Realtors who begin their career in their twenties are getting a late start, says Re/Max agent Billy Weathers, who sold his first house at the age of 12. His commission was a great view of Chattanooga.
“I talked my parents into moving to Missionary Ridge. I had gone home with some people from church, and when I saw the lights of the city, I said, ‘That’s awesome!’ I had never seen a view like that. They said, ‘The house next door is for sale.’ When my parents picked me up, I said, ‘We need to move here,’” Weathers says.
Weathers’ father was a physician at Park Ridge Hospital, which one could see from the house in question. It took a couple of months, but Weathers eventually badgered his parents into buying the property.
Ten years later, he sold it for five times what his parents had paid for it.
Weathers started his real estate career while earning a marketing degree at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. His mother purchased him books on the topic and encouraged him to become a Realtor. He got a taste of what it would be like when he purchased a duplex, and then lived in one half with his brother while renting the other half.
That was the ’80s, when sales came easy, but paychecks were small.
“Everybody needs somewhere to live, and it’s the American Dream to own a home, so I thought real estate would be a great career. But in the ’80s, houses cost less than they do now, so you had to sell more to make a living,” Weathers says.
Weathers says it wasn’t easy for “kids fresh out of college to get into the business,” but low overhead, help from mom and dad, and income from a small Italian restaurant he owned gave him the space he needed to get up to speed. When he decided to exit the food business to become a full-time Realtor, he went with Central Real Estate in East Brainerd.
As Weathers talks about his humble beginnings, his mind takes a detour down Memory Lane. One of the things he remembers was the paucity of paperwork compared to today.
“In the old days, a contract consisted of two or three eight-by-eleven pieces of paper. Today, we have what amounts to a book of disclosures and other forms. Every time you close a property, it seems like there’s another piece of paper.”
Once Weathers had two years under his belt at Central, he purchased a Century 21 office. In time, he learned he preferred being out selling houses than in the office pushing papers, so he sold his branch and rolled up his sleeves as an agent at Prudential. Later, he moved to Re/Max, where he’s been for 13 years.
“I attended a lot of training seminars in the ’90s, and it seemed like half the agents were from Re/Max,” Weathers says.
Weathers is a big fan of the company under which he works. His favorite perks include the national advertising campaigns, the referral process and the international recognition factor. “Re/Max has a presence in most developed countries, so if you’re German, you know what Re/Max is,” he says.
Weathers is licensed in Tennessee and Georgia, and works with both residential and commercial properties. As a Certified Residential Specialist, the majority of his business involves listing and selling houses.
However, whether Weathers is selling a warehouse or showing a home, he works hard for the money he earns. Like many of his peers, he puts in long hours, rarely takes a day off, and his cell phone is always humming.
His days and nights are not all work and no play, though; he also makes good use of the sport of golf. “Golf is a good way for a Realtor to meet people. The friendships and connections I’ve made on a golf course have been a big part of my career,” he says.
Weathers also strives to provide good customer service. Recently, he helped an 80-year-old lady downsize from a house to a townhome. “She was sweet, and I could tell she needed an extra level of service, so I would pick her up and take her to get her power and water turned on. She thinks I hung the moon. I had such a good experience with her that I’ve decided to think of every client as though he or she is that sweet lady,” Weathers says.
The investment of time and effort Weathers has made has paid off, as he’s been the top-producing agent at Re/Max’s Shallowford Road office for 10 of the past 13 years. He’s also grown his business to the point where many of his transactions involve either a repeat customer or a referral. Even though the last few years have been tough, all things considered, real estate has treated him well.
“It has its ups and downs. But I like working for myself, and I enjoy setting my own hours, even though the hours are long. Yesterday, I was able to take off at four and play nine holes of golf with my son. If I’d been in the corporate world, I might not have been able to do that,” Weathers says.
In addition to being a Realtor, Weathers is also a family man and an active member of his community. But everything he does circles around to real estate: the money he’s earned has allowed him to provide a good life for his wife, Connie, and their kids, and his visibility as a member of the Rotary Club of Hamilton Place-Chattanooga has helped his business. With this in mind, it’s a good thing Weathers likes what he does.
“If I could go back, I’d still do real estate. It’s a good career,” he said.