by Patty Jo Sawvel ~ 

Twenty years ago, real estate agent Carol Whicker was searching for a company that was strongly focused on agents.  She found that company in Keller Williams.  However, she found something else too.

“At the time,” Carol shared, “I was only interested in listing and selling property.  But, Keller Williams taught me how to build a business.  Today, I am an agent, an owner, and the operating principal at our Kernersville Market Center.”

Mastermind and founder Gary Keller, who started Keller Williams Realty International (KWRI) in the 1980s in Austin, Texas, realized that the key to a successful business was to make sure everyone, especially the agents, were successful.  He tipped the traditional realtor/agent relationship on its head and started an agent-led company that shared its profits.

In addition to paying high commissions, KWRI rewarded agents for helping them grow.   The reward is called “profit sharing”, but it is nothing like the typical plan.  In the Keller Williams model, owners sent up to 48% of their monthly profits to KWRI.  That money goes into a “profit share pool” and is distributed back to the agents.  Some agents in Kernersville have directly or indirectly sponsored 300+ agents and have received “passive income” exceeding $35,000 annually.

“That is a future you can bank on,” said Shirley Ramsey, agent/investor along with Sam Rogers.  “It is an opportunity that is open to every agent.  You can even pass this income on to your children and your grandchildren through your will.”

As KW agents will attest, their remarkably high earnings are directly related to training KWRI makes available.  In fact, there is a saying around the agency that KW is really a training and coaching company that is thinly disguised as a real estate company.

This was proven true last month when the highly regarded Training Magazine named KWRI the #1 training organization in the world for all industries.  As one would expect, world-class training has yielded world-class results.  Keller Williams is now the largest franchise real estate company in the world with over 112,000 associates.  Following suit, Keller Williams in Kernersville is the largest real estate company in town, currently 112 agents, working either in Kernersville or in their newly opened High Point location.

As Team Leader Michelle Amador said, “There is no lid on the opportunities here.  You can be an agent, a team leader, a national trainer, an owner and operating principal, or more.  Keller Williams has a model and a system for every opportunity, and if you follow the model you will be successful.”

In 1995, Gary Keller hired Mrs. Mo Anderson, author of The Seven Pillars of a Joy-Filled Life, to breathe life, heart, and a family spirit into the company.  She has become a cultural icon in the real estate industry: blending her exceedingly high ethics, her sound financial principals, and her huge heart for people.

She anchors the KW core values of God, family, and then, business.  She continues to be a strong advocate of the KWRI Mission of “Careers worth having, businesses worth owning, and lives worth living.”

In honor of her birthday, every May all the KWRI market centers close on RED Day to engage in a community project.  Recently, the Kernersville Market Center completely renovated the landscaping at the Battered Women’s Shelter in Kernersville by planting flowers, hauling soil for vegetable gardens, and making a beautiful green space for the children.

The Keller Williams model—growing local agents in a nurturing culture, with plenty of training and top-tier earning opportunities—has trickled down to Kernersville’s residents.  Many buyers and sellers look to Keller Williams for guidance in today’s market.

Such was the case with Virginia and Junior Brown.  They needed to sell their home due to critical medical challenges, and they needed to sell it fast.

“Our agent, Michele Wilson, walked through our house before we put it on the market. She recommended that we paint our walls in neutral colors, paint our basement white, and that we pull up carpet in a couple of rooms so people could see our beautiful hardwood floors.  We did what she said and our house sold in seven days,” Virginia said thankfully.

Then, Michele surprised them by finding a house that met their needs near the new Veteran’s Hospital in Kernersville.  With Michele’s help, it was a smooth transition out of the old and into the new!

First time home seller, Bill Granger, loved his house but wanted to move so that his children could attend the school of their choice in Kernersville.  He called Keller Williams Agent Susie Mickey.

“She is an amazing negotiator,” Bill said.  “She had us get an appraisal before we put our house on the market and told us that she would reimburse the cost if she could not sell the house for that amount.  She sold our house for more than the appraisal value.  Then, she helped us find our new house, which we bought for $10,000 under the appraisal.  I am glad she was on our side!”

Meredith Phillips felt the same way about her well-trained Keller Williams Agent Earla Clark.  According to Meredith, Earla does an excellent job marketing homes on websites and social media while paying attention to brick and mortar details.

“We bought a house and the contract stipulated that certain things were to be fixed.  Earla made sure those things were really fixed.  We did not have to worry about a thing.  She made that her job.  After working with Earla, we will never go back to any other companies.  Earla will be our real estate agent for life,” Meredith said warmly.

For most people, buying or selling a home can be very intrusive and uncomfortable.  However, for people like Robert Weidl—buy, fix, and flip is a way of life.  However, he knows that while he is an expert at construction, he needs to team up with an expert in the real estate market to really grow his business.  He chooses Keller Williams Agent Robert Wiley to fill this role.

“Last year, Robert Wiley sold 22 homes for me.  He is awesome.  He answers his phone 24/7 and I can name any street in Winston-Salem or Kernersville and he can tell me about the neighborhood and the market opportunities.  We have a formula that keeps me profitable and Robert lets me know when I am getting outside of my formula.  With his help, I still made money even when the real estate market was down,” Robert shared.

Giving back is an important cornerstone of any KW Market Center.  On the local level, the associates of KW contribute to the positive growth of Kernersville by supporting community treasures such as The Shepherd’s Center, Special Olympics, and more.

“It has been wonderful to be a part of Kernersville’s growth over the past 20 years,” said Carol Whicker.  “As we continue to grow, we will always stay focused on maintaining our “hometown” family oriented culture.  It is who we are—and who we want to be—for our staff, our agents, and most importantly, our buyers and sellers.”

Download the free Keller Williams mobile real estate app to see instantly the prices of homes for sale in your area—whether you are driving through your neighborhood or traveling on vacation!  Learn about current market conditions, interest rates, and so much more.  Free on the App Store or Google Play. 

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KELLER WILLIAMS 

Carol Whicker Investor/Agent, Operating Principal

Shirley Ramsey Investor/Agent

Sam Rogers Investor/Retired

Michele Amador Team Leader

Glenda Shipe Market Center Admin (MCA)

Kim Trombley Assistant MCA

Susie Mickey Broker in Charge

 

• Residential

• Commercial

• Foreclosures

• New Construction

• Land

• First-Time Buyer

 

Keller Williams Locations:

1261-D Hwy 66 South, (Near Bishop McGuinness H.S.)

Kernersville, NC

336.992.0200

 

655 North Main Street, High Point, NC 27262

336.804.8200

Find us online at: KWTriadRealEstate.com