‘Great group of agents:' Heartland Realty reports rising tide of business
For the staff at Heartland Realty in De Soto, there’s really no such thing as business hours.
“Well, our office is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays,” agency owner Patty Hammond said. “But being a real estate agent is a 24/7 kind of thing. We take calls all the time.”
The agency includes De Soto native Hammond, two other brokers and 14
realtors and sales associates. They handle residential and commercial properties and land across Jefferson County and the surrounding area.
Hammond said the pandemic loomed disastrously in the early weeks.
“When it first happened, business dropped terribly,” she said. “Then, all of a sudden, it opened up and listings were selling as fast as we could handle them. We haven’t had to lay anyone off. In fact, we gained an agent.”
Hammond said Heartland follows COVID-19 safety protocols like masks and social distancing, wiping down the office daily.
“When we go to see a listing, we wipe down the doorknob before we ever go in.”
The pandemic has brought some other changes.
“We’ve adopted electronic signatures, and we offer curbside assistance,” Hammond said. “We work with title companies to do mobile closings.”
One thing Heartland doesn’t do is follow a recent trend in real estate.
“We are proud of the fact that we don’t charge a buyers agency fee,” she said. “The seller pays the commission. We want to keep it that way.”
An important facet of business for Hammond is giving back to the community.
“We sponsor books for second-graders at Vineland, Athena and St. Rose,” she said. “We help sponsor DARE folders and donate to the chamber (of commerce) scholarship program and Get Healthy
De Soto.
“I have a great group of agents.”
For additional information, visit www.heartlandhomesrealty.com.