07 Apr REALTOR® SPOTLIGHT with Christy Kramlich

TRANSCRIPTION

Hey everybody it’s Adam Kruse I’m the broker owner of the Hermann London real estate group in beautiful downtown Maplewood, Missouri and here with me today is Christy Kramlich REALTOR® extraordinaire how are you Christy? Fantastic how are you great well thank you for letting me interview you today you know I’ve been kind of wanting to check in with all the agents and I know everyone is wanting to hear in general about the real estate market and what REALTORS® are doing and then of course all your friends and family and past clients want to hear what you’ve been up to and how you’re just basically how you’re doing during this time so it’s gonna start off with a couple of intro questions if you don’t mind you are great so tell me how long have you been a REALTOR® how long have been with Hermann London I’ve been a REALTOR® a little over five years now at this point I’ve been in Hermann London a little over a year so I’m kind of a newbie I still think of myself as a new person you think of yourself as a new person after five years in real estate I really do I think things change all the time and you really have to know the field but yeah do you not think it’s new five years well I think I’d say you’re an old pro at this point but I understand your point about how that’s I think that’s what keeps real estate interesting and makes it a career that people do for 40 years is the you know every day there’s something new right and just like video that we’re doing today something new in real estate here we go absolutely keeps me on my toes keep you on your toes so I just wanted to ask why you joined Hermann London REALTORS® in the first place well I really wanted a boutique shop close to my house and can’t get any closer to my house I’d loved the group of people I don’t the other place that was with was not so uplifting here everybody seems to be generally happy when you’re doing well it’s not a bad step in kind of way it’s like yeah you did it fantastic um how can I help you everybody’s willing to pitch in the help and that was important the other thing important to me is a company that gives back a lot to the community and surrounding communities that’s who I am and that’s what I needed in a brokerage I was going to say no one helps more than Christy Kramlich when it comes down to helping our agents helping your clients and then helping the community in general so we’re gonna have to get into a little bit of that but in general as a REALTOR® where are you seeing most of your business come from it seems like REALTORS® either kind of work a certain part of town are they work you know real referrals and their friends and family or a lot of REALTORS® are buying internet leads and stuff like that what would be your focus well I don’t buy the internet leads because I’ve been blessed enough to get people that have known me for many years I have a couple people who gave me a few leads but mostly I just reach out to people and talk to people and if somebody says I want to buy a house I talk to them as if you’re not have been real estate now and I’d love to help you especially I’d like to get more known in the Maplewood area I know they know who I am they know what I’ve done in the past for the Maplewood they just sometimes don’t realize that I’m a real estate agent and make one okay and so when you say that you I got a lot of questions from that but you mentioned that you know you just reach out to people a lot are you kind of doing a cold call smile and dial with the headset type of thing or do you mean you just kind of like to you just literally call people that you know in some way and chat with them I thought I will do cold calls if I have somebody saying Oh someone so wants a house I said well give me their number and I’ll call them but mostly it’s hey I know Christy so-and-so wants to sell their house can they call you absolutely give me a call and I just keep in touch with my past clients which is especially with this stuff going on now it’s been a huge oh my gosh thank you for reaching out again it’s really nice to hear from you uh-huh wonderful okay and then you you mention that you wanted to be even more known in Maplewood you live in Maple at our offices in Maple it obviously so what kind of things have you and that work because I know you you go to Maplewood events you’re involved in the maple maple good now right you’re kind of like having boots and stuff at a lot of the Chamber of Commerce events what do you think it will take to get more known in Maplewood for some agent who’s wanting to build up their name somewhere I think a lot of farming I’m gonna have to do a lot of postcards a lot of hay this is where I’m at stopping people I’m straight talking to people on the streets all of stuff which I have done but I didn’t do it first up so I’ve only really been working on it for a little less than a year and I think that’s what it’s gonna take okay and did you want to do maple Oh in business because it’s close because you like the people that they’re the type of real estate or what is it about maple win for you well I love my little hometown I know maple wood I can sell maple wood I live not to talk about the great features I know the pros and they know the cabins wood so I was looking for a house maple wood I’d want somebody like me because I know the area and that’s to me is an important thing and you know the neighbors right correct it seems like a lot of times when someone’s buying a house they often were referred to that particular neighborhood maybe by someone that they know that lives in and that’s convenient for you I am for your clients that you kind of up and keep involved because often you’ll probably be able to find a buyer for one of your listings I suppose easier than maybe a agent that’s not from that area yeah and somebody just don’t know a lot about the area and there’s a fine line you know there’s make with borders Shrewsbury it borders virgin Heights it borders part of Brentwood important there’s part of the city and sometimes I’ll see a does not know where those lines are yeah this represents their property that they’re trying. I love it. Okay, so a part of the reason that we’re doing this video like this you know and we’re not in the same room is because of all the Coronavirus stuff going on and I’ve noticed that some agents seem to me just kind of give or waiting but from all of our discussions it seems like you’re still working hard through this so what are you doing to stay busy and kind of what’s been happening for you with because of komen well business has slowed down a little bit but it’s not stopped by any means I’ve still got listings out there I still get listings going under contract I still have a couple buyers I’m working with I’m just working smarter um I think because of all this I go to a house i videotape it and show it to my client and if I’m there on the phone when I’m walking through so if I’m doing that and they really really like the house then they come to the house okay so I don’t show five houses on a video five houses walk through with them and then if they find one they really like then they join me and then they can make the decision themselves okay and that’s primarily because of social distancing and not you know just kind of respecting the owner and not wanting to get too many people in their house and stuff like that kind of curious on an ongoing basis do you think that that is something that is actually is it more effective use of your time in their time or is this taking more time than kind of the traditional way we’ve been showing us it’s definitely more effective and time management I think because um you know when you take buyers through a house they like to lollygag around and just kind of look at things and pick up stuff and do all that stuff you don’t have that when you’re doing a video you have the walkthrough of look this is the general house what are your thoughts will show me this room again then I go back to that room and then we’re done so a half hour walk through with the buyer is usually a 10 to 15 minute walk through in the video so to me it’s a little better so there’s less of the I’ve had buyers before that say I hate it well we better see the basement yeah so no reason to go to the basement now we we get that right ok so what else is kind of are you doing to stay busy you mentioned already today that you like to reach out to people I’ve been doing a lot of phone calls a lot of texting a lot of sending just handwritten notes to people because I think the small things like today I get a postcard from one of my past clients who bought a house from me you know it was really nice to get that it was just a small thing it brought a smile to my face I’m like well I can do that too you know I just want them to know that I’m here just because they bought a house and they’re done and living in their house doesn’t mean I’m not still around love it okay they we talked about how our company wants to take sort of a high-tech high-touch approach and that’s basically exactly what you just covered right high tech with your kind of virtual video tours and I touch with reaching out to people and maybe still sending personal notes and things like that would you say that you’ve noticed any sort of change in the Maplewood market in general about our homes selling faster or they’re less homes on the market you know there are definitely less homes I have a couple people who are on hold I put their house on the market because they’re moving out of state so they have to figure out the logistics of how can they do that with Covid going on so definitely it’s kind of a hold a little bit but definitely not stop the market I mean the market is still going strong love it okay any before I get into my five questions that I like to ask everybody would you say there’s any other message that you want everyone to hear from you I give it my all I will back you up and we’ll work really hard for you I give you my hundred and ten percent and I consider you a kind of family after all said and done I run into you in those minute I like keeping contact to see how things going I’d love to know when you have your babies are got a new puppy I’d like to give you a new puppy that reminds me we were going to ask you a little bit about it kind of like some of the community work that you do do you want to share what you have going on now or what kind of groups are involved in and maybe need help I well I volunteer for animal rescues actually Dent County Animal Welfare Society which is based out of Salem, Missouri and the APA which is in Brentwood on Hanley Road dogs are your fostering yes one of those organizations I have done far usually um I usually do the neonate babies so I battle see at the babies because a specialty foster person in that way yeah yeah because we can my daughter and I can sub-q I’m given fluids and all that stuff and we’re comfortable with all that and keeping them alive can be pretty challenging but we managed to do it pretty well that’s what you do with the animals now you help a lot of people too I love to help people the homeless population is a huge thing for me I’d like to help them I’d like to feed them I’d like to help clothe them I’d like to give them shelter as far as tents and that kind of stuff sadly right now usually I have be having a big feast for Easter I can’t have that due to the Covid because there’s just no logistical way to keep everybody safe so I do hit the streets when it’s cold out I hand out coats I pick up people take them to shelters I always do Christmas and Easter every major holiday I do it one of the churches in South City but that doesn’t stop there I don’t you I sleep out for Covenant House so homeless is a big thing for me and the interesting thing about you is that you’re not just a person who sorry there’s a bug I’ve got my doors open you’re you don’t not that there’s anything wrong with that necessarily but you don’t just kind of give to an organization and feel like you help the homeless that way but you’re really kind of hands-on you love to really roll up your sleeves and I’ve gone and helped you do it and I’ve and I mean a little bit I know you do it a lot but you really like to kind of get on the front lines right I am a person I don’t like behind the scenes I don’t need glory for it but I like to be there working that that’s how I I cook I hand out I’d measure I help everybody a lot this is a population that people are afraid of and afraid to give and make them feel human and if I can make one person feel human and safe that day then I feel really good about it yeah okay on that front you know you you have any any sort of like formal way that people that aren’t maybe frontline people can support you is there some sort of way that you have like a paypal that people can send to or I mean not that this video was about asking for you know money or anything like that but have you have you thought about sort of formalizing the way that people can help you help others um well actually I’ve jumped into the century I have a Venmo now okay love it terrifies me so yeah if I donate on Facebook and stuff people want to donate they can they can donate items they can donate money you know there’s a lot of different ways they can donate they can donate timing I’m always looking for people to help me especially but on the days that I serve I’d love to have people help me come serve and you know you’ve been there you know how it can get a little unruly sometimes I you know what those are honestly some of my favorite days is in there kind of like I used to work in restaurants a lot in college and in high school and so getting into that kitchen and sort of you know having a job to do and directing around and all that kind of stuff I I just absolutely love it it’s some of my best days being down there helping you oh thank you that’s an important thing to me that’s an important place that people know me now when I started there – eight years ago they were kind of afraid of me and I was a new person and they didn’t know what what I was gonna be like and how it was gonna treat them and yeah so now they look for me and they actually miss when I’m not down there which is a really nice feeling well you’re an amazing addition to our company and I’ve been super impressed with you but like in a lot of ways not just because you’re so you know charitable and all that stuff but you’re also always willing to kind of come to our the trainings and the how many events that we have but you also just you seem to do a lot of business and I you know I don’t some people need more help than others but you you know you said you consider yourself new but you seem like you really have grasp on things to me and of course I love helping or like getting involved in a deal when I can but it’s often it’s just like it’s Christy again have another closing you know any broker would want right you’re you’re a perfect person as far as I’m concerned I don’t usually ask for help on my personal on my business level I will definitely reach out for help if I have to have it yeah well you know that that’s one of my favorite things is kind of talking about real estate deals and kind of figuring out solutions to problems and stuff so I love it you know I can bring you some yeah keep them coming that’s what keeps you interesting like you said at the beginning it’s like that’s what keeps this business interesting I think is the new situations that come up for me you know after all these years it’s like wow that happened before you know yeah it’s funny because I can bring you some new situations and I think I brought you some challenging ones so if anyone’s listening please call Christy you know obviously if your real estate needs she’s probably too humble to ask for that but we love it if you would and Christy tell us your phone number real quick by the way 314-783-7412 perfect alright so I do have my five questions that I like to ask everyone generally that we interview on our podcast but if you don’t mind do you mind if I go through these with you no go ahead awesome so who lives under your roof no God at the current moment is my daughter for big dogs and two puppies and which of those dogs live there forever the big dogs can never seem to leave my house so they’re left yeah there might have four dogs that are your dogs and then you have two puppies that you’re fostering yes okay okay and you had recently a foreign exchange student I did she’s back in Spain uh and with Covid usually at my house you never know who’s gonna be here it’s kind of open-door policy I never know who I’m gonna see on my couch to sleep but with the Covid I had to extra precautions for my daughter so we’re kind of in lockdown mode here sure and I know I’m supposed to be wrapping things up but I you’re so interesting I have more questions with this foreign exchange student thing was that something where your daughter went to Spain for a while and then this other girl came back or is this just something you decided one day hey I want a random foreign person to come and she stayed with us for a full year almost so and our hopes was to go to Spain this summer but that’s not looking very likely right well you can probably get the tickets for a lot – yeah okay so where are you your best I think what I’m on the front lines on the front lines mm-hmm okay out there among the people you have a favorite blog or podcast I should set yours I really don’t know word if you know if you don’t really read a lot of blogs or listen to podcast where do you find yourself getting you know information about the world or about business or whatever um I read different papers or different things it’s a paper random it’s do you say what is a paper uh-huh you know like the New York Times and I you know I tried to not I like to learn about new things coming up especially in the field that I’m in but I try not to dwell on the news and that kind of stuff because it would drive me absolutely insane yeah I’m not surprised by that answer you seem like a person who’s capable of anything but probably you’re you know you’re like relaxing is probably not like sitting down with a good book and kind of a glass of tea or whatever I think that you’re probably too busy like doing a project or helping someone or whatever for you to probably even take that time for yourself that you deserve obviously relaxing is not my strong point okay well then on that line what is your guilty pleasure I love to people watch so I’d love to people watch and then my TV guilty pleasure is to watch Project Runway really yeah you have a secret favorite place to people watch well casinos are a really good one yeah okay yeah you can watch say a lot of stuff so what I do my people watch I used to sit in malls and people watch too I won’t make up a scenario in my head of what I think they do for a living and then like one out of every five people I try to strike up a conversation and see if I was what’s that an opening question seem to get them to talk to me so I love your shoes so I love I’d love to see if I’m remotely close okay love that whoo last question and I’ll let you go who is your mentor and how have you thanked them well my mentor was my uncle but he is no longer with us but I would thank him all the time by talking to him and calling him and making sure he knew that I appreciated everything he ever did for me well so that’s beautiful you got a chance to tell him yes I did and that you know life is precious so he knew actually my daughter Riley the youngest is was his favorite name and she was named in honor Kim so his name was not really but that was his favorite name in the world so okay she got to me love it beautiful well thank you very much for being here with me any final thoughts you want to share um no I just won thank you for being let me be part of the team and I feel at home which is huge to me so feeling it um is a big plus in my mind and I think you probably are stuck with me for a long time that’s the best thing I could ever hope for thank you so much and I know everybody loves Christy Kramlich so I’m excited for for this to be my first sort of public raise your standards thank you very much