Back years ago, we thought we were really big stuff when we had a fax machine and we didnt have to run papers across town," said Darlene Brown, founder of Real Estate Partners. "Now we can send it all on our phone, you sign it - its just amazing what we can do with technology now.
Real Estate Partners, a female-owned business in downtown Chattanooga that's the only independent real estate company to rank among the top 10 in the market for sales, opened its second office Thursday at Shallowford Road near Highway 153.
"I'm pleased to be in the top 10," said Darlene Brown, the business' founder and majority shareholder. "To be an independent, I think that speaks volumes for us."
Real Estate Partners hopes to continue to grow. It wants to recruit more agents to add to its current team of about 60 that includes such well-known names in the local real estate world as Wendy Lawhorn, Paula McDaniel and Grace Frank.
And it touts the advantages of being an independent firm - which is a growing trend, according to a recent survey in Inman News, an online news service that covers the real estate industry.
The survey found that independent brokerages are more prevalent now than they have been in a decade and that local control of branding and technology gives independents the ability to build "profitable businesses that can adapt quickly to local market conditions-without the burden of franchise fees."
Brown founded Real Estate Partners a decade ago, and co-owns the business with Adelia Mosley.
Technology used to be a hurdle for independent firms, but isn't anymore, said Brown, who's been a licensed Realtor in Tennessee and Georgia since 1984 and has held a variety of offices at the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors, including president and Realtor of the Year.
"The business is the same as far as it's a people relationship business," Brown said. "But the way we do business has changed tremendously with all the technology that's available."
"Back years ago, we thought we were really big stuff when we had a fax machine and we didn't have to run papers across town," she said. "Now we can send it all on our phone, you sign it - it's just amazing what we can do with technology now."
Lawhorn is managing broker at the new office at 6043 Shallowford Road, Suite 101. She's been at Real Estate Partners for almost four years.
"We are actively inviting agents to visit our firm and see what we're about," Lawhorn said. "Pluses [we offer] an agent is no franchise fee, no administrative fee - that definitely means more money in your pocket as an agent."
Real Estate Partners provided sales figures from the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) that says it closed on $130 million worth of property in 2015, which it said was about 4 percent of the total market. The company said it had an average sales price in 2015 of $215,237, which it said is one of the highest sales price averages among the top 10 local real estate firms.
"At our company, it's pretty standard across the board that everyone is producing," Lawhorn said.
Contact staff writer Tim Omarzu at tomarzu @timesfreepress.com or www.facebook.com/MeetsForBusiness or twitter.com/meetfor business or 423-757-6651.