Like many other agents in the industry, real estate was not Mary Lane Sloan's initial career choice.
Before co-founding a team of 24 real estate agents across 5 offices, Mary taught public school in Columbia, South Carolina. Accustomed to hard work and helping others selflessly, she decided to venture into real estate in 2007, amidst one of the most challenging market conditions. Taking the leap, she believed that if she could handle public school teaching, she could tackle anything.
Today, along with co-founder Brad Allen, they have shaped The Art of Real Estate into a dynamic team. Operating in a bustling city with abundant local resources, including government institutions, a military base, a prominent university, and favorable weather, they continue to thrive in the real estate market, regardless of interest rates.
The ART Team achieved a remarkable $82 million in sales volume last year. Beyond their location, their success formula comprises mentorship, training, and sophisticated tech infrastructure, with their personalized real estate app at its core.
Surviving and Thriving in ANY Real Estate Market
Mary mentors new agents at The Art Team. When she hears them mention how tough the recent market is, she chuckles, empathizing with their perspective, as "you only know what you have experienced." Her insight from starting real estate during the 2008 recession taught her that this industry thrives on relationships.
“Being adept at problem-solving and maintaining composure in challenging situations are key traits people seek in a real estate agent. By genuinely assisting clients and grasping their requirements, success in real estate is possible in any market. As people need housing and a place to live, the essential factor for not just surviving but flourishing is nurturing that sphere of influence – it is GOLD.”
Innovation for Today’s Real Estate Consumers: Embracing Change
The concept for their custom real estate app stemmed from the aim to continue offering valuable resources to their clients, such as buyer and seller guides, while modernizing their real estate brokerage for 2024. This shift also presented an opportunity to reduce costs by eliminating the need for extensive paper guides.
“The idea for our custom real estate app was born during a meeting with our partners. We used to print these bulky guides for every buyer or seller consultation, I suggested that having a real estate app would be more efficient than using cumbersome and costly books. Nowadays, everyone prefers having everything on their phone. My business partner, Brad, agreed and decided to explore it further. We discovered HomeStack, and were thrilled because it allowed us to centralize our resources, offer home search, insights into user preferences, and engagement with our vendors – all while proudly displaying The ART of Real Estate branding.”
3 Steps to Hundreds of Apps Users (Consistency is Key)
Utilizing their branded real estate app, The Art of Real Estate has enhanced communication with clients, resulting in increased business opportunities. Mary shares her successful approach to onboarding clients to her real estate app.
"In every buyer consultation, the first step is to introduce the client to my app using a QR code or text. Then, I guide them to download the app immediately onto their phone. We then proceed with the buyer process, demonstrating how to navigate and search on our app. Additionally, I initiate a brief chat within the app. Although there is an automated chat upon sign-up, I send a personalized message, like a smiley face or an enthusiastic ‘I can't wait to get started,’ to initiate interaction. For couples or groups, I establish a group chat within my app, a feature not available on Zillow. The flexibility of individual accounts for each user to save and favorite properties, combined with group chat functionality, ensures seamless collaboration and organization, preventing any information from being overlooked or misinterpreted."
Mary's Steps for Acquiring 500+ App Users in 3 Months:
Her strategy involved:
Mary's personalized approach led to business opportunities as clients appreciated the thoughtful connections, fostering relationships, and building her client database within her real estate app.
A Tech Approach to Nurture, Streamline & Scale Relationships
Mary and The Art Team integrate their Follow Up Boss CRM + real estate app to ensure they have a system to nurture, streamline, and scale their relationships effectively.
“I cannot emphasize how valuable the people in your sphere are. Technology has provided ways to maintain connections because it's all about building relationships at scale. As you spend more time assisting people in real estate, it becomes challenging to stay in touch with 500+ individuals. Writing 500 handwritten notes in 2024 is not feasible. But with this real estate app, you can make people feel special and connected in a shorter timeframe. While some clients prefer traditional methods, most appreciate this app and feel it genuinely provides value and shows we care about them."
For more of Mary Lane Sloan's real estate tips, follow her @marylanesloan and The ART of Real Estate @theartteam
