Real Estate Agent Magazine Publisher Judith Dickson sat down with Bobbi Mathues of Century 21 AllPoints to discuss her transition from entertainment to real estate and the many obstacles she faced in her new endeavor along with her plans for the future of her career.
REAM: Why did you decide to follow a career in real estate?
Mathues: I spent a number of years in the broadcasting industry. First at NBC in NYC and later at ESPN in Bristol, CT. After several years in that industry, I felt burned out and I wanted to do something completely different without the constraints of a corporation and a nine to five job. So, I decided that real estate was the perfect answer for me. I would be able to use my time as I wanted and I wouldn’t be paid less than a man, the commissions would not be discriminatory.
REAM: Tell us a little bit about your career.
Mathues: I first worked for a smaller independent real estate agency and they were very good to me, but I had to re-learn everything I knew from corporate life. My first couple years were rough, but I am not a quitter and never gave up. It is hard work to be a real estate agent and a new agent must rely on friends and relatives to drum up business. I was new to the area and my family didn’t live in Connecticut. And, I hadn’t made too many friends at that point. The agency I was working for went out of business after the founder died. So, I moved to Coldwell Banker in Avon and really enjoyed the camaraderie with the agents and learned a lot and did more business.
After a few years with Coldwell Banker, I moved to RE/MAX Hometown in Simsbury. That was a very good move for me. My business just bloomed, and I did lots of business with RE/MAX and enjoyed every minute of it. At the 10-year mark with RE/MAX, two other agents and myself decided to buy and open our own franchise so we bought a Realty World franchise. We were very excited to own our own business, but after a few years each one of the partners decided it wasn’t the right fit for them, so they left and I continued the franchise. I owned Realty World Hometown for 15 years. And closed it in 2019 and joined Century 21 AllPoints in Avon. They have treated me very well and I am happy there.
REAM: Tell us about one of the biggest challenges in this industry.
Mathues: Lead Generation! How do you overcome it? Tell everyone you know and even people you don’t know, that you are a real estate professional. When I was brand new I even ran TV commercials.
REAM: Who are your real estate mentors?
Mathues: Craig Proctor is a RE/MAX agent who is very successful and taught a real estate program which I followed for years. And Jay Kinder and Michael Reese formed a company called Kinder Reese which also did real estate programs and conventions. I followed their training for quite a few years as well.
REAM: What career goals do you have for the next five years?
Mathues: I want to continue to be a very active agent working with lots of buyers and sellers and turning them into my trusted friends and advisors, and enjoying their company.
REAM: Tell us about your first sale.
Mathues: One of my first closings was with a buyer who bought a house in Bloomfield and came to the closing with a bag full of cash. Of course, the attorney couldn’t accept cash, so I had to take the buyer to the bank to get a bank check. That is how green I was, I didn’t know you couldn’t pay in actual cash!
REAM: How are you involved in the local real estate community?
Mathues: I continue to be on committees at the Greater Hartford Association of REALTORS®. And, I have served on the board of directors at both GHAR and the CT Association of REALTORS®, as a director.
REAM: What are your hobbies?
Mathues: I LOVE spending time at the beach, and I love to travel.
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