Pleasanton, CA— September 8, 2015 — NextHome is proud to announce our newest addition to the franchise, NextHome StoneLeaf Realty. This is the franchise’s second brokerage in the state of Oregon.
Owned and operated by 11-year real estate veteran, Liz Owens, the Medford-based brokerage will provide residential real estate sales services to the cities of Medford, Ashland, Eagle Point, Central Point, Talent, Phoenix, and Grants Pass. The area boasts an average sales price of $260,000 and is located just a couple of hours from the Pacific Ocean coastline and minutes from the mountains.
When Owens first attained her real estate license in 2004, she was a resident of the Fresno, California area. Shortly thereafter, she joined Century 21 M&M Real Estate in Madera, CA. Over the course of seven years (2005-2011), she enjoyed an incredibly productive career with Century 21 M&M Real Estate. She attributes a portion of that success to a helpful sales manager and supportive brokerage.
“I was fortunate to have been provided a mentor, in addition to a very supportive sales manager,” said Owens. “It really helped me start my career on a path of confidence and knowledge that many agents in our industry don’t have available to them.”
Owens created a focus on treating clients as people who needed assistance rather than files and transactions. This resulted in happy clients who in turn provided more referrals. While many agents struggled in the downturn of 2008, Owens’ commitment to helping people rather than a transactional focus led to over $4,000,000 in sales volume in an area where the average sales price for a home was under $100,000.
A good portion of Owens’ business was based on listing properties for homeowners who could no longer afford their mortgage. Her streamlined process to help short sale sellers incorporated a human aspect in a process where emails and faxes seem to be the only forms of communication.
“I thought about how difficult the situation was for these homeowners,” said Owens. “Thinking about the stressful situation they were put in was always at the forefront of my mind every time I communicated with them. They needed guidance and compassion and I strived to provide professional service while still being sensitive to their concerns.”
In 2014, Owens and her husband made the decision to move the family to Medford, Oregon. They wanted to live in an area where they felt there was an opportunity for a better quality of life.
While the area was more of where the Owens Family wanted to live, leaving behind her existing business was difficult. But Owens had a goal of being much more than just an agent.
“I always wanted an opportunity to run a real estate brokerage,” says Owens. “With short sales slowing down in the Madera/Fresno area, it was a great time to take the leap of faith, move to Medford and open our own brokerage. In March 2015, Owens attained her broker’s license and she opened StoneLeaf Realty.
While having her own brokerage, Owens realized she needed to partner with a franchise that would provide her the tools necessary to not only run the brokerage effectively, but also create tools and systems that would attract quality agents.
With a simple Google search, Owens found NextHome and envisioned the franchise as the perfect fit for her needs.
“I was attracted the to clean, modern look and feel of the company,” added Owens. “All the tools and resources were exactly what I was looking for in a franchise. Everything I needed was already in place. Add in the fact that I really connected with Charis (Moreno, VP of Sales for NextHome), and I was sold on NextHome.”
“From the moment I first spoke with Liz, I knew she was truly passionate about helping clients and agents,” said Moreno. “So many brokers get bogged down by the ever changing needs of what today’s agents require to be successful and they just don’t know where to start. They end up doing nothing. Liz had a clear game plan and in franchising with us, she has shown her agents she is committed to running a successful brokerage that is client-focused.”
“NextHome StoneLeaf Realty will provide a different type of brokerage to the Medford real estate market,” said Owens. “Agents will now have a choice to work at a brokerage that provides technology at a level beyond anything that exists locally for real estate. Our company is a blend of the smaller boutique, which allows us to be hands on with our agents, but have all the tools the big box brokerages have – without the high fees. NextHome StoneLeaf Realty will be game-changing to the Medford and Ashland markets.”
When not selling real estate, Owens enjoys spending time with her husband of 19 years, Mark and their two daughters, Moriah and Katelynn, as well as their grandson John Henry.
We are thrilled to welcome Liz and her team at NextHome StoneLeaf Realty to the NextHome family!
Interested in being a part of the NextHome Real Estate Franchise? Contact VP of Sales Charis Moreno at Charis@NextHome.com.
Each office is an independently owned and operated business.