed to being employees.
Q: What does WCR provide that makes the most significant impact on your team’s success?
- A. (Tim) As you know, while making a transition from another brokerage -business doesn’t just stop. In the early stages of our transition, it’s been the accessibility to the onboarding staff, the broker, and agent services. Holly has been fantastic, along with Mike, Andrew, and Emily. The team has been accommodating and making the transition go smoothly. We are excited to explore the other resources provided that will help our team grow.
- A. (Joshua)I am still exploring KVCore and other benefits of Worth Clark. The organization of your database is crucial.
Q: What would you tell agents in your area who are considering joining Worth Clark?
- A. (Tim) I would highly suggest to any agent looking at WCR to contact a few current producing agents and sit down over a cup of coffee and ask the tough questions. Do your due diligence and gather all the information you can to make an informed decision. I’m very confident you will find WCR a market disruptor In the ever-changing landscape of real estate brokerages. It’s a rapidly growing brokerage in several states, and you still have the chance to get in on the ground floor of a rapidly growing business.
- A. (Joshua) Get your database set up and make touches. If you’re not working your database, someone else will be.
Q: Any predictions or thoughts regarding the real estate market in 2022?
- A. (Tim) Well, I don’t think there’s any question that 2021 will be a record-setting year, and 2022 could likely be equally as prosperous, if not more. There is still a tremendous amount of pent-up demand coupled with low inventory and interest rates; they are fueling the frenzy to keep this market sizzling well into 2022. Assuming the economy keeps churning, consumer confidence remains high, and no catastrophic worldly events, I think we continue to see a very robust market for the foreseeable future.
- A. (Joshua) I don’t have a crystal ball. The only thing I can control is myself and the work I put in. People will still be buying and selling houses regardless of “the market.”
About Worth Clark Realty
Considering making a switch? Worth Clark Realty is A brokerage that provides true value. 100% commission and ownership in the company. At WCR, agents own what they do and earn company shares in one of America’s fastest-growing brokerages. WCR provides innovative and value-driven services to help people buy, sell, and lease real estate and is one of the fastest-growing U.S. companies for several years in a row.
Worth Clark’s company headquarters are located in St Louis, Missouri, with additional offices in Illinois, Kansas, Colorado, Texas, and Florida.
