{"id":7700,"date":"2014-10-23T10:32:48","date_gmt":"2014-10-23T14:32:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/?p=7700"},"modified":"2014-10-23T10:32:48","modified_gmt":"2014-10-23T14:32:48","slug":"real-estate-with-zeal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/real-estate-with-zeal\/","title":{"rendered":"Real estate with zeal"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0<\/strong>Horizon Real Estate, Inc. led by experience with a smile\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

When seeking a real estate firm to help sell or buy a home, a client seeks out a knowledgeable agent who is attentive to their needs. After all, it\u2019s likely the biggest financial transaction of their life. Optimistic business acumen makes good things happen quickly.<\/p>\n

\"Loni

Loni Colvin<\/p><\/div>\n

And making good things happen is the hallmark of Warrenton real estate broker Loni Colvin. Goal setting is not a dry business term to Colvin but rather the mantra she lives by. \u201cI never feel like I hate getting up in the morning and coming into the office,\u201d said Colvin. \u201cI love helping people.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a result, over the years a cavalcade of individuals and couples have felt that love and gotten into a home on its cresting wave. The energy driving this successful real estate entrepreneur is not about to let up either. \u201cI don\u2019t ever want to retire,\u201d said a laughing Colvin.<\/p>\n

The native of Kentucky catapulted out of the Bluegrass state in 1989 and hasn\u2019t slowed since. It\u2019s been a trajectory of success with several businesses now a memory as she accumulated experience and moved on to bigger challenges.<\/p>\n

In the beginning<\/strong>
\nAfter arriving in the D.C. area, Colvin worked for a Roy Rogers restaurant as general manager while doing cleaning on the side. Her fianc\u00e9, now husband, suggested she start a cleaning service and she took the advice. \u201cIt\u2019s because of him that all of this other stuff has happened,\u201d Colvin said.<\/p>\n

As the cleaning service evolved it led to snowplowing. She had contracts with the town of Warrenton for a couple of years and her cleaning business blossomed with 14 daytime employees and a smaller staff working nights cleaning office buildings in Prince William County and elsewhere.<\/p>\n

The business success led to the idea of starting a property management company. She obtained her real estate license 2000 and began focusing on real estate. She eventually closed the cleaning business to devote full time to selling real estate.<\/p>\n

What happened next was as assured as the sun rising. She met with immediate success and in 2001 was named Rookie of the Year by the Greater Piedmont Area Association of Realtors.<\/p>\n

She was subsequently recognized for her performance with multiple awards with names such as Platinum and Chairman\u2019s Club. Over the course of the next several years, Colvin worked at three different real estate firms, gaining more experience with each passing year.<\/p>\n

In 2006, she sold $26 million worth of properties, earning the distinction of being placed in one company\u2019s Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember the broker telling me I had achieved a big thing. I was in the top 2 \u00bd percent of the nation\u2019s real estate agents,\u201d said Colvin.<\/p>\n

In 2009, her peers installed her as the President of the Greater Piedmont Area Association of Realtors. But there was no resting on her laurels. Hard work, some disappointment and greater success lay ahead.<\/p>\n

Industry structure<\/strong>
\nTitles used in real estate can be a bit confusing. Who does what and why? Let\u2019s recap the meaning of the most frequently used industry titles:<\/p>\n

Real estate agent<\/strong>: Simply anyone who earns a license to sell real estate. State requirements differ but in every state the person must take a minimum number of classes and pass an exam to earn a license.<\/p>\n

REALTOR\u00ae<\/strong>: An agent that is a member of the National Association of Realtors\u00ae. The person must uphold the standards of the association and its code of ethics.<\/p>\n

Real estate broker<\/strong>: An individual who has pursed education beyond the agent level and passed a state\u2019s broker license exam. Brokers can work alone or can hire agents to work for them.<\/p>\n

Real estate associate broker<\/strong>: A person who has taken additional classes and earned a broker\u2019s license but chooses to work for a broker.<\/p>\n

In Colvin\u2019s case, after gaining extensive experience as a real estate agent she elected to purse a broker\u2019s license. The move set the stage for her next career step.<\/p>\n

On her own<\/strong>
\nIn 2008, after eight years in the industry, Colvin obtained her broker\u2019s license and struck out her own and founded Horizon Real Estate, Inc. To paraphrase Charles Dickens, it was the best of times and the worst of times. Yes, she now headed up her own agency but she launched it at the onset of a severe recession.<\/p>\n

Timing is everything. \u201cIt was the worst of times. My building fees were overwhelming but I made through that period,\u201d said Colvin. She started with one employee and three agents in a snail\u2019s paced economy. Today, the office, located at 26 N. 5th<\/sup> St., is home to three administrative employees and 25 agents.<\/p>\n

\u201cI looked at the companies that had closed and merged and had no clue of being a broker myself. But I have a great group of agents at my office. We all worked together. It\u2019s wonderful,\u201d said the always expecting the best Colvin.<\/p>\n

She is also poised to open a second office in Front Royal in October. The office will initially be staffed by two agents but if the past is prologue, look for her to attract additional agents into her sphere of success.<\/p>\n

In 2009, she became certified as a real estate instructor and launched yet another business teaching potential agents. Given her track record, being a student in one of her classes is key to launching a new career. It is a 60 hour course conducted to fit a student\u2019s schedule. To date, 20 students have graduated from the school and she has brought an additional instructor on board.<\/p>\n

Most recently the energizer broker opened a title company appropriately called Sunshine Title & Settlement. It recorded the first of many deeds to come in early September and adds another entity to her growing number of businesses.<\/p>\n

Ever looking beyond today, Colvin has plans to open another agency when her work schedule permits. It is already licensed and ready to go and will operate under the name Ches-Bay Real Estate in Hartfield. \u201cToday Warrenton, tomorrow Virginia\u201d might be her mission statement.<\/p>\n

Model for success<\/strong>
\nThe mark of a successful executive is to envision their company five years into the future. If they focus on the here and now, stagnation can set in. To underscore the philosophy Colvin said, \u201cI don\u2019t look at how much I\u2019m earning. I\u2019m looking to grow the business. As long as I\u2019m still going forward that\u2019s an accomplishment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Colvin\u2019s advice for a successful career is for people \u201cto figure out what they want to do and what they enjoy\u201d because then it\u2019s not a job. Goal setting is paramount for her. And while she won\u2019t elaborate, it\u2019s obvious her goal oriented work ethic is alive and well with bigger things to come. \u201cI will never retire because I\u2019m having too much fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her advice to those looking to advance is to \u201cfollow your heart\u201d and don\u2019t listen to other people. \u201cWhen I started out I didn\u2019t have deep pockets. You have to believe in yourself and believe in what you are doing,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Another critical element to her success is \u201cI\u2019m honest. I\u2019m fair. I treat everybody the way I want to be treated. You can\u2019t get what you\u2019re not willing to give.\u201d When managing her employees if there is a problem in a business relationship she meets with the individual and asks, \u201cTell me what you think I need to be doing to help you succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of her pet peeves is a lack of commitment. She emphasizes she doesn\u2019t ask 100 percent from an employee but \u201cif you\u2019re not giving 60, 70 percent then you\u2019re not moving forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

When a new agent joins the company, Colvin knows it\u2019s her responsibility to help them succeed. \u201cThey\u2019ve come here because they believe in Horizon. I am going to help them. I can\u2019t let them down,\u201d said Colvin.<\/p>\n

When asked how she would summarize what she has achieved Colvin said, \u201cI love laughing. I pray a lot. I\u2019m always positive. I wake up every day and thank God for what I\u2019ve got and for everything that\u2019s coming in that day. And if it\u2019s a bad day, I say \u2018OK\u2019 its\u2019 been bad but let\u2019s get on with the new.\u201d<\/p>\n

If one were to check a thesaurus for the word success, one of the synonyms might likely be Loni Colvin.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Published in the Fall 2014 edition of the Piedmont Business Journal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0Horizon Real Estate, Inc. led by experience with a smile\u00a0\u00a0 When seeking a real estate firm to help sell or buy a home, a client seeks out a knowledgeable agent who is attentive to their needs. After all, it\u2019s likely the biggest financial transaction of their life. Optimistic business acumen makes good things happen quickly. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true},"categories":[5],"tags":[683,682],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n