Distinctly Montana Magazine

D I S T I N C T LY M O N TA N A • S S U M M E R 2 0 1 7 68 TELL US WHAT A TYPICAL CLIENT RELATIONSHIP IS LIKE FOR YOUR AGENCY. LOCATIONS MONTANA: Customers become clients, clients become friends. Friends send us friends. 90% of our business are referrals. We do both seller agency and buyer agency in our firm. L&K: Communication is key for us with any client relationship. We strive to be in consistent contact with our clients, whether its feed- back for listing clients, new opportunities for buyers, or keeping in touch with updates on the market for those with a vested interest in our region. UNCOMMON GROUND: We pride ourselves on keeping in touch with our clients years beyond the transaction. For us, it is the rela- tionship first and the transaction second. We are our client's trusted advisers. If you need a painter, we have recommendations for you. Want to know the best coffee shops in town? We will give our list and tell why we love them. We frequently develop close friend- ships with our clients and have even invited them to our homes for dinner and events. ENGEL & VOLKERS: e relationship is intimate, thoughtful, and discreet. While we focus and practice on a high degree of profes- sionalism, including qualifying of interests and goals, discretion, and propriety, we also see our advisors becoming intimately en- gaged with the goals of their clients and their families. e process of being a Buyer and/or Seller leads to an experience with our agency that is led by an extremely competent professional. OTHER THAN FINDING A HOME AND CLOSING ON A TRANSACTION WHAT OTHER SERVICES DOES YOUR AGENCY OFFER? L&K: In addition to representing buyers and sellers in real estate transactions, we also specialize in real estate consulting. We have a strong expertise in luxury lifestyle developments where our individual experiences have involved sales and consulting on several large scale developments during the length of our careers including leading Yellowstone Club to over $1 billion in sales, and consulting and sales at several other developments within Big Sky. ENGEL & VOLKERS: We strive to be a resource for both current and past clients with distinctive specialization. As an example, when engaging with an agent at a larger office, a customer may find that the agent is responsible for all aspects of the process, includ- ing research, showings, marketing, follow-up, transaction review, inspections, repairs, etc. Within our firm, many of these responsi- bilities are handled by a person or team specializing in a particular aspect of the business. LOCATIONS MONTANA: Most of my clients come from out of state, as we have a strong second home market here in the Flathead. Beyond providing local knowledge for clients before and during our transaction, there are the ongoing needs of where to go for furnishings, doctors, and other services, how to find specialty items, restaurant recommendations, even helping planning events for visiting grandchildren. We have a casual atmosphere and wel- come our friends to stop by for a cup of coffee and conversation… and they do! TELL US A CLIENT STORY THAT BEST ILLUSTRATES YOUR REPUTATION AS A BOUTIQUE AGENCY. UNCOMMON GROUND: Shawn and Allison began the home buying process from Panama. Choosing a realtor "was easy" accord- ing to Allison. "One of Shawn's best friends lives in Helena and he recommended the Uncommon Ground team. After a few conversa- tions on the phone we felt comfortable," Allison explained. Finding a realtor was just the beginning of their home search. From their home in Panama they were able to connect with our market via the Internet. ey also took advantage of Zillow, Google Earth, and Google Maps. ese resources were useful in looking at neighbor- hoods, yards, and the configuration of properties. MADDUX: In my humble opinion, we have the best agents in the business. Our atmosphere is really friendly. We have clients stop at our office all the time. ey know our staff, interact with agents, and know that everyone is here to help. Last month, I had a buyer flying in to see one of my high-end ranches. e buyer didn't have reservations and there were a couple of events going on so he couldn't find a hotel. We were able to get him a really nice place, had wine and cheese waiting for him in his room, and he was thrilled. We go the extra mile every time. ENGEL & VOLKERS: In 2013, we had a client who found us via the Internet. is is a family who was considering a move here from Iowa. Like many people who come to Montana from else- where, they were not sure what they wanted; and when they first arrived it was an exercise to look for that large piece of land with a nice home. After many showings they ended up with a great home in a location where their children could walk/bike to school, and where they all felt very engaged in the community. Along the way, their Advisor also became a great resource, referring a dentist, pediatrician, school resources, restaurants, stores, even a home for their parents who moved to Montana, and more. 5WE HAVE HEARD THE WORD "CONCIERGE" APPLIED TO BOUTIQUE REAL ESTATE SERVICES. WHAT DOES THAT WORD MEAN TO YOU? L&K: With the majority of our clientele not living in the area, we are often a "concierge" to assist both buyers and sellers. We are often a resource for trip planning — from vacation rentals to activities, to restaurant recommendations. People buying in our resort community are buying for the lifestyle, and we need to make sure they are able to have the best experience possible. During a transaction, we are also on the ground to help with arranging due diligence items from inspections and appraisals to grabbing a photo of the view on a beautiful day. LOCATIONS MONTANA: Going beyond its French meaning, we serve the needs of our clients and friends beyond their expectations. UNCOMMON GROUND: Technology is quickly changing the way consumers buy and sell property. At Uncommon Ground, we offer free 3-D virtual tour imaging on all our listings. It's the closest thing to walking through the property in person from the comfort of your home. We also offer drone footage and videos of CONTINUED

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