Coldwell Banker RPM Group, North Little Rock, Arkansas
How did you become involved with the Residential Real Estate Council?
I had always wanted to get that CRS Designation, and then a class on listing strategies taught by Rich Sands was being held in Arkansas.
I registered for the class, and I was completely in awe of the instructor and how amazing the class was. I thought, if this is the kind of individual they have representing RRC, and this is the caliber of education they are providing, I have to be a part of this.
Do you stay active with the RRC chapters and activities?
Yes. I am the education director for the state and was chapter president for the last two years. I have been invited to be a co-chair of the CRS Education Masterminds. One thing that drives me is that I love learning, and the power of education is invaluable. RRC delivers a caliber of education that is second to none. And I like to have a seat at the table to know what is going on and when, so it pays to stay involved. I also teach real estate classes, so the more I learn, the better I am able to teach my students.
What are the things that make your area interesting to homebuyers?
Since Little Rock is the state capital, a lot of what happens there is reflected in North Little Rock. On this side of the river, we are up and coming; we’ve been putting a lot of effort into catching the vibe of what is happening in Little Rock’s River Market district. You can walk across the pedestrian bridge from Little Rock to North Little Rock and get similar kinds of restaurants and entertainment. We also have the sports venues in North Little Rock, and people can travel from one municipality to the other in about 10 minutes.
What are the unique aspects of buying or selling in North Little Rock?
There are some nice apartments downtown, but as people’s families get larger, they don’t want to stay in one- or two-bedroom places. We are making a concerted effort to build more [single-family] housing in downtown North Little Rock.
What is interesting or challenging about the market?
North Little Rock is landlocked with the Arkansas River to the south and two other cities to the north, so the only direction we can expand is east. Right now, though, there is very little retail there—and the reason retail isn’t there is because there are too few rooftops to support it. The homeowners are begging for more retail. More homes are going up and we are improving the roads so when we get enough houses to support more retail, we’ll be ready. I also serve as a city councilman, so I have my finger on the pulse of the city’s economic development.
What is it about the real estate business that gets you up in the morning?
For anything I do—being a real estate broker and instructor, or being a city councilman—I like to look at something that’s raw and build it and form it into a complete vision. So when a buyer starts looking at homes, we sit down and have a strategy session to discover the area and amenities they want and so forth, and we develop a game plan. I do the same for sellers—to understand their goals and how we can get there so they’re happy, the buyer is happy and I’m happy. Then everybody walks away from the closing table with their goals achieved. I’m big on setting measurable goals and moving forward.
How do you educate buyers about the North Little Rock market?
Our market is diverse: We have million-dollar properties all the way down to $30,000–$40,000 flips. I have to find out exactly what they’re looking for. If you’re market-savvy, you can figure out just from the conversation what they can buy and then lay out options for them.
What do you do in your free time?
I love, love, love books. I recently read “The Compound Effect” by Darren Hardy, and it was an absolute game changer for me. I wish I had read this 20 years ago. It’s all about making small changes and being consistent with them, and how that will change your life. I quit sugar in October, and I’ve lost 25 pounds [by the end of January]. The other book I read recently is “Relentless” by Tim Grover, who trained Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Dwayne Wade, and he talks about their mentality and what they were willing to do to stay on top of their game and their business. I loved it because I share that relentless work ethic, which I got from my father. You might be smarter than me, or faster or stronger, but you will not out-work me.
Maurice Taylor, CRS, achieved CRS Designation in 2014. He can be reached at mrtaylor63@gmail.com or 501-690-6444.
