Thanks to the MiniListings Team for placing me in their "Agent Spotlight" this month. Here is the article... Or, view the article here.
Agent Spotlight: Emily McBride
I’ve included a few of Emily’s paintings in this article. Clicking on any of the images will direct to a full size version of the painting at her website.
I recently had the opportunity to speak with Emily about how she got into real estate, why she likes it, how she uses technology in her business, what advice she gives to new agents, and her passion for painting.How did you get your start in real estate?
I started out in real estate on the mortgage side of the business. I worked for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage while I was working on my Business-Economics & Accounting degree at UCSB. The job was great, but the mortgage side did not provide a lot of personal interaction with clients, so I decided to make the switch to real estate sales. Being in real estate provided more interaction with clients and allowed me to use more of my creativity. In 2001, while still in college, I worked with an agent team at Coldwell Banker here in Santa Barbara for a couple of years doing marketing, overseeing inspections and managing escrows. Learning both the finance and the sales sides of the business while in college was a great experience. Once I got my own license, I spent more time selling homes at Coldwell Banker and I even closed my first escrow within 30 days!
You’ve been with Village Properties since 2004, what drew you to them?
Village Properties is special because it is a high quality, boutique brokerage that is locally owned. With about 150 agents, it’s the largest locally owned brokerage in Santa Barbara. Being able to know and interact with the ownership is great and has enabled me to take on some unique projects that may not have been possible at other places. For example, during 2008, I spent a lot of time in New York City selling residences at the W New York. I was working on both coasts, spending 10 days in New York City, and 4 days in Santa Barbara every two weeks. Renee Grubb & Ed Edick, the co-owners of Village Properties, understood it was temporary and that it would allow me to strengthen my network of contacts. It was a great experience that has helped me in my career. In fact, my W New York experience was one of the reasons that I was selected to work on Alma del Pueblo, an exciting new real estate development project with 37 residences and commercial space in downtown Santa Barbara.What do you like most about working in real estate?
In real estate, every deal is a new challenge and every client is unique, which makes every transaction different. One of the special projects I’m currently working on is an estate property in Montecito know as El Fureidis, which has quite a bit of history. It was built by architect Bertram Goodhue from 1890-1906. Charlie Chaplan was married there, rumor has it that John and Jackie Kennedy spent part of their honeymoon there, it was the source of the rare palm trees now in Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise ride, and it was featured in the 1983 film “Scarface” as Tony Montana’s mansion. I’m also selling some polo fields locally, and that’s been a very interesting experience that I have enjoyed very much. I like working on these larger projects because it requires me to use all of my resources and creative energy, which I really enjoy.
What role does technology play in your business?
The majority of my business is done through referrals, so I use technology as a platform to generate and receive them. I maintain a website, a blog, a Facebook business page, LinkedIn profile, and Twitter account. I also use a service called Emma to send out a regular newsletter. My goal is to use technology to stay in front of people so they remember me when they, or someone they know, are ready to buy or sell a property. My online presence also helps me with my Google search results. Since people will usually “Google” you before hiring you, maintaining a strong online presence helps build credibility and reinforces their decision to work with me.
How does mobile technology, particularly your phone, help you with your business?
I use my phone to stay connected and up-to-date on my business through email, texting, and phone calls. I probably write more emails on my phone these days than on my computer! Texting is also a tool that I use a lot. I use texting with all of my clients, and not just the younger crowd. I’ve used text messaging to communicate with clients who range in age from 20 to 85 years old.
What phone are you currently using?
I have the iPhone 4, not the 4S, so I don’t talk to my phone just yet. I also have an iPad2 with 3G that I use a lot.Do you use a lot of apps on your phone?
Yes, I use a lot of apps, so many that I had to put them into folders to categorize and keep track of them! My latest favorite is an app called Sign-N-Send. It’s great for viewing and forwarding documents, but the most amazing feature is that it lets you sign them right there on your phone, too.
Speaking of apps, how do you use and promote your miniListings app?
My miniListings app is another tool in my technology toolbox. I like to give it to my clients so they can show their friends when their looking for properties. It also demonstrates to my clients that I am keeping up with the latest technology by having my own mobile application. In addition to showing my clients the app, I also promote it in my email signature, through my newsletter, and also on my Facebook page.
When you’re not working on real estate, you like to paint. How and when did you get started?Interestingly enough, it was one of my real estate clients, Cheryl Marquis-Hilliard, who inspired me to start painting. I saw the paintings she had done, and she encouraged me to try it out. I started painting in 2003 under the guidance of Buck Paulson, who was her mentor as well. A number of years ago, I sold Cheryl’s beautiful house in Hope Ranch, which was where our group would get together to paint, and we were sad to see her move away, but our group is still together over 8 years later, and Buck Paulson is still my mentor. Most of my paintings are landscapes – typically waves or ocean scenes. I’ve had a lot of fun doing shows around town in 2009 and 2010 where my paintings were on display, but I haven’t been doing many shows this year. I do have plans for one or two shows in 2012, and no matter how busy I get with real estate, I still make it a point to get in the studio at least once a week and block the time out on my calendar to make sure it happens. Typically, I can finish about one or two paintings a month.
You can see more of Emily’s beautiful paintings by viewing the gallery on her website at emilykmcbride.com, or by clicking here. You can also order prints of Emily’s work at http://www.twism.com/collections/emily-mcbride.
One last question, you’ve worked with and mentored new agents. What advice do you give them, particularly younger agents who are just starting out?
There are two things that have worked for me that I tell new agents. First, find a top producing agent that you can work for who will act as a mentor. It’s the best way to learn the business, and best of all, you will actually get paid while you are learning. Second, be willing to work on all types of property transactions as it will open up doors to bigger and better projects. My goal when I started out was to work on all types of properties, and having those experiences has definitely opened up some amazing opportunities for me in my career.
If you’d like to learn more about Emily, check out her website, emilymcbride.com, and if you go to her website using your phone, you’ll get to see her miniListings web application in action.
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