616 REALTY’s Operations Manager Beth Owen: Quietly and Consistently Steering them to Success

 

616 REALTY is all about being real so naturally it starts with one of the first people you see when you walk in the office–Operations Manager Beth Owen. A 616 REALTY nine year veteran, Owen began her career with the brokerage when it was in its infancy. “I was 25 when I started at 616. Before that I was in the bar and restaurant industry in a managerial role. I was ready for a change.”

 

The beginning

It was synchronicity in action. Beth found herself interviewing with broker and founder Scot Kellogg after being introduced when her boyfriend’s realtor failed to sell his house. “My boyfriend actually had his house listed with another realtor. His house sat for over six months and the listing was expiring. My boyfriend received a mailer from 616 REALTY that had a property profile with a personalized letter. My boyfriend decided to re-list, but with Scot that time.”

 

Her boyfriend’s home had a Leonard Street address making it appear less appealing to buyers. Because the home faced the cross street, a quiet cul-de-sac, Scot came up with the idea to get the address changed to that street name instead, and it sold quickly. “My boyfriend was really impressed. Down the line we were ready to make a move so we enlisted Scot again. When Scot came over to see the house, I mentioned to him that if he was looking for a stager to keep me in mind.”

 

Not long after, Scot offered her a job, and while it wasn’t staging homes, Owen quickly brought value to the 616 REALTY team in other ways. “When Beth started with 616 REALTY over nine years ago, we were a small company with under 10 agents. Today we have 84 agents, and she has been an integral part of our growth and success. She is driven and focused on delivering top quality value to 616 REALTY,” Founder and Broker Scot Kellogg shares. Owen adds, “At first, I was mostly assisting Scot with his own real estate dealings. But shortly after, my role started expanding.”

 

Evolution

Now she is a jack of all trades when it comes to operating a real estate brokerage and has been instrumental in helping 616 REALTY develop many of the necessary systems, workflows, and processes. “616 REALTY is an independent local brokerage so when I started there and we began to grow, there wasn’t any corporate framework to follow. We had to create all the documents and develop the systems from scratch. We are still doing that as we grow, including onboarding processes and accounting systems.” On top of that, Owen manages other facets of business as well including the website, bookkeeping, and broker consulting. While wearing that many hats might intimidate someone else, it is part of what Owen loves the most about her work. “Everyday is different, and that makes it fun.”

 

Beth also loves that 616 REALTY is, “always trying to grow and be better. We are constantly looking at new technology and trends. I am always working to simplify and streamline things for our agents and staff. One of the great things about Scot is he is always open to new things. We have a lot of creative freedom to expand.”

 

While she wouldn’t have it any other way, she admits that always being the market for growth and change keeps her head spinning. “There is always, always something new in the real estate industry!”

 

 

What’s on the horizon? “We just created an “agent success preview”. Potential agents will get a little mock-up of what their signs, business cards, webpage will look like… We are working to expand our outreach to Spanish-speaking agents as well as Spanish-speaking buyers and sellers. We are also looking to create resources for people looking to relocate to Grand Rapids. I always have a sidelist.”

 

 

Fostering the culture

Another aspect that Beth loves about the 616 REALTY team is, “we have a lot of good people, both agents and staff. It is a vibe. I like the people that are attracted to 616. They are real, laid back but professional. We have a lot of fun. The bottom line is the people are good. It attracts other people like that. We keep that in mind when signing on new agents. It only takes one bad apple to taint the whole reputation.”

 

Kellogg admits that Beth is a big part of fostering that positive culture.  “Beth is a manager who is also an exceptional team player, she creates a work environment where everyone is encouraged to contribute their ideas and suggestions.” She also is always available to help agents, and she loves doing it. “I like making them feel comfortable. A lot of times agents feel like they are imposing. I let them know that all of their questions are valid. I ask a ton of questions!”

 

The challenges and rewards

While Beth loves her work, she admits there are challenges. In the last couple of years, the real estate market has been full of highs, from getting dozens of offers on a clients’ homes, to getting way beyond asking price, but on the flipside, Beth has also witnessed the lows. “It is difficult to watch agents struggle, and witness deal after deal falling through.” Fortunately, Beth is a glass half-full kind of person, and part of her job is helping 616 REALTY’s team stay positive. “I let them know that it will come around. We provide them with stats and figures to support that. For every bad deal, a handful of smooth ones will come around. It is fun to see it work out for them. I love to see it go their way after they hang in there during the slow or bad months.”

 

She adds, “The market always comes around. I remember an agent who started; I knew her before she joined 616 REALTY. She took a risk going into real estate, and she was doing all this work to market to friends and family. Nothing was happening… but all of the sudden, it came back to her months after. She ended up staying in real estate, and now, she is one of our top producers.”

 

The real deal

616 REALTY is all about being real, and Operations Manager Beth Owen is the REAL deal. From the genuine smile she gives you when you walk in, to willingly answering clients and agents’ questions, to streamlining operations to make 616 REALTY as efficient as possible. “I’m very invested in 616 REALTY, and I want to continue to see it grow, but I also want us to stay ‘us.’ I am very lucky to work here.” Scot and the agents at 616 REALTY agree that they are the lucky ones, “Beth goes above and beyond to ensure that our agents and I have all the resources and support we need to excel. Beth is a true leader who has quietly and consistently helped steer 616 REALTY towards success. She truly cares about the well-being of 616 REALTY and its agents.”