Why I Work at Redfin: Jeffry Rhodes, Support Agent - @Redfin

Why I Work at Redfin: Jeffry Rhodes, Support Agent

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Updated on October 5th, 2020
Jeffry took some time for sightseeing while he was in Chicago for the Support Agent Summit.
Jeffry took some time for sightseeing while he was in Chicago for the Support Agent Summit.

When I was young, my mom always said I had a knack for helping people. Whether at church or working at the local produce market, I always wanted to help people make the right decision. After graduating from Washington State University, I knew I wanted to be in a place where I could thrive in helping others. You could say that I had a personal passion for customer service.

I started working at Redfin as a customer service representative in the winter of 2012, answering calls through our national 877 number. My other job was to order catered lunch for all of Seattle headquarters, which meant I quickly learned that Redfin has an appetite for just about every type of food (especially sushi).

In the summer of 2013, Redfin Seattle Market Manager Febe Cude thought of a way to better serve our customers and respond quickly to their questions: Hire licensed agents to answer phone calls and emails. The theory was to create an environment where current Redfin users could get fast and accurate response to real estate questions. I proceeded to get my license right away and was the first “Inbound Agent.” Within six months, we had reduced the measured response time for agent requests from six hours to about a half-hour. We got great feedback from clients, who said they appreciated our fast answers.

Response time chartEarlier this year, we added new ways for clients to get in touch with us. We revamped the listings details page to make it easy for clients to email us directly. We partnered with a new technology company called Twilio to route phone calls so that clients would get a response from an agent immediately. Our Redfin agents in the field appreciate that this role, now called a Support Agent, is able to help get clients out to tour quickly and provide amazing customer service.

We recently had a Support Agent Summit with all 30 Support Agents from other markets in Chicago. At the summit, we discussed how Support Agents help agents in the field while educating potential Redfin customers. It was great to see how many people are now doing what I love to do. The best thing that came out of the summit was that Support Agents across the nation feel that every inquiry is an opportunity to show our expertise and demonstrate the Redfin way.

I was able to use my passion for helping people to advocate for the needs of our customers in a new and vital way in this role. I’m proud to work somewhere that takes employees’ passions and strengths and harnesses them to help move our mission forward. I feel that if you have a passion for customer service and enjoy helping people like I do, you should definitely work here. Redfin is hiring more Support Agents across the country to help in this exciting and forward-thinking new way. If you want to be a part of something that’s bigger than yourself, this may be the opportunity you’re looking for.

About Jeffry Rhodes
Jeffry is a Real Estate Support Agent in the Seattle Eastside Market. He loves fly fishing, golfing and the Canadian progressive rock band Rush. He is a huge fan of the Seattle Seahawks and Washington State Cougar football teams. He and his wife, Meagan, are expecting their first child any day now.

This post is part of a series titled “Why I Work at Redfin.” Check out other posts in the series to learn more about what it’s like to work at a growing customer-first real estate brokerage. For more information on Redfin, and to check out open jobs at the company, visit Jobs at Redfin.

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