Despite a global recession and falling home prices, many Crye-Leike agents saw their fortunes rise in 2009. At the company’s annual kick-off meeting held Tuesday at the Chattanooga Golf & Country Club, Crye-Leike Cofounder and CEO Harold Crye celebrated the company’s top producing agents with hopes for a ‘less worse’ economy in 2010.

“The best thing we can say about 2009, is thank goodness it’s over,” said Mr. Crye. “We’re all due for a better year and even though sales are down from where they were just a few years ago, there’s lemonade to be made.”

In 2009, Crye-Leike agents in the company’s Chattanooga Region sold more than $530 million in real estate, a figure that keeps the company #1 in Greater Chattanooga with a 17% market share.

“Crye-Leike Chattanooga continues to be the market leader helping more buyers and sellers than any other real estate agency in the greater Chattanooga region,” said Crye-Leike’s Rob Hatchett.

Mr. Hatchett is the former vice president and general manager of Crye-Leike’s Chattanooga Region, now serving as the company’s president of Franchise Sales. Crye-Leike Ooltewah Managing Broker Dan Griess has been named to the Chattanooga general manager post.

Mr. Crye, joined by Mr. Griess and Mr. Hatchett, addressed more than 250 agents in a packed meeting room at the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club. As much as the ‘Kick-Off” gathering was about alerting agents to the realities of the current home sales market – it was also a time to celebrate those who had the highest sales in 2009.

“Many of our agents experienced their best year in real estate in 2009 as more licensed realtors either retired or have taken other full-time employment,” said Mr. Hatchett. “The pie has shrunk and those who remain active realtors are proof that persistence pays off.”

Crye-Leike, Realtors, and many other established real estate firms, has a level of home sales business today as it did between 1996 and 1998. Aided by historically lower interest rates, reduced home prices and the federal homebuyer tax credit – some agents actually saw their business grow in 2009.

“This past year, we continued to enhance the crye-leike.com website and offer more visibility for our homes for sale through multiple online websites,” said Mr. Griess. “Our agents have also embraced social media - from Facebook to LinkedIn and Twitter to further connect and stay in touch with past clients, friends and family.”

Mr. Crye and other company managers are accepting that this current market is the ‘New Normal’ – and that there are still many opportunities to help sellers and buyers make the most of it.

Crye-Leike has been tracking month-to-month sales increases since mid 2009. Mr. Crye says the key to knowing the market is bouncing back is when the company sees year-over-year increases.

“The bottom line is we have to take care of the customer,” said Mr. Crye. “If we do that our share of the business will respond accordingly and grow.”

Crye-Leike Chattanooga 2010 Goals & Highlights
Increase Sales over 2009 by 5%
Update Downtown Office
Grow the company’s market share
Increase Internet Marketing & Social Media Networking
Focus on ‘online’ services
Increase Community Outreach
100% Customer Satisfaction

Crye-Leike, Realtors annual ‘first of the year’ kick-Off meeting is held in each of the company’s key regional hubs that include: Nashville, Memphis, Chattanooga, Atlanta, Little Rock and Northwest Arkansas. In each region Mr. Crye conveys the past year’s goals and achievements and lays out goals for the new year.

In 2010 Mr. Crye has set ‘A Return To Profitability’ as a top priority for the company.

The meetings are also an opportunity for the owners and managers to recognize the Top 25 sales producers and top producers for each branch office from the previous year. Those honored achieved the highest volume of home sales for the company.

In addition to motivating testimonials and recognition, Mr. Crye and company managers also take time to honor a select group of company agents with Crye-Leike’s most prestigious award, the Diamond Circle of Excellence Award.

Crye-Leike, Realtors Circle of Excellence, founded in 1987, is one of the highest levels of professional and personal achievement in the U.S. real estate industry. Sales associates who have been tapped into Crye-Leike's elite Circle of Excellence are awarded the honorary title, vice president of Crye-Leike. In order to receive this honor, each real estate professional must meet stringent requirements of the program, showing exemplary performance in the areas of advanced education, ethics, loyalty, sales volume and service to the community and real estate profession.