Relocation Spotlight: Coldwell Banker United, Realtors
Working with relocating veterans and their families rewarding
There is something very special about helping someone with their move to Houston. And when that someone is also a member of the military or a veteran returning to civilian life, fewer things can be more rewarding.
This is the sentiment expressed by Christine Schmidt, director of relocation and client development at Coldwell Banker United, Realtors.
During a recent interview, she discussed the qualities and training necessary for agents to be able to assist military personnel with their real estate needs, and why this work is so meaningful. She said that it is much more than great business; it is a high honor.
Following are excerpts from our conversation:
MS: Are there eligibility requirements in order for your agents to be able to assist your military relocation clients?
CS: This is one of the most important accounts that we have, and we are so honored to work with members of the military. So, before an agent is allowed to work with these clients, they have to go through a set of guidelines and required training. This is not only what we require as a company, but also what is required by the relocation companies that deliver those leads to us.
It is imperative for each agent to match those guidelines, and then hopefully enhance them with all of the material that we have available.
MS: What are the most important qualities that an agent needs to be able to best assist military clients?
CS: The most important thing that I educate and coach our agents about is compassion, because we don’t understand what the members of the military are working through.
Most enlisted military personnel are often far away from the home, leaving the other partner to conduct the business that is normally handled by two partners.
Since many members are digitally active, we have to remain digitally active with them. Some may only want to talk on the phone, or by text, or by email. In order for our agents to communicate with them, they have to follow suit in whatever that member is requesting.
So, being tech-savvy is a huge part of the coaching and training for our agents, and making sure that we align with where our military members are, and how they want to work.
MS: Do your agents assist with the real estate needs of veterans as well?
CS: Absolutely! We assist all members of the military, whether they are active or non-active or a veteran. We are there to help each and every one of them with their real estate needs.
MS: Do most military members tend to buy homes as opposed to renting a property?
CS: It all depends on how long their duty is, but they absolutely do buy homes. A defining key for our agents is to make sure that they find a property for our military members that is going to hold its resale value.
So, in looking at a property, wherever it might be, the agent tries to make sure that there isn’t anything that would hinder a quick sale when that military member has to leave for their next assignment.
MS: Do you think that members of the military approach their home buying and home selling decisions differently from other buyers and sellers?
CS: I do, because a lot of them aren’t aware of the local real estate market and all of the guidelines, and so they rely on us to relay that to them.
They are often too busy to look at where the flood zones are, or what the property tax increments might be, so they rely heavily on us for that information. This is an important feature of our role in helping them, and it’s what they require.
We definitely cater to our military clients in the same form and fashion as we do for any of our clients.
In educating them to the market, it’s all based on how long they tentatively think they will be in the Houston area. That is certainly different for every client, but military members tend to move more frequently than some of the other corporate relocation clients do. So, we definitely have to keep that in the forefront of our minds.
MS: Are there any specific personal touches that you think are important when assisting members of the military?
CS: We keep an active eye on the military calendar and make sure that we reach out to those members on important holidays like Veterans Day.
It’s our opportunity to reach out to them and pay our respects, and to thank them for their service.
That’s something that we train our agents to do from their very first contact.