ERIN EDGEMON, Sept. 28, 2008
Posted: Sunday, September 28, 2008 6:55 am

Rutherford County’s top-producing real estate team is moving out on its own.

Coldwell Banker Realtor John Jones — along with his sales and support staff — is forming an independent real estate company, John Jones Real Estate. The office located at 239 John Rice Blvd., Suite A is set to open Oct. 1.

Jones sees John Jones Real Estate as a boutique agency offering comprehensive service to clients to ensure transactions are handled efficiently and correctly.

“We want to create some value-added services that we are not seeing real estate agents doing right now,” he said.

Since at least 2001, the Jones Team has been one of the Top 10 selling real estate agents in Middle Tennessee based on sales volume and third in the midstate for most units sold.

By 2003, the Jones team was No. 1 in Middle Tennessee for most homes sold.

Last year, the Jones team sold 324 homes totaling $66 million. In 2006, the team sold 352 homes totaling $72 million.

Jones said the secret to his team’s success is just that — having a team that works together to complete all of the aspects of selling and buying a home rather than having a single agent do all of the work.

His team consists of 11 individuals, including sales consultants, a listing and closing coordinator, an office manager and an operations manager.

Jones said this approach allows himself and members of his team to utilize their strengths.

Jeff Lacy, a recent client, said the Jones Team made the process of selling and buying a new home go smoothly.

“The whole process was excellent,” he said. “I thought they went above the call of duty. They made sure nothing fell through the cracks.”

Lacy said he worked with five members of the Jones Team during his real estate transactions last June.

He said the free moving van Jones provides also was another added convenience for him.

Chris Oxsher works with members of the Jones Team generally every three to four months to purchase and sell investment properties.

He said Jones’ team is filled with sales consultants who know the area and many of its residents.

“They are on the go,” Oxsher said. “It is easy to coordinate with them.”

A Rutherford County native, Jones started selling real estate for Coldwell Bank Snow & Wall in 1994. Being 24 years old and not even owning his own home then, Jones admitted that he sometimes felt intimidated.

But he said Howard Wall, agency owner, was a great mentor to him.

“He really trained agents,” Jones said.

Jones said he did well enough to keep his career going in the early years, but then he was fortunate enough to catch the wave of the steady growth of real estate in Rutherford County.

“I never went through a blip,” he said.

Jones’ business continued to grow.

Nine years ago, he hired his first employee, a personal assistant, Michelle St. John, who now serves as the office manager.

Jones said he knew the value of leveraging the strengths of his employees and of myself. Having support staff allows him to do what he does best — sell.

Jones said he doesn’t plan on adding any staff at his new company in the new future.

“My goal is not to be a big real estate company that keeps adding agents,” he said.

Jones’ goals for his own company aren’t much different from the goals he set for himself under Coldwell Banker.

John Jones Real Estate is looking to sell 350-400 homes a year.

The real estate agency will be comfortable and upbeat for clients while also having an upscale look. The new office features a viewing room where clients can view properties on a big screen LCD television.

Jones said he didn’t set out to launch his real estate when home sales are down some 30 percent from record highs a few years ago.

Despite the downturn in the market, Jones said he feels now is the “smartest time” to start his own company.

The Jones Team is only seeing an 8 percent drop in sales, he said, unlike many real estate agencies in Middle Tennessee.

“We see this market as a huge opportunity to build market share,” Jones said.

Having his own company also gives him greater autonomy and opportunity to build lifelong relationships with his clients.

Besides, as his operations manager, Joe Hafner, puts it Jones has already “built a brand that is better known than many real estate agencies out there.”

Lacy said he was actually surprised that Jones hadn’t opened up his own company sooner.

“He has been so successful in the business that most people know his name,” he said.

Erin Edgemon can be reached at 869-0812 and at eedgemon@murfreesboropost.com

John Jones Real Estate opens Oct. 1
239 John Rice Blvd., Suite A
867-3020
www.johncjones.com

A grand opening event is slated for Oct. 14 from 4-7 p.m.