Amy Flowers Reflects on 20 Years in Real Estate & Her Secrets to Success

It’s been 20 years of relentlessly working to get our clients the best results, guiding them through the different stages of the real estate process, and advocating for their best interests through every transaction we’ve handled.

It’s been 20 years of staying on the cutting-edge of innovation in the real estate industry, constantly evolving our services and marketing to get our clients maximum exposure, and building a business focused first and foremost on people.

We owe our success to the wonderful people we interact with daily, from everyone on Flowers Team Real Estate to the amazing clients that made it all possible. 

As Milton’s #1 real estate agency, we look forward to what the future holds, and we look forward to continued success with each and every one of our clients.

We sat down with Amy Flowers to see what she had to say about reaching this milestone, as well as her secrets to success and actionable tips for up and coming real estate agents.

How did you get started in real estate?

Let me start by saying I never envisioned myself becoming a real estate agent. I loved helping people and I wanted to be my own boss. Real estate offered the best of both. 

My passion was to build an amazing business and workplace that people wanted to be a part of — a place where they could achieve their goals through the company.

That’s been the focus of Flowers Team Real Estate since day one, and 20 years in, that’s still our focus.

How did you build the team you have today?

Here’s the truth: a lot of real estate teams are created by accident. The large real estate teams we know today didn’t exist 20 years ago. When a realtor became overly busy, it was typical that they would bring on support staff. And from there, a team was organically created — and it wasn’t always intentional.

That’s not the case with our team.

Nothing happened by accident. Every single member of our team was handpicked because of their expertise in a specific area of the real estate process. We wanted to build a team that had an in-house expert for every part of the process, from client engagement, marketing, to the transactional side of real estate.

What do you think made you successful?

Don’t be surprised, but it’s the team we built.

It may have started with my intent to build a great company — one that could provide a turnkey experience to all of our clients — but we accomplished that by surrounding ourselves with passionate people.

I see the value in hiring people who are capable of complementing my strengths and weaknesses.

A successful business owner needs to accept that they can’t do everything on their own. I’ve always been fortunate enough to find the right people to fill in the gaps in my company. It was always an easy decision for me because it freed me up to focus on my core strengths.

When you think about it, Flowers Team Real Estate is more than a real estate agency. We are a marketing company that sells real estate and provides our clients with all the value-add services they need to have a seamless experience. Our marketing-first approach has not only contributed to our success, but it’s what has allowed us to achieve long-term sustainability in this competitive industry.

And of course, there’s our relentless focus on helping our clients overcome their biggest challenges. Real estate is complex by nature, which is why we work to protect our clients at all costs, giving them all the resources they need to reach the best outcome. 

Sometimes that means finding hidden gems in the market before anyone else, using our market knowledge and negotiation skills to get them that property with multiple offers, and advocating for them every step of the way.

What would you tell a new agent starting out today?

My biggest piece of advice for new agents? You need to be self-aware. Understand that you can’t do it alone. You will need to fill in the gaps in your team, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Create a tribe of people who can help you create that amazing experience you want to be known for. Find people who can support your vision.

When you surround yourself with the right people, you’ll have the building blocks you need to deliver exceptional client outcomes, scale your business, and adapt to developing industry trends early.

Lastly, the passive marketing approach won’t get your clients the best outcome. Agents need to be plugged in, responsive, and ready to provide real value. Nurture your relationships by providing the insights and in depth analysis your clients need to make an informed decision. Anything you share with your client must provide value.

What advice do you have for today’s buyers and sellers?

Local matters. Work with the absolute best agent in the neighbourhood you’re interested in. Don’t rely on family recommendations or a random advertisement. This is one of the biggest transactions you’ll make in your life, so it’s important to work with an expert.

A specialized local agent will understand the neighbourhoods, schools, amenities, and other neighbourhood-specific issues that a non-local agent may not be aware of.

Whether you’re buying or selling, you need an agent that can help you achieve the best experience possible.

What real estate trends do you think will dominate 2022?

It’s no secret we are still in a high demand, low inventory market. This trend is likely to continue throughout 2022 as interest rates stay relatively low, immigration may reopen creating more demand, and houses remain hard to come by.

I think you’ll also see a shift in how real estate agents market themselves. Agents will shift from “selling” houses to “marketing” them. This has been Flowers Team Real Estate strategy for over 10 years, and it’s played a significant role in our success.

Big tech will struggle to replace the traditional real estate agent. New platforms will make market data more accessible, but they cannot replace the emotional and human connection that’s part of the real estate process.