Amy S. Chapman began selling real estate when she was a sophomore at Christian Brothers University. She can recall having her classes interrupted by phone calls from clients.
“It was kind of interesting because at that time we had pagers, and of course cell phones too, but minutes were so expensive,” she said.
Chapman started out taking classes during the day, but soon switched to night so she would be more available during the day for selling real estate.
“I remember sitting in class at night, and there goes my pager going off, and I would run outside so I could return a client’s phone call,” she said.
Chapman graduated from Christian Brothers in 2000 with a degree in business management, and continued her career working as a Realtor for Banyan Tree Realtors in Collierville. She worked for Banyan Tree from 1998 to 2005.
On her own
After several years of what Chapman called “exploring different avenues” in the real estate industry, including doing some relocation consulting, she decided to branch out on her own.
In February 2006, Chapman, who is now 28, opened the first Weichert, Realtors franchise in Shelby County, Weichert, Realtors-Chapman & Associates LLC. Her office is at 890 W. Poplar Ave. in Collierville.
In just the first year of business, Chapman & Associates agents sold about $11 million in volume. It is on target to do three times that amount in 2007, Chapman said.
When she first started out she felt her young age could be a challenge.
“Of course it’s always going to be harder when you are younger,” she said. “But it has definitely been very rewarding.”
Since Weichert (pronounced Wy-kurt) is new to the Memphis market, Chapman said her initial challenge was establishing brand recognition. The company is based in New Jersey and has about 500 affiliates in 30 states, but her office was the first in the Memphis market. Once she overcame that obstacle, using marketing strategies designed by the company’s founder, Jim Weichert, Chapman was off and running.
Chapman said she would love to see another Weichert office open in the Memphis area, hopefully by the end of the year.
Quick growth
When she opened the doors to Chapman & Associates Feb. 1, 2006, it was by herself.
“It was just me, by my lonesome,” she said.
But Chapman quickly started recruiting agents. By May, the firm had 20 real estate agents. Currently, there are 33 agents working out of the Collierville office. And Chapman said she averages about three to four recruits each month.
Chapman & Associates recently was recognized for its recruiting efforts, winning Weichert’s award for best recruiting effort out of its nearly 500 offices around the country.
Chapman attributes her company’s success to a passion for selling real estate, not to mention a focus on communication.
“It is sales, and you have to follow up with customers and follow through – and we live by that,” she said. “We do what we say we are going to do.”
And she said if you love what you do, it shows.
“I love dealing with people, and on top of that, I love helping my agents,” Chapman said. “We are a very close team here and we get excited about everything.”
She doesn’t seem to be kidding about the excitement. If somebody gets a new listing, if there is a new recruit or if there is a property closing, a bell in the office is rung to celebrate.
“We feed off of each other’s energy, and it makes you love what you do,” Chapman said. “Real estate itself is a wonderful industry to be a part of.”
In the family
Business sense certainly seems to run in the family. Chapman is the sister of Courtney Liebenrood, owner of Obsidian Public Relations. For more about Obsidian, see our March 5 Small Business Spotlight.
Chapman and her sister got their drive and support from their parents, Bill and Joan Bowden. Their father was president and CEO of Hardin’s Sysco Food Service for more than 30 years.
“We knew what drive he had and that was instilled in us by him and our mother,” Chapman said. “We all live here in Collierville and we still have that constant family support.”
AMY O. WILLIAMS | The Daily News