Realtor lands in high-profile Saratoga Springs location
Real estate agent Scott Varley, leader of the Scott Varley Team at Keller Williams Capital District, has been in the real estate business for 32 years. He recently opened an office at 382 Broadway, Saratoga Springs.
Q: You’ve had a picture of yourself in the window of 382 Broadway for quite a while now, why the grand opening now?
A: It took a while to get the renovations done, we gutted the inside. Then coronavirus either stopped or slowed everything. Then we wanted to wait until the weather was nice so we could have a crowd outside.
Q: Side note, why do real estate agents put their faces on everything from business cards to billboards?
A: LOL. Some shouldn’t, but now it’s the culture. I do it for brand recognition. I started doing it in 1989 when faces were not being used, but I’d say it became popular about 25 years ago.
Q: One might argue that in today’s digital world, real estate brokers don’t need brick-and-mortar offices. Why did you open an office — particularly in such a pricey location?
A: Great question, you must be a journalist. We don’t need offices, correct, but a real estate office on Broadway is a very special thing. For us it’s like a billboard, but a billboard you can use and function out of. I bought the building (in 2017, Varley bought the building for $1.4 million) and became my own tenant so it’s a fabulous investment. The biggest and maybe the most obvious factor is that Broadway in Saratoga is the largest street destination in upstate N.Y., so the walk-in traffic for real estate more than makes up for the cost. Additionally, if you look at Broadway, there are only two other agencies there. So it’s a demonstration of commitment and accomplishment. To me it speaks to success, and hopefully that translates to home sellers that see if Scott was able to get onto Broadway, he’s certainly capable of selling my home better than most.
Q: You had a high-profile split from what was then Realtyusa (now Howard Hanna) in 2016. Would you say the years since have been a rebuilding period for your business and personal brand?
A: You can certainly look at it that way. As you can imagine, agents change companies all the time but no one pays any attention. Because I’ve been the top producing agent in upstate for so long, it was apparently newsworthy or, as you say, “high-profile.” Honestly I’ve been able to help clients much better with the Keller Williams International network and agent-centric model. I’ve also been able to help my team members build a more sustainable and profitable business through this model.
While we don’t have as many agents on the team as we had at one time, that is an intentional decision on our part to have a more condensed team of agents who are high-producing and making an incredible income so they can have a life worth living any way they choose. As far as the personal brand: Yes! Most agencies, like the one I worked for previously, want the broker and their name to be the most prominent in all ads, signage, and online promotion.
At Keller Williams, the agent is the most prominent and visible, allowing them to stand out and differentiate from promoting the broker. After all, the agents are the ones doing the business and making it happen, not the broker. It’s been a natural fit for me and our team of amazing agents.