The adage, “When one door closes, another one opens,” could be applied to Christi Doll’s real estate career. Only she didn’t wait for someone to open a door for her after another one had shut.
Doll built one and then opened it herself.
The door that closed behind Doll was her stint as managing broker of Exit Realty Scenic City. Of her departure, she says only that the decision was mutual and the result of changes at the company.
The door Doll fashioned on her own was Premier Property Group, Inc., a full-service real estate firm that represents residential buyers and sellers as well as commercial buyers, sellers, landlords and tenants in Tennessee and Georgia.
Premier Property Group belongs to Doll – lock, stock and barrel. She didn’t seek funding from investors or share the cost of starting the business with a partner. Rather, she produced the funding and drove the nail on which her license is hung into the wall of her office.
“I don’t have biological children, so I’m proud to say Premier Property Group is 100 percent my baby,” Doll says.
Doll considered joining another company when her days with Exit Realty were over. But as she contemplated her next move, she found herself unable to align with another franchise. Instead, she decided the only person she could work for was herself.
“I wanted to be in control of every businesses decision and the results,” she points out.
Doll did brainstorm ideas with close business associates and friends once she decided to start an independent brokerage. She then poured the fruit of those sessions into Premier Property Group.
Doll opened the firm’s doors at One Park Place, an executive building on Lee Highway, on Aug. 1. Since then, she’s been serving her buyers and sellers and preparing for the next phase of her business plan: adding agents.
Doll designed Premier Property Group to meet the needs of agents who have a home office (or an office in their car) but want to operate under an umbrella company and desire access to a satellite office.
Doll adds every necessary system is in place, from yard signs and business cards to the technology agents need in order to run a business, including agent websites.
“We have all the jazz the big firms offer,” she adds.
The One Park Place location also offers agents free Wi-Fi, printers and shared desk space.
“There’s also plenty of parking and a professional common area to use,” she says. “I love this location because it’s only minutes away from everything, and I can expand the company without relocating.”
The keyword Doll uses when describing the relationship Premier Property Group will have with its agents is “simple.”
Doll stresses that there will be no fees – no “monthly or annual fees, no transaction fees, no franchise fees, no royalty fees and no copier fees. None, zero, zip.”
Each calendar year, agents will keep 85 percent of their commission until they earn $50,000. They will then retain 95 percent of their commission for the rest of the year.
While Doll tailored Premier Property Group for experienced Realtors, the company will still train its agents. Doll says she’ll be available for one-on-one time and will never be farther away than a phone call.
“I think some Realtors are looking for a simplified real estate firm because clients often use an agent for who they are, not where they work,” she explains.
Doll plans to do more than grow the agent count at Premier Property Group; she’ll be striving to create a productive atmosphere.
“I’d like to have 25 to 35 agents who are great at what they do and stand by the code of ethics,” Doll says. “I see Premier Property Group as a tightly knit family with happy people who like where they work.”
Doll brings a long history in real estate to Premier Property Group. She became a Realtor in Florida in 2003, transitioned out of the business after she moved to Tennessee, then rejoined the industry after four years with The Enterprise Center.
As managing broker of Exit Realty, Doll’s days were filled with contract compliance, recruiting and marketing. She was also committed to education.
From attending broker boot camp in Canada to taking more continuing education courses than required, Doll served as an example to the agents she encouraged to never stop learning.
Her hard work paid off. Agent growth doubled during Doll’s term as managing broker and sales increased over 1,000 percent in 2016.
The key, Doll says, was recognizing that real estate is a people business. “You have to build relationships and take care of your clients. You can’t focus only on your paycheck.”
Doll is also committed to serving her profession.
In addition to being a member of the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors, Doll is a member of the Women’s Council of Realtors Chattanooga, where she’s serving as secretary in 2017.
Doll’s real estate career has taken her over the peaks and through the valleys of the business. She says her varied experiences have prepared her for the years ahead.
“I worked like a dog through the boom and saw the bubble burst but have never tired of doing this.’’
More than anything else, Doll is looking forward to opening doors of opportunity for other agents.
“I love real estate and want others be successful at it as well.”