Jeremy is a San Diego Redfin Agent with 15 years of real estate experience. Driven to play a part in improving the traditional real estate model, Jeremy brings fire and “wow” to his work as a Redfin Agent. Jeremy sat down to chat with us about how he found himself at Redfin and what keeps him here.
How did you first hear about Redfin, and what brought you here?
I started with Redfin about two and a half years ago. Funny enough, I found Redfin through its website, as a lot of agents have done because it’s easier to navigate the Redfin website than their local MLS. I was one of those traditional agents using Redfin.com as a tool.
I moved from Los Angeles to San Diego when my wife got pregnant. I didn’t have a Rolodex of clients like I did in Los Angeles and didn’t know where to start. I read up on Redfin, dug what they were all about and thought, okay, let’s give it a shot! Obviously I ended up falling in love with it.
How was that transition for you, coming from L.A. to San Diego and from traditional real estate to Redfin’s model?
It was a pretty natural transition. The markets aren’t that much different. They’re pretty hectic in both cities, very fast-paced, with multiple counter offers. Going from the traditional life to the Redfin family was a lot easier than I thought.
When I first joined Redfin, they threw all these things at me, and I wondered, am I going to be able to swim here, or will I sink? But with all the support we get, it was a lot easier than I expected to handle the volume that we do.
It was also a refreshing way to do what I do. I’ve been in real estate for almost 15 years, and the old traditional way has been broken for a long time, even before the market crash. The perception is that we’re like used car salesmen, and after the crash, I got an earful from more than one person. Seeing how Redfin is reinventing the whole process was definitely a breath of fresh air.
I say this pretty often, but I think the traditional route will come to an end at some point. There are people out there who are trying to copy what we’re doing. It’s just the way of the future. So for me, it was a no-brainer. I only knew the tip of the iceberg when I first went for the interview, but once I joined, I thought, “Wow, there’s just no other way to do this.”
I always tell people that I’m lucky I stumbled on Redfin two and a half years ago. Otherwise I’d be in that same old rut of traditional work.
How do you feel Redfin has enabled you to be a better agent?
Redfin advocates for being transparent and doing the right thing all the time. Those values have bettered me as a real estate agent. It’s just a completely different way of looking at how you’re selling yourself. The way Redfin has taught me to take on more volume, and how to do it right, has changed my approach and my entire perspective of real estate.
What sets Redfin apart from other brokerages you’ve seen or worked with?
When you’re a traditional agent, you’re trained by other traditional agents who have been doing this a certain way for a long time. The traditional brokerages I’ve worked for have all used the same gimmicks, and personally I don’t find that way of doing business very attractive.
I know I’m repeating myself, but at Redfin, we think outside the box in everything we do. It’s all in the consumer’s favor. For me, it’s a no-brainer. I’d never go back to the traditional model of real estate.
What keeps you at Redfin?
I’ve always done real estate. I started right out of college, and it’s what I plan on doing pretty much until the day I retire. And I want to do it in a way that makes a difference. If I kept on going down the road I was on, I wasn’t going to be a part of changing the industry in any significant way.
You don’t see many companies out there that are trying to create change. They’re trying to turn a profit, whether they’re doing it right or wrong. Redfin needs to turn a profit too, but they’re also trying to fix a broken system. To me, that’s huge! I want to be a part of something bigger than just selling someone a house and making a paycheck.
Redfin also just went public, and that’s a big deal. It’s a milestone in your career that you can be proud of, and I’m rooting for an industry that I’ll be a part of for a very long time.
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