As published by: Broker*Agent Magazine
"Proving That Success Is a Planned Event"
As published by: Broker*Agent Magazine
As a retired lieutenant colonel of the United States Air Force, organization and attention to detail are second nature to Don King. But a great business sense, a desire to be the best and the American entrepreneurial spirit are driving forces in his life.
When entering the real estate profession in Rancho Bernardo in 1989 directly from Air Force retirement, Don brought with him experiences that most people only dream about. While serving in the Air Force, he spent three years stationed in Germany, visiting 39 countries while overseas. From 1980 to 1984, he served in the White House under Presidents Carter and Reagan as the Chief of White House Teleprocessing; in effect running all the computer and telecommunications systems. With the White House Situation Room and National Security Council as two of his biggest clients, Don's main goal was "to never let the systems be down." Apparently Don has no problem performing under pressure.
Don has always embraced education-he has a B.S. in Mathematics from Memphis
State University and a Master's degree in Management Information Services from
Washington University in St. Louis, where he graduated number one in his class.
When entering real estate, he wanted to do everything in his power to make sure
he could service his clients far beyond the call of duty, so he educated himself.
His California real estate license was only the first step.
Since
1989, Don has earned his broker's license, ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative)
and CRS (Certified Real Estate Specialist) designations, as well as the GRI
(Graduate REALTORS® Institute). Only 4 percent of real estate agents nationwide
are designated CRS, and they are the "cream of the crop". As Don explains,
"If a home buyer or seller picked any CRS agent to represent them, they
would be doing well. They could rest assured that their transaction was in the
hands of a competent REALTOR®."
Most recently, he became the first REALTOR® in San Diego to earn the professional designation of Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES). Don explains that "because seniors can have unique needs, the SRES program has given me the extra knowledge I need to assist them in the selling or buying of their home."
Don's focus on learning everything he possibly can about the real estate business has definitely paid off for both him and his clients. "In the last two years, I've sold every single listing I've taken, and my listings sell for about 1 percent more than the market average, which translates into about another $3,000 in the pockets of my sellers."
Having
traveled the world, how did Don and his wife, Susan, decide on Rancho Bernardo
as a permanent residence? Using the same methodology that governs his business
today, they spent three years researching the best place to live in America.
At the end of their study, "we decided that San Diego was unbeatable. It
is one of the finest places in the country. After moving here and renting for
a year, we agreed that Rancho Bernardo, a suburb in North County San Diego,
was perfect for us-clean, quiet and safe with a nice, slow pace of life."
The best salesmen believe 100 percent in their product-such is the case with Don King. He loves where he lives and loves helping people find the same satisfaction in the area in which he and Susan settled. Don works almost exclusively within and around Rancho Bernardo, Carmel Mountain Ranch, Poway, Sabre Springs and Rancho Penasquitos.
Don approaches his business with an unrelenting desire to cover all the details without missing a thing. "I have a system for every task plus a 20-page business plan that incorporates all of my goals for the week, month and year." Though he has left the computer industry behind, Don has completely incorporated technology into his business. With a chuckle he explains, "I consider the computer to be the first assistant I had. I have over 6,000 people in my contact database. If I've ever met a person in real estate, I have all their information at my fingertips in 5 to 10 seconds."
Two
years ago, Don had his Internet Web site professionally designed by Gary Shade,
one of the best professional Web site designers in the U.S. "The Web site
provides people with information not just about real estate, but about the community,
the schools and other useful information to help them understand Rancho Bernardo."
In 1997, Don won the Pinnacle Award for having one of the top three real estate
Web sites in the country. This year, six of Don's first eight closed transactions
were with buyers or sellers who contacted him directly from his Web site. To
visit it, go to www.DonKing-Homes.com.
If the computer was his first assistant, who is his second? After only two years in real estate, Don's business had taken off to such an extent that he needed to hire an assistant. It was only natural that Susan volunteer, as she was no stranger to real estate. She had earned her real estate license in Illinois in '77 and in Virginia in '81, while Don was posted there. Now Susan is Don's advertising director, listing manager, escrow coordinator and financial planner.
With
education and planning so central to Don's life, some might fear that he is
all business and no pleasure. Nothing could be further from the truth. One look
at some of his past marketing pieces and you'll see what a great sense of humor
he has. Don has been seen in his advertisements dressed up as Santa Claus, a
convict on a wanted poster, Superman and Uncle Sam, just to name a few. Take
a look at the accompanying photos for examples of Don's imaginative promotions.
Not only will his ads make you laugh, you're not likely to forget him!
Many agents focus on how much money they earn or how many houses they sell. How does Don measure his success? "The only statistic I consider as a valid measure of my success is the hundreds of happy clients I have had the good fortune to serve." Not a bad way to measure results in a business that is built solely on customer satisfaction.
Don can be reached toll-free at (877) 877-SOLD or e-mail at: Don@donkinghomes.com.
Don King
RE/MAX
of Rancho Bernardo
16730 Bernardo Center Drive
San Diego California 92128
Toll Free: (877) 877-7653 (SOLD)
(858) 485-1700 (Pager)
(858) 487-2308 (Direct)
(858) 673-0167 (Fax)
E-mail: Don@DonKingHomes.com
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