Kelly Martin has held many roles in the real estate circle of business as a builder, an investor, a buyer, a seller, and an agent. Now she adds to her role of Ooltewah office ReMax Realtor her certification as a distressed property expert. Martin says many people don’t realize that there is an alternative to foreclosure. Homeowners in trouble need an agent who knows what they are doing, where they can negotiate with a bank a sale on their house that may be less than what they owe the bank (a short sale), she says.
“It doesn’t hurt them like a foreclosure hurts them. It will show on credit reports that it has been paid in full, and the only thing that’s negative on there would be late payments, if they have any,” she says. “Fifty percent of people who are in trouble end up walking away from their homes because they feel like they owe too much or will never get what they need after paying a real estate agent.”
Martin says that is not the case. The banks will only work with people who are using a licensed real estate agent for a short sale, but are very likely to do a short sale versus a foreclosure since they are so backed up with the latter right now.
“There is help, and there are people who know how to help. It’s people like myself who are certified as a distressed property expert that, if someone needs help with getting out of a situation like that, I am here,” she says. “The stress that it can cause to a family and not knowing what can be done is hard. Knowing that you can have this now and get a mortgage in two to three years instead of seven years with a foreclosure is such a huge relief to have somebody be able to close that chapter.”
This reassurance to clients comes from a Realtor who has technically been licensed for a year, but since 2007, Martin has been involved in the field and knows not only about distressed property but about many other real estate areas as well. Martin grew up and went to school in upstate New York where she began buying, remodeling and selling homes in 2007. Her husband had a job relocation to Chattanooga, so the couple sold all their properties in New York and moved here. This is when Martin made the decision to get her real estate license and delve into the business full-time.
Martin says helping families into homes they have been wanting and desiring, as well as seeing their faces when she gets them to where they previously thought they could never go, is what she likes about her job. “It’s a new start for a lot of people, new transitions they have waited for, saved up for. It’s an amazing adventure to go through the whole thing with the ups and downs and anxieties,” she says. “The final day they get – it is almost like watching someone win the lottery. Then they are at ease and this peace comes over them.”
In New York, Martin was primarily served in the role of an investor as well as a seller and buyer, which she says has helped her to be a better agent today, with her knowledge of the other side. “It really enabled me to feel compassioned to others when what they want and what they can get don’t match up,” she says. “I feel like I can get them to a common ground because I’ve been on both sides.”
Negotiation is probably the skill that Martin provides which her clients appreciate the most, she says. Also making complex matters simpler is something she does well. Getting her clients into a house in three weeks as opposed to three months because she sees a way they can do this is something she has also done before.
She says every situation is uniquely different because each client is strong in some areas and weak in others. Finding the property a client needs, by taking their idea of what they want, and balancing it with what they can afford is what Martin tries to do.
Coming from a different part of the country and traveling a lot, Martin says when she was choosing an agency to work for with a brand that was not just local, but would also be recognized throughout where clients would be moving from.
“Someone might be using a ReMax agent in Kansas and may be wanting to move here with a ReMax agent because they feel comfortable with the brand. I chose ReMax mainly because it’s a nice local company but it’s also nationally and internationally recognized,” she says. Having earned her stripes in the real estate business, Martin offers new agents advice by saying, “roll up your sleeves.” She also says that they will have to be patient and have a good support system at home. “You are dealing with high anxieties and the stress of other people, and they have issues they bring in. Your [issues] will get pushed aside, so you need to have a strong support system, someone you can talk with and help you get through,” she says.
She says the first six months were especially challenging bec-ause she was working to do her best and still questioning herself as being the best because she was still viewed as a rookie. In Ooltewah, Martin says there is a lot of new construction and relocating happening around the schools. Especially in Hampton Cove, off of Snow Hill Road, many new builders have come in and bought lots for new construction. She says it is a great community with the new pool they are installing, the nearby golf course and the proximity to excellent schools.
Martin enjoys spending her free time with her four children, ages ranging from three to 10. They go swimming at Harrison Bay and enjoy time outdoors between the cooler hours of the day. Martin says her family loves to ride horses as well and plans to ride together during the July 4th weekend.