This week, we turn the spotlight on Sperry Van Ness/BlackStream Commercial, LLC with offices in Greenville and Columbia, South Carolina.
What has been your strategy for growing your firm and also your market share?
From day one, our strategy at SVN/BlackStream Commercial, LLC has been providing premiere service to our clients. We always go the extra distance to satisfy their needs, making them feel they are getting more by working with us. Over time, we have built a nice reputation in our market. Our level of service has spread by word-of mouth and business has flourished as a result, garnering more referrals than by any other marketing means. We are generally a 100% referral program, though we are always looking to get new leads through additional avenues. Another strategy we utilize is staying informed, and on top of, trends in the market place. We try to be very innovative and think outside of the box, often presenting sites to our clients that most people may not know about, i.e. The city has plans to put a new park at a certain location. It is necessary that we have a pulse on our market in order to help our clients understand where the value is, and where it is headed. We also look to the Sperry Van Ness platform whose systems and name recognition have been extremely beneficial for business.
What are some of the unique activities you do to motivate your team?
Our number one motivation is helping our team understand and hone their respective talents. Once defined, we aim to help them stay focused and specialized by utilizing their best strengths. We hold a staff meeting every week where we collaborate and share ideas. On the horizon, we plan to have more team building activities.
What’s been the biggest challenge in running your business in the last few years?
The biggest challenge has been recovering from the commercial real estate market downturn. It was difficult with banks not loaning money to investors and the market just not being where it needed to be. As the market has recovered, more and more opportunities have been presenting themselves.
How many Advisors/Staff did you have when you joined SVN? How many (in total) do you have now?
When we joined Sperry Van Ness we had a staff of 6: 2 Managing Directors, 3 Advisors and an Administrative Assistant. We recently added another Advisor, bringing our team total to 7.
Contact:
Ford Elliott
Managing Director
Sperry Van Ness/BlackStream Commercial, LLC
Greenville & Columbia, SC
*All Sperry Van Ness® offices are independently owned and operated.