Real Estate Agent Magazine sat down with Joel Carson, Utah’s top real estate agent, to discuss his 30-year career.
REAM: Could you tell us more about how you got started in the industry and what motivates you to excel?
JC: The real estate industry was a part of my upbringing. My mother worked in the industry and I watched and learned. As an adult, my father-in-law took a great interest in my career. His mentorship meant everything to my early success. I’m genuinely grateful for both of their guidance.
After more than three decades, I still look forward to getting up in the morning and getting to work. How many people can say that? I love helping people find their homes. I love helping them sell their homes when they are ready. I always go above and beyond and that’s why people come back. I take a genuine interest in my clients’ well-being and think it shows. Clients appreciate that. Many become lifelong friends.
REAM: Can you share a particularly memorable experience from your career that has shaped your approach to real estate?
JC: I have built multiple real estate companies, combined them, and sold them. My last company, Prudential Utah Real Estate was the eighth largest brokerage in the nation. For years, I worked in upper management. When I sold my interest in the company, I went back to the trenches for two years. I got out of that high-rise office and down on the ground where I worked in the trenches right along with all of the other agents building or re-building their careers.
That experience helped me remember this career is about making a difference in people’s lives. When you treat people with respect and take an interest in their life goals, they reciprocate. It feels great. If you remain honest and ethical, you can just focus on a satisfying end result for everyone. I love it when a good plan comes together.
REAM: How do you think your military experience has influenced your work ethic and approach to serving your clients?
JC: While serving our country in the U.S. Navy, I became a certified public accountant. That was a tremendous help with the practical side of my business. I also learned to focus under some intense circumstances. Discipline, respect, and a profound work ethic were required in the military. When I was through, I took those lessons home with me and that has made all the difference.
REAM: How does your participation in Realtors Political Action Committee (RPAC) benefit your clients?
JC: It’s my responsibility to protect my clients’ rights. I’m too busy helping people buy and sell homes to hang out at civic and legislative meetings so I do the next best thing: I contribute to an organization that I know will keep me abreast of changing laws that could have a negative or positive effect on homebuyers and home sellers. RPAC gives me an opportunity to participate in the process as little or as much as is necessary to keep costs down for my clients and to make home ownership possible.
REAM: What trends or changes do you foresee in the near future, and how do you adapt your strategies accordingly?
JC: Utah enjoys one of the best economies in the nation. In the Salt Lake Metropolitan Area I don’t see home prices going down anytime soon, but they might become more available. High interest rates are causing sellers to think twice before they put their homes on the market. See, most sellers will need to replace their homes and they are not eager to take on a higher rate than they are paying now. Many are hanging on. That keeps inventory very tight and it becomes a matter of supply and demand. When interest rates do come down, things will move faster, but again, more people will want to buy with better rates and inventory will become an issue. Without knowing what the Fed has in mind for the future of interest rates, it’s hard to predict. For now, we are still in a sellers’ market and things are leveling off. My strategy is to educate my buyers and sellers.
There is some wisdom to buying if you can under the current market conditions because believe it or not, homes are slightly discounted. If clients can handle a payment at that higher rate, they can buy a discounted home and refinance when rates do come down. That’s a money-saving win.
REAM: Could you walk us through the components of this service and how it sets you apart from other real estate agents?
JC: My completely turn-key seller service is pretty unique and people love it. If you have ever sold a home, you know what a pain it can be. You have to clean it, make repairs, paint, hire a professional stager, and a professional photographer. I do all of that for my sellers. I hire cleaners, a handyman, landscapers and anyone else I need to make a property shine. I even help them get their junk hauled away. I pay for all of it. It takes the pressures off sellers who just don’t have time to do it, and it helps me get the home ready to sell faster and for a higher price than it might otherwise.
REAM: What advice would you offer to individuals who are considering buying or selling a home in the Salt Lake City area, especially in today’s competitive market?
JC: The best advice I can give buyers is to get their financial ducks in a row. Pay close attention to your credit score. The higher the score, the better your loan terms will be. Save diligently for a down payment and take advantage of any local, state, or national homebuyer assistance programs that can help.
Don’t be afraid of high interest rates. If you find that home you just have to have, buy it and refinance when the economy settles down.
New rules regarding real estate agent commission could catch buyers off guard. In the past, sellers traditionally paid all commission to the buyer’s agent and the seller’s agent. Due to multiple lawsuits by people who felt they were overcharged commission, that could change this summer. Some buyer’s might end up paying commission. Hire a savvy real estate agent who understands the laws and can help you negotiate the best deal possible.
The new standard established by the National Association of Realtors will require buyers and sellers to clearly understand how much commission they will pay and to whom.
REAM: How do you celebrate personal milestones and achievements in your life?
JC: I travel with my family every chance I get. We enjoy spending time with each other and exporing new places.
REAM: Can you share some of your favorite hobbies or activities that you enjoy in your free time within the Salt Lake City area?
JC: My wife, Candace, and I share a love of all things automobile related. We collect and show cars. It’s a fun hobby. Our family enjoys boating, rafting, hiking, skiing, and travel to far away places.
REAM: Is there anything else you would like to add?
JC: Don’t get discouraged by high home prices. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Let’s chat and plan a path to achieve your real estate goals.
