With homes often selling in just 24 hours, the Charleston real estate market is hot. By the end of August, the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors reported 12,050 homes sold in the Charleston area over the course of the year. Compared to the same time period in 2015, sales volume is up 9 percent and buyers are paying more for homes in the Lowcountry.
One local company in particular is reaping the benefits of this robust real estate market, thanks to its unique marketing approach and company culture.
A few years ago, Jeff Cook Real Estate decided to try something new. The company put up billboards touting a new “guaranteed sale” program. If the Jeff Cook Real Estate team couldn’t sell your house, the company would buy it themselves at fair market value.
Since then, billboards featuring Jeff’s picture – often with silly poses and slogans – have become a staple along Interstate 26 in Charleston. Jeff Cook Real Estate’s most recent billboard garnered the most attention yet. With a photo of presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the billboard read: “Moving to Canada? We can sell your home.” A smiling photo of Jeff accompanied a phone number and website address.
The Lowcountry was abuzz, sharing photos of the billboards on social media. Local and national news media, including FOX and CNN, covered the billboards and, at the end of the day, the phone lines were ringing.
But the billboards are just one piece of Jeff Cook Real Estate’s successful system. With close to 5,000 real estate agents in the Charleston market, standing out from the crowd is paramount.
Cook, who started with one office in Summerville, now has four sales offices and an operations center in North Charleston. In September, the company opened its newest office in Mount Pleasant at 311 Johnnie Dodds Blvd. near the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. Those 16 agents join a team of almost 100 professionals serving buyers and sellers in the tri-county area.
Cook, a native of Charleston, has been the area’s No. 1 selling residential real estate professional since 2011. He is the only Charleston real estate agent personally endorsed by Barbara Corcoran, a self-made multi-millionaire and real estate mogul frequently seen on the ABC TV show “Shark Tank.”
Cook’s own core values of respect, excellence and loyalty are shared throughout the agency. The agents at Jeff Cook Real Estate attend regular training to grow their knowledge base and skill set. This level of dedication and expertise allows the agents at Jeff Cook Real Estate to give clients superior service.
The marketing, the company culture and the overall vision for being the best in the business are keeping Jeff Cook Real Estate on top. So far this year, Jeff Cook Real Estate has sold nearly 500 homes and reported a record-breaking summer in real estate sales.
Jeff Cook Real Estate has been No. 1 in sales volume in Charleston since 2012. The company helped 555 families buy or sell a home last year and is on track to help more than 700 families in 2016.
“From the inception of this company, our mission statement has been to empower not only the people around us, but the entire community,” Cook says. “We have really looked into how we could serve a segment of the population that is looking to conduct real estate transactions and make that experience something that is hassle free and pleasurable along the way.”
To start your search for the perfect Lowcountry home, visit JeffCookRealEstate.com or call (843) 225-2002.