Interview by Dean Burgess, Excitepreneur.net
The real estate industry is full of inspiring entrepreneurs
who have dealt with their share of challenges. I’ve been conducting a series of
interviews with a number of these professionals in order to share their
insights with other aspiring business owners.
Anthony Legins is a licensed real estate broker
and residential builder in Detroit, and has been featured as one of the top real estate agents
in the state of Michigan. I asked Legins about why he chose real estate as a
career path.
“About 12 years ago, I was in between careers and my
grandfather suggested that I get into real estate,” he replied. “ I’ve always
had an entrepreneurial spirit and tried my hand at a few different business
ventures. Real estate appealed to me because I can help people and also earn a
nice living. Initially, I didn't know anyone to sell a house, however, in the
first month after obtaining my real estate license, I had 3 houses sold under
contract and went on to 5 million in sales in my first year.”
Next, I asked him what he loves about working as a real
estate agent in his region.
“I love the challenge and the opportunities that are
available in my area,” he said. “Since I was born and raised in Detroit, I have
an attachment and love for the city and do my best to play an active part in
the revitalization. The Detroit real estate market is very unique. There are
big beautiful homes in Detroit with unique architecture that you will not find
in other markets in the US. It was also one of the hardest hit markets after
the real estate crash back in '07 - '08. I love having the opportunity to help
homebuyers find their dream home for an affordable price. I also love helping
investors find great real estate deals that provide them with good return on
their investments.”
Helping people find out what a property is really worth
and what they can buy or sell it for is certainly something to take pride in. I
wanted to learn about Anthony’s proudest career moment as a real estate agent,
but he doesn’t have just one (a sign of a good businessperson).
“I've had a few proud moments during my career,” he said.
“The proudest moment was when I received an award from my company back in 2005
for achieving 5 million in sales after my first year in real estate. When I
first got started in real estate, I didn't know anyone who wanted to buy or
sell their home. By the end of the first year, I had sold close to 40 homes and
played a part in helping people become homeowners for the first time. Also
being a featured agent in Top Agent magazine and a featured agent in the #1
Best selling real estate book 'Top Agent-Volume 2' by Keith Dougherty.”
As fulfilling as a career in real estate can be, it’s not
without its challenges. I asked Legins what the biggest challenge is in his
opinion and what he does to overcome it.
“This is a good question,” he said. “There are several
challenges that real estate agents face. In my opinion, I would say the biggest
challenge remaining successful and relevant and adjusting with the changes in
the real estate market. For example, when the market crashed back in '07 -'08,
it was virtually impossible for buyers to obtain new mortgages to buy homes in
my area. At the time, the large majority of my clients needed a mortgage to buy
a new home. Knowing this, I adjusted to helping buyers purchase homes on land
contract. This allowed me to remain successful in a down market. Also staying
on top of new developments in your market, new technologies, training and
continuing education is important.”
A successful entrepreneur knows how to recognize challenges
and deal with them accordingly. The real estate industry is a great place to
look and see how it’s done.
To learn more about Anthony Legins, visit www.anthonylegins.com
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Dean is passionate about business and loves sharing stories about successful entrepreneurs. He is fascinated by entrepreneurs, and loves learning about what makes them tick. He created Excitepreneur to give us a chance to explore the areas of entrepreneurship that tend to get overlooked.
