When it comes to the key numbers in real estate, the CEO and principal broker of the Austin Sizemore Team is pleased with how well he and his agents are doing.
Sizemore says he believes residential sales in excess of 100 units and $20 million in 2020 placed his group among the top 20% of teams in the greater Chattanooga area.
Additionally, with even more agents tackling 2021, he expects his key numbers for this year – when he expects to close 300 residential units and reach $75 million in sales – to propel his team even higher up the local rankings.
Sizemore has reached these heights of success despite the one number he says is irrelevant to success in real estate – his age.
Although Sizemore says he’ll be just 24 in October (which is another way of saying he’s just 23), he’s already built a team of more than a dozen agents and staff and left the nurturing confines of Keller Williams Greater Downtown Realty to open his own brokerage with the cloud-based eXp Realty.
Sizemore says he chose eXp because he believes it will offer him more freedom to grow geographically.
“We had a great run with Keller Williams. The support we received there laid the foundation that allowed us to build a successful team,” Sizemore says.
“But the way we want to run our operation no longer matches the franchise model. We’re focused on creating an environment where our agents can thrive, and the technology eXp offers our agents gives them the tools they need to expand their businesses far beyond the local market.”
Sizemore has staked his initial claim in the free-standing building at 2010 E. Main Street, which he says will serve his clients and agents well.
But he’s not stopping there. Sizemore’s quest for growth already has him looking toward Blue Ridge and Ellijay, where he hopes to partner with agents who need assistance or would like to utilize eXp’s tools and resources.
“Many of the high-profile clients we serve in Chattanooga are looking for either a vacation home or an investment property in that area, and we’ve consistently referred those folks out because the distance is a bit of a challenge,” Sizemore explains.
“But now we’re looking to partner with agents there and elsewhere. Our goal is to have the ability to serve every territory that’s within a two-hour drive from Chattanooga. Partnering with eXp allows us to easily do that.”
Sizemore says one of the chief benefits of aligning with eXp is its international expansion, which opens Chattanooga to the world.
“We sell a lot of listings to international buyers, so our ability to get our properties in front of an international audience is a little easier with eXp than it was with a franchise that was focused locally.”
Sizemore became a Realtor four years ago when his grandmother, Sharon Casteel, retired from the business after 30 years.
At the time, he simply wanted to keep a real estate license in the family, but he says he quickly fell in love with the industry and left his job with a local nonprofit to begin selling houses.
Sizemore has been growing his team ever since – and he has no intention of slowing down.
“We’re always looking for talented folks to join our sales team and tap into the lead streams and resources that have made all the agents that work for us successful.”
In addition to continuing his ongoing quest for growth, Sizemore says he hopes to make his grandmother proud.
“She thinks all of this is a little crazy. Price points were a little different when she was selling houses. But at the end of the day, she’s excited the real estate line of the family has continued.”