Keller Williams’ new office paying dividends

After moving, Clark County’s largest real estate firm expects to add another 100 brokers in 2017

Keller Williams
Courtesy of Keller Williams

Months after moving to a new location, Vancouver’s Keller Williams Premier Partners is capping off a banner year and forecasting significant growth in 2017.

On September 16, the real estate firm hosted an open house to celebrate its new office at 2211 E. Mill Plain Blvd. At 40,000 square feet, the new building – formally a Kaiser Permanente clinic – is roughly twice the size of the company’s previous office, which was located across the street from the Vancouver Community Library.

“Our former office had only one small training room that did not accommodate our business model as a training company, and we had grown as much as our previous building would allow,” said Patti Siebold, owner of Keller Williams Premier Partners. “At our recent open house, nearly 1,000 people came through the new office from the real estate industry (and related fields), nonprofit organization leaders, and our local community. It was a huge success.”

Renovated last spring, the new location consists of two floors with more than 100 private offices, four executive conference rooms, three large training rooms/event spaces, a catering kitchen and two expansive communal workspaces with meeting booths, presentations booths estate brokers are currently working out of the new office, which has the capacity for more than 450 brokers.

“Our agents now have more space to meet with their clients. It’s easier for them to be able to show listings and to show homes,” said Jennifer Wood, the firm’s CFO. “It also gives the agents more space to have new homebuyer classes and to do other kinds of meetings with groups.”

While the new office doesn’t necessarily offer the same visibility of the former downtown Vancouver location, in many ways it’s more accessible, Wood noted.

“With three parking lots… parking is a huge advantage,” she said. “I also think it’s more centrally located so people don’t have to fight with downtown traffic. And there are plenty of different avenues to get to the building in the event that there is traffic.”

Keller Williams Premier Partners’ decision to invest in a new building is a testament to the quality of the brand, Wood said, adding that the firm has netted approximately 100 brokers in the past year alone.

When asked about the forecast for 2017, Wood said the firm anticipates adding at least another 100 brokers.

“I think for Keller Williams, [growth has to do with] the value we bring to individuals. Keller Williams is very focused on training and personal and professional growth. It’s not just coming to work and doing a job and selling a house… There’s a lot that is focused on the business part of things – doing your financials and running your business – but there’s also a focus on personal growth.”

Another factor fueling growth throughout the real estate industry is new technology.

Having the ability to browse home listings online without the help of a real estate agent may seem like a disruptive technology that would ultimately reduce the number of brokers in the field, but in reality, Wood said, it’s quite the opposite.

“Even though I find a house online doesn’t mean I’m going to know anything about it or have the ability to get into that house,” she explained. “You still need to have someone who can help let you into that house, who can show you that house, who can take you through the whole contract process. The same thing goes for selling a house. You still need to have a real estate agent who can market your house appropriately through those technology platforms as well as walk you through the contracts and things like that.”

A community space

Among the amenities at Keller Williams Premier Partners’ new 40,000-square-foot office (located at 2211 E. Mill Plain Blvd.) is a community room available at no charge to local nonprofits.

Owner Patti Siebold said the goal is to develop the room into a popular meeting space for hosting community events.

“We pride ourselves on serving our community and giving back,” said Siebold.

The community space has room for approximately 100 people.

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