By: Erica Ludwig | Category: Real Estate | Issue: September 2016
Brokers Jim Courtney and Peggy McGehee along with owners Tia and Allen Stout commit their work to helping others in their community.
Co-owners of OklaHomes Realty, Inc., Allen and Tia Stout, pride themselves on the principles of longevity, loyalty and quality of service, the same business model they have kept for the last 27 years. Their mission is to help people, whether their customers in business or Claremore neighbors.
“If you’re looking for a real estate professional it is best to go with someone personally recommended or someone you know,” said Allen. “If you call just any real estate company, you are taking a chance that an inexperienced agent will answer the phone. The best agents prefer to find customers by referral or prospecting on their own rather than sitting in the office waiting for something to happen,” according to Stout.
It’s not about the size of the company, but rather the quality of the agents on their force. The Stouts know that they can do better with well-trained, experienced professionals.
“In our company, our focus has always been on having a few good agents. We would prefer to focus on not having the biggest real estate company but having the most qualified and well-trained agent force. That’s what I’m about and what I’ve always been about,” said Allen.
The company has several people who hold the title of Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), an honor only about 4% of agents nationwide have. That small percentage sells about 25% of all properties sold; this makes the selection process for prospective buyers not just about the agent’s qualifications, but the company’s as well.
“When somebody lists their house with OklaHomes, I’d like to think the quality of service and the supervision of the transaction will be higher than what you can normally get otherwise,” Allen said.
All agents at OklaHomes are trained to write contracts and follow through to closing.
“We don’t watch over their shoulders to make sure the contracts are writen correctly because we trust them to know how. However, we do have their back during the process.” said Allen. “The longevity in this company is pretty awesome. Probably 95% of our people live in Rogers County and I would bet on average that they’ve been here 15 years. Longevity and loyalty are important.”
These principles extend not just to clients, but the neighbors of OklaHomes. The company recently held two luncheons for service members of the Claremore police and Sheriffs departments to show their thanks and support.
“It was very spontaneous, we found that a lot of people were doing the same thing. It’s kind of a movement that broke out. We weren’t looking to do this for a self-promotion thing, we just wanted to do it,” Allen said.
The team of OklaHomes is always looking for opportunities to expand and grow. The company provides property management as a service to customers who prefer to rent before they buy. They are also in the market for farms and land in the world of commerical real estate, in addition to residential properties.
Allen adds that the market has improved greatly since the recession from 2008-2012. Interest rates are more favorable than ever in a market that is full of ups and downs. There’s been an influx of people who’ve bought houses during the recession, fixed them up and have become landlords. Their company manages some of those properties, showing that you can always find a silver lining, even in a recession.
“The common denominator of our success is to establish the best reputation and protect it,” said Allen.
(918)341-2800
2104 S. Historic Highway 66 | Claremore, OK 74019
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www.oklahomes.com
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