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|  For The Love Of Real Estate
Kathy and Judy were featured on the cover of BROKER AGENT magazine in June. The following is the article written by Michelle Llamas.
For Kathy Robertson and Judy Smith, the key ingredients in their recipe for success include a heaping amount of experience; add to that an overflowing cup of unwavering desire to continue to serve the customer without regard for the “bottom line” and a dash of luck. This winning recipe has continued to yield success for these two multi-million dollar agents. Last year, the team reached $22 million and is poised to sell over $30 million by the end of this year.
A quality that both Kathy and Judy share is their apparent love for the real estate business. They are incredibly self-motivated. The reward for a job well done is often the excitement on the faces of their customers when they move into their new home. “Many teams play the numbers game,” asserts Judy. “Often times it is all about volume. You have to believe that your customers are better off working with you than anyone else.” Judy mentions that she realizes this may be an unorthodox way of thinking but she and Kathy continue to do business with the customer in mind, first and foremost. “Don’t get me wrong, we like to make money too but not at the expense of losing the personal touch with the customer. At the end of the day, the customer is our main concern,” Kathy offers with a smile. She recounts that many years ago, a friend told her that once a REALTOR® allowed greed to become a motivator to remain in the business, it was time to get out of the business.
When both agents relocated to Lake Mary five years ago, Kathy from Virginia and Judy from Jacksonville, Florida, these two top producers found themselves in unfamiliar territory. Both Kathy and Judy soon found themselves overwhelmed by the arduous task of rebuilding their business from scratch. As a result of their similar predicaments, the two quickly bonded when they met shortly after coming on board with Watson Realty. They decided that combining their talents would be beneficial to both of them. At first, they decided to partner up for only a year. It didn’t take long for each agent to realize that by pooling their vast resources and by supporting each other they could accomplish more than they ever could alone. In a short period of time, they developed a rapport which few other teams can match. Neither of them has any doubts in each other’s talents or contributions to the team.
Kathy and Judy both realize that there is no such thing as the ‘perfect deal.’ They excel at being able to use their experience and talent to see each deal through to the end and assuring their customers of a favorable outcome regardless of the road taken to achieve the result. “If you don’t like change, this is not the business for you. You have to be able to shift gears on a dime,” says Judy. Rolling with the punches often means scrapping a previously set deal to accommodate a customer who changes their mind. At the same time, every customer expects each deal to run smoothly. Kathy adds, “you have to operate with the idea that if you give your all to a customer, the pieces will fall into place regardless of how bleak it may look at first.” Both call on their experience to the plate. More often than not, Kathy and Judy have been through some variation of a particular glitch that may crop up and they are able to apply their knowledge to work through it.
Along with experience, Kathy and Judy also believe in upholding traditional values of ethics and education. Judy has earned her CRS and GRI designations, while Kathy has her CRS, GRI and ABR designations. They are also members of builder advisory boards as well as the National Association of REALTORS® and the Florida Association of REALTORS®. They have also achieved the Gold Pinnacle Award at Watson Realty several years running and were second in the company for production in the Central Florida area. The growth and success they have achieved has allowed them to bring on a third member to their team, REALTOR® Cathy Courtney. In the business for almost 4 years now, Cathy handles her own business while also assisting Kathy and Judy with theirs.
Another way the Kathy and Judy invest in their business is by meeting other real estate professionals around the country that hold the CRS designation. This is an elite group, with less than 5% of real estate professionals nationwide holding this designation. They attend the annual CRS Celebration where Kathy & Judy are continually enhancing their knowledge, staying abreast of the changes in real estate and capturing new ideas in marketing. When they are away from the office, Kathy and Judy are involved in the communities in which they live. Judy lives in Heathrow and Kathy in Lake Forest. Both woemn are very devoted to their families.
Kathy met her husband, Bill, where she grew up in Boston. As a result of his position with GE Capital, the family was often moved around the country from the East Coast to the West Coast, from the Midwest to the South. When Bill opened Homepointe Mortgage in Lake Mary, the family finally could say they would never have to move again. Her two children are now young adults both living in Florida.Kathy is a member of the Heathrow Women’s Club and with the demands of her career, Kathy finds little time to cultivate hobbies but enjoys playing tennis at the Heathrow Country Club where she is a member.
Judy’s best friend remains her husband, Larry. She also has a son-in-law and daughter in Tampa and another daughter in North Carolina. She maintains that her greatest gift is her wonderful grandson, Matthew. An avid gardener, Judy enjoys working in her yard as well as relaxing at home by reading and cooking. She is a member of the Heathrow Women’s Club that supports five local charities. She also enjoys sports. She is a college football spectator as well as a lover of the game of golf.
Kathy and Judy are good friends as well as business partners and they feel that this adds a wonderful dynamic to their professional relationship. When asked about their hopes for the future, they are adamant that their team remain small in order to continue cultivating the hands-on approach they have worked to maintain. They are in their element and will continue to strive to place each customer in the perfect home.
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