Iowa City Real Estate Blog: December 2011

Cardinal Realty opened its doors for business this week. As my good friend Corinne Guest so eloquently said in her post this morning. AR is a journey. The decision to start my own real estate company comes in no small part through the influence of ActiveRain. When I signed up at AR in July 2009 I was a "toddler" in the world of real estate. I was smart enough to know I needed to tap into the Internet to take my real estate endeavors to the next level, but had no idea how. I'd gone through several template websites and spent a boatload of money on SEO to get absolutely nowhere!

A couple of months on AR and I had my road map. There is SO much information here for those willing to take the time to learn. In no time at all I went from toddler to University Grad. I learned about Wordpress. I learned how to take care of my own SEO. (Saved myself mega bucks there). And most importantly I paid attention to the Independent Brokers here on the Rain and started to grasp the idea that it really wasn't rocket science and I could do that too. 

Two years later Cardinal Realty becomes the newest real estate company in Coralville. For me real estate is a service industry. I am here to serve my clients, not to "sell" homes. The philosophy behind Cardinal Realty is to keep real estate simple. No conflicts of interest by working two sides of a deal. Each client gets exclusive, personalized service. Simple and straightforward. 

Following through with that thought, the plan is to streamline operations so everything can be done online. "Going Green" if you will. Anything we can do to reduce our carbon footprint  is good and what makes it even better is that it's good for business. Clients this year have already experienced the benefits. Iowa City is a relocation destination and folks are transitioning in and out all the time. My last two sellers who both relocated out of state loved the no-hassle option of signing documents online. That's just one example. I'm always looking for new technologies to incorporate into my business. Streamlining my business will mean I have more time to spend with my clients building relationships. And that's what real estate is about, isn't it? 

So here I am with a big Thank You to everyone here on the Rain who motivated and inspired me to forge ahead. I would not be where I am today if I had not attended AR University! You'll know who you are, I comment on your posts from time to time. Special thanks to Corinne for her support. That's the other cool thing about AR. Not only do you find a wealth of information here, you also make friends for life!