Kristie Ferguson, CRS, says strong relationships benefit her business
Kristie Ferguson, CRS, started her real estate career in 2005, working in new construction with regional, national and custom homebuilders. She worked in that field for nearly a decade before joining the industry as a residential sale broker in 2014. Serving the greater Charlotte, North Carolina, area, Ferguson has found much success in the real estate field by remaining authentic, reliable and eager to learn.
Benefits of affordability
Ferguson’s home base is Gaston County, a suburb about 20 minutes outside of Charlotte. She’s an active member of her community and serves as chair of the planning commission for the local planning board. She says that the board has been observing a “big funnel of development headed towards us for the last five years.” Much of the real estate in Gaston County’s surrounding area has developed, and in turn, priced out of the parameters of affordability for many homebuyers in the region.
The uptick in prices in neighboring counties has left an advantage for Ferguson though, pushing more clients to explore her region. “In this major metro area, we are the last affordable home front,” she says. “It’s good for us.”
Interviewing agents for referrals
“All of my family and friends know how vast my network is,” she says. “So regardless of where they are in the country, they know that I’m the person who can interview their next agent for them.” She’s been able to get her referral-based business to go beyond just herself as the primary agent and has been collaborating with agents across the country. This has made the bulk of her local business to be referral-based, as well.
While she is active on social media, she doesn’t use her platforms to advertise her business or blatantly solicit clients. Rather, she uses it to share information and stay connected with the community. “I think people just know that I kind of have my ears to the streets at all times about what’s going on in my area,” she says. “And they know I’m in real estate, so they just put the two together.” She feels that social media is just a part of her job.
Planting seeds
It wasn’t until she was a few years into her career that Ferguson became familiar with the Residential Real Estate Council and CRS Designation. “I went through my local association’s Leadership Academy in 2016,” she says. “Part of that program gave us access to things on a state level, to learn more about what they do at the leadership level.”
The Leadership Academy participated in various meetings and conferences. At one conference, “I saw the RRC booth, and I thought, ‘What is that? And why is Leigh Brown over there?’” she recalls. “I approached her and said, ‘Do I need to be affiliated?’”
Brown explained what the CRS Designation was and what the requirements were to achieve the designation. Having had much success in her career, Ferguson was able to take the pro-path to accelerate her designation process. She gives Brown credit for planting many valuable seeds early into her career which would prove to be beneficial. Relationships like these are what have made becoming a CRS worthwhile.
“It’s the relationships with agents around the country who do more than the basic minimum,” she says. “We are the maximum.”
She added that she is such a heavily designated REALTOR® because furthering her education is the best way to ensure she can provide consumers with the best possible experience. “Because we are experts in our service area, we share information and offer each other support,” she says. “The top-notch education and networking opportunities make becoming a CRS Designee the best investment you can make in your career.”
