Modern Realty Group celebrates first birthday
April 2-8, 2018
By Becca Bona
“It was kind of a surprise,” says Tiffany O’Dwyer looking back on the formation of Modern Realty Group. “But then I quickly thought, ‘Alright, I’m just going to go for it and try my own thing.’”
The West Little Rock based company opened their doors on March 20, 2017, and just recently celebrated their first year of business. O’Dwyer, president, principal broker and co-owner of the company, says that the six-team office has just now had a chance to take a breather after successfully closing 20 million over the past year.
The secret to their success? There isn’t one – only a slightly different hustle and approach to an industry that is in the throws of technological change.
“Back in the day, you didn’t have the internet or online marketing,” she says. “The amount of hours behind a listing just isn’t what it used to be, so we’ve come up with a model that saves people money.”
That’s not to say that O’Dwyer and her team aren’t working hard, or offering all the services any realty would, rather, they’ve found a way to work smarter.
“We do everything everyone else does and that’s been a priority since day one. For instance, we do professional photos and online marketing,” she says. “That’s where real estate is moving, you have to keep up. You can’t take amateur photos anymore. […] You’ve got to be current, you’ve got to keep up with that. And we do.”
O’Dwyer is originally from Benton, Ark., and grew up in a family of brokers. Her great-grandfather opened a realty company in Benton in the ‘50s. A little over a year ago, she was with a different company when she decided to get her brokers license, and opportunity rose before her.
“I think it’s in my blood and I think real estate has always been something that I was very interested in and loved,” she says.
Additionally, Modern Realty Group is all about teamwork, as she adds, “Tracie Walker and Bill Williams are the two other owners – which has been great because we all take on different roles and work together as a team.”
Beyond making a living, at the end of the day she feels like she’s also made a difference. “What we do is just more than a transaction. Last year I worked with a single mom who had gotten married, and she had a child with special needs. […] They were going to sell their house and buy a new one, but she wouldn’t have had a down payment if she would have used somebody else.”
Along that vein, the people that O’Dwyer finds herself working with end up becoming more than clients – they stay lifelong connections.
“It’s the biggest purchase you’re likely to make in your life,” she says. “Your clients want to know that they can have confidence and trust in you, that you’ll have their best interests at the forefront.”
And so far, that’s proven to be the case, as the agents in the Modern Realty Group office have been operating largely via referrals.
“That’s been one of the biggest things. We are referral-based, because we don’t have a lot of money for advertising the company as a whole.”
Looking forward, one of her goals is for the company to stay competitive. She is also glad she and her team are serving Little Rock at large, specifically West Little Rock.
“I think Little Rock is on the up and up,” she says. “You can drive out here in West Little Rock and see all the new, not just residential but commercial development. […] If you look, there’s schools, companies, restaurants, and homes and it just keeps expanding.”
When not working, O’Dwyer can be found spending time with her family, enjoying her kids’ sporting matches or reading.
PHOTO CAPTION:
The agents behind Modern Realty Group celebrated a successful first year in the books this past March. Pictured from left to right are Bill Williams, Sales Associate; Tracie Walker, Executive Broker; Amanda Mercer, Sales Associate; Tiffany O’Dwyer, Principal Broker; and Leslie Moseley, Sales Associate. (Photo provided)
