Ann Blair has been in the real estate business for over 15 years. In the past year, she and her husband Rick, opened their own brokerage, RE/MAX Rising in Burton, Ohio. Ann, now a real estate broker, loves what she does because she gets to help people purchase and/or sell one of the largest investments of their lifetime – their home.
Early in her working career, with two young children, Ann worked two or three jobs to help keep the family going as a single parent. In 2004, friends of Ann’s encouraged her to explore a real estate career, which she started out doing part time as well. For 10 years prior to going into real estate full-time, Ann worked as a parent-mentor for families of children with disability. Ann says, “It was my heart. It was very hard for me to leave that position.”
Ann and Rick met in 2011, Rick obtained his real estate license in 2012, and by 2015 Ann knew she needed to focus more on real estate full time.
She began to take classes to earn a broker’s license six years ago however did not have time to complete them. When she and her husband made the decision to open their own brokerage, Ann realized that that it was a sign to complete her broker’s license requirements and work for herself.
“The change forced my hand into finally getting my broker’s license and I’m glad I did. Even being in the real estate business for a long time, it took many hours of study and was a very difficult test. I learned new information and am very glad I went through it.”
Buying or selling a home is emotional, as well as, a huge financial investment for a family. A real estate broker must be a trusted advisor, coach and mediator between, husband and wife, as well as buyer and seller and Ann’s heart centered approach makes her perfect for the job.
“The real estate market, in general, is strong across the country right now. We are blessed in Ohio with a booming market.”
Ann has a tip for sellers,
“It’s much easier to list your current home for sale first, before you try to buy a new one. Most of the time, a seller does not want to accept a contingency and wait on you to sell your home. The demand is just too strong right now.”
When representing a seller, it is the agent’s job to get the best deal for the seller. Ann has the negotiating skills to help them achieve that. There are many aspects that go into a sale and sellers on many occasions need to have time to find their new home. For example, she can help negotiate a closing date that could allow the seller to rent back the home for a certain amount of time, while they purchase a new one.
From the seller’s standpoint it is always wise to engage a real estate agent to advise on how to prepare the home, so it is presented it in its best light to potential buyers.
A reputable real estate agent does pre-work before getting the listing.
“We try to get as much information as we can prior to going into a house. We research the area and take a tour. We walk around with the seller to talk about what they’ve done or what they haven’t done to remodel or update. We can then give recommendations, about painting, carpeting or hardwood floors, for example. We try to be honest and explain, they don’t have to do these recommendations, but if they want to receive the best possible price, it would be the wise thing to do.” Ann shared with us that a mere $1,000 investment in “freshening up your house” can potentially make $3000 – $5000 back when the house sells.
Ann feels it is mandatory to spend the time and work closely with her clients, whether it is their first home, or sixth.
For Buyers, “We like to sit down with a client to complete a buyer’s consultation. The market changes every day. We sit down and review the entire process, so everyone is on the same page.”
A big part of this, since it is a seller’s market, is the financial arrangements a potential buyer has in place. Do they have a pre-approved limit from a lender in place? For the agent, this is mandatory to understand what price point the buyer can handle so they can focus on finding homes that fit within that range.
As in any business, Ann noted that sellers sometimes complain about the fee paid to a qualified real estate agent, but what they don’t understand is the amount of time and money that the agent invests in making that sale happen.
“Most sellers don’t understand what their agent uses that commission for. The real estate agent must pay for marketing, staff, a photographer and videographer. Many agents hire a drone to create video to help market the property. In addition, there are other expenses that are incurred in any sale that fall back to the agent.”
Because Ann’s brokerage business is relatively new, she and her husband have been spending long hours, seven days a week to help it grow. They have realized, however that they need to take time away and recently purchased a camper to allow them to get away for short respites from the day-to-day grind. However, they still take their laptops with a wi-fi hotspot, so they are never too far from the action.
With a long list of community and professional activities, it’s a good thing Ann has high energy and enthusiasm for helping others.
She is involved with the Geauga Growth Partnership, which helps small businesses and both Ann and Rick are members of the Burton Chamber of Commerce and the Burton Middlefield, as well as, the Chardon Rotary.
She is involved with Geauga Destination and is a member of the Red Key Network . While her husband, Rick, is a Board Member for United Way, as well as, Habitat for Humanity.
Ann loves interacting with other women business owners in NAWBO.
On a state level Ann is a President’s Circle Member for RPAC, Realtor Political Action Committee, which helps support legislation regarding homeowners issues in the state. She is a member of the Professional Development Committee for Ohio Realtors, a Board Member for the Ohio Realtors representing Lake & Geauga Area Association of Realtors, and a member of the 2019 Ohio Realtors Leadership Academy. On the local level, Ann is a board member for the Lake & Geauga Association of Realtors, a member of the Nominating Committee, Legislative Committee, By-law committee and Steering Committee.
One of her favorite activities away from the office is that she is the Auxiliary President for the Great Geauga County Fair. Her grandfather was involved with this organization for 65 years, her aunt and uncle as well as her brother have also been involved. Ann is fortunate to carry on that family legacy.
Ann Blair and her husband continue to Soar to Success while striving to become the best real estate brokerage in Northeastern Ohio.
If you would like to learn more about Ann or Re/Max Rising call her at 440-668-1771, or email, annblair414@gmail.com. Plus you can visit her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ann.blair.75, or find her on LinkedIN at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annblair414/.
