This week, our 5 for Friday features Zach Schwarzmiller, an Advisor with Coast/Sperry Van Ness based out of Everett, WA.
1. What is your geographic market and product specialty?
My geographic market is Washington State. While a strong concentration of our deal flow centers within Snohomish, King, Pierce and Spokane Counties, we are often conducting deals in all four corners of the state. I primarily specialize in assisting clients with the acquisition and disposition of multifamily apartment buildings and/or multifamily land deals.
2. What’s your latest best practice tip that you can share?
At the moment, my best practice tip has been to return to good “old fashion” mailing campaigns with handwritten letters and envelopes. I’ve discovered that handwritten letters have greater success than the standard mailing procedure. Following this practice, clients have opened, read and followed up with me in greater numbers than in prior campaigns.
3. What’s been the biggest change over on how you run your business in the past decade?
I have not been involved in this business for a decade, however, I’ve teamed up with a Senior Advisor, Blake Stedman, who has been involved within this field over the past decade. Our different skills in this business complement each other very well. I add a lot of new tricks and tools in regards to technology, advertising and overall online presence.
4. What business book do you like to recommend to your colleagues?
I enjoy “Gung Ho! Turn On the People in Any Organization” by Ken Blanchard. The principals taught within the book are equally as important to your personal life in addition to your professional business life.
5. What’s a fun fact that not everyone knows about you?
I am a certified pilot and enjoy performing acrobatic stunts. In the past decade, I’ve circumnavigated the globe on both ship and planes. I’ve traveled through 26 countries exploring all continents with the exclusion of Antarctica. During my time traveling around the world, I’ve “couch-surfed” on 52 different people’s sofas. Lastly, I have a pet bunny named Harley, a black lab named Zula, and my fiancée Molly whom I will marry in July 2014.
*All Sperry Van Ness offices are independently owned and operated.