Welcome to our Symba Agent Spotlight Q&A, where we feature the top-performing agents in the industry. Our mission is to highlight real estate agents who are not only successful but also forward-thinking and loved by their clients. We believe that success in this industry is not just about closing deals but also about building strong relationships with clients. The agents we select have made a quick start in their career and have demonstrated their commitment to creating a process that makes the home buying and selling journey an enjoyable one for their clients.
This week’s agent is Tony Standrod. Tony has only been an agent for three and a half years and has very inspiring production stats that any new agent should strive to have. He’s sold 75 homes for a total volume of $17,000,000 in volume and he’s on pace to sell 30 homes in 2023. He earned the RE/MAX Executive Club award in 2019, 2020, and 2021 and in 2022 he earned the RE/MAX 100% Club.
Q: How long have you been an agent?
Tony: I got licensed in July of 2019. Been at it since then.
Q: Where are you a licensed agent?
Tony: The Hoagland Team at RE/MAX Premier Properties in Louisville, KY
Q: What inspired you to become an agent?
Tony: I had previously been in the construction industry for over a decade. I’m thankful for that career and the way that it supported my family, but it came at a high cost. I began to talk with my wife to imagine what an alternative career could look like to support our family. I had to step back and ask some questions. “What do I enjoy? What am I really good at? How can I be the most helpful to people? Is it going to support my family?” Matt Hoagland, a good friend and my team leader, was also looking for an agent at the time. We began to have many conversations to try to figure out if this would be a good fit for me and my family. After talking through it together, it became pretty clear that a Real Estate career was worth looking into. I specifically remember asking, “Matt, if I translate the amount of work and hours I put in with construction over to real estate, am I gonna make it?” His reply - “You’ll be fine.” Thankfully, I can say today that he was right.
Q: What is one thing you hope your clients say about you after they work with you?
Tony: That I was in their corner the entire time. They hired me to have their back and make sure this process is managed in a way that their worry becomes small. I want everyone to walk away feeling that and to leave with smiles and high fives
Q: How do you prioritize your clients’ needs and ensure their satisfaction throughout the buying and selling process?
Tony: Listening and asking questions. The only reason they reached out to me with anything regarding real estate is because they need help. I need to know how to do that well. Ambiguity creates worry, so my goal is to bring as much clarity to the process as possible. Based on those conversations, I put together a task list and associated timelines. I plug everything into my Symba CRM to make sure nothing falls through the cracks. This helps tremendously in keeping up with timelines and making sure that communication happens when it needs to. I stay close to everything with all parties involved, and communicate with regularity. The more you share with your clients, the better they can plan. My goal is to make this process as hands-off as possible for my clients.
Q: What has been the most surprising thing you’ve learned since being an agent?
Tony: Closings never get old. I feel this is unique to real estate. There are many things in life that we experience for the first time and it’s amazing, but loses its appeal the more you experience it. I have yet to experience a closing that I’m not excited about. The friends I’m fortunate to help are able to close a huge chapter in their lives, and the gratitude and relief they experience is palpable and present every time. The reminder that I was able to be a part of their very personal story is sacred to me. They are going to create new memories where they land. They allowed me to help make that happen. That keeps me going.
Q: What is the most difficult thing about being a real estate agent?
Tony: Finances/money management. There’s a reason this is always talked about when thinking about stepping into this world. Get mentored with this on the front end and know your plan. It doesn’t matter how well you do if there’s not a plan in place with where your finances need to go.
Q: What do you believe sets you apart from other agents?
Tony: I want people to know that if they need me, I am there. Care - I want people to feel that when they needed me, I was there. This process is about you, not me.
Q: Do you have a specialty in the real estate market?
Tony: I’ve been able to be exposed to so much within the residential real estate market over the last few years. Anything from land purchases, modular builds, investments, upgrade/downgrade, new construction, and first time buyers. I’ve intentionally cast my net wide to learn as much as I can so that I can help as many people as I can. If I had a wheelhouse though, it would be first time buyers. It’s really fun for me to partner with someone that has a blank slate of knowledge in the beginning, and for me to be able to fill in those gaps and bring some clarity and peace for them throughout the process. I remember the feeling of buying my first home, and I needed someone there that was confident in getting me through the process smoothly.
Q: What is the most rewarding thing about being an agent?Tony: Friendships. One of the things I was most excited about when I started is that I knew I was going to meet people that I likely never would have met otherwise. It blows my mind how many new friendships I’ve had over the last few years because of real estate, and my life is much richer because of it.
Tony's contact info & socials:
