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Featured Client of the MonthSeptember 2006: Leon & Connie CollinsLeon & Connie Collins Website: www.collinsrealestate.net Contact Information: HISTORY & THEIR START IN THE INDUSTRY
Leon was born in Douglas, Georgia, and was raised in nearby Fort Valley. He earned his real estate license in 1971, at the age of 18, which at the time made him the youngest agent in the state of Georgia. At the age of 21, he was licensed as a real estate Broker, and again, at the time was the youngest Broker in the entire state of Georgia. While in college, Leon worked for the Real Estate Department at the University of Georgia as a computer programmer. Since he had always enjoyed computers, he was able to utilize his skills and knowledge at the time to develop technological innovations that were still in the infancy stages in that part of the country. He graduated cum laude from the University of Georgia with a BBA in Real Estate and Urban Development. Later on, Leon earned his law degree from Emory University, and also attended the University of Miami, where he completed his Master of Laws Degree (LL.M.) in Taxation. “My knowledge and application of the law has always helped me keep one step ahead in the real estate industry,” stated Leon. In 2000, Leon was honored as “REALTOR® of the Year” by the Central Georgia Board of REALTORS®, and became of member of the Lifetime Million Dollar Club with over $5 million in sales in 2005. He is the 2000 Past-President of the Central Georgia Board of REALTORS®, and in 2003 served as Chairman of the Central Georgia MLS Board of Directors. Leon is also a member of the Greater Byron Rotary Club. The other team member of this “dynamic” real estate partnership is Leon’s wife, Connie. Connie, a native of Plains, Georgia, is a relative and family member of Plains’ most famous first family, which is recognized by its famous yet humble leader, former President Jimmy Carter. Connie and Leon met while attending school at the University of Georgia, where Connie earned her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education and graduated summa cum laude. In 1983 she received her real estate salesperson’s license and has been working with Leon ever since. After graduation at the University of Georgia, Leon married his college sweetheart Connie, and this past June 26th, 2006, they celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary. Connie reflected, “…while Leon matriculated through Emory Law School, I taught and was able to help out and take full advantage of my Bachelor and Master’s Degree in elementary education by teaching the third grade in Dekalb County in Atlanta. After the birth of our daughter, Carolyn, I was able to earn my real estate license and recently this past August celebrated twenty-four years in the real estate industry, which I have enjoyed thoroughly.” Connie is also a member of the Central Georgia Multiple Listing Service and a member of the Board of Directors of the Byron Better Hometown Community Program. Leon and Connie have one daughter, Carolyn, who is also a graduate of the University of Georgia, and earned her MBA from Yale. In 1999, Carolyn also obtained her real estate salesperson’s license. THEIR IMPRESSION AND REFLECTIONS ON THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY
Leon also commented on the changing real estate market and industry. “…We both can certainly appreciate the changing market place in terms of changing trends and developments within the industry. The changing interest rates, the demand for different kinds of homes, the needs of the clients, I will tell you one thing, it can be a very exciting profession and you never have to worry about boredom!” Leon continued…”However, whenever we need a break, we go on vacation…even if it’s just a long weekend, we need to take some time off every now and then so we can come back refreshed and ready to go again!” “We both have been through quite a bit, and we have always been inclined to use computers to enhance our business and real estate goals and objectives,” stated Leon. He continued, “…I started in 1971 at the University of Georgia, and took computer courses in COBOL and FORTRAN programming languages. One summer I worked for the Real Estate Department at the University of Georgia and wrote the first program in the country that used the computer to complete and print a HUD-1 Settlement Statement from the input of basic data.” Leon continued, “…Because of my early work at the University of Georgia, when computers came along into the industry, I was right up front in making an initial purchase in order to utilize it in my office. Initially, it allowed me to not have an assistant, because I had the necessary experience. However in about five-years, I needed to hire an assistant to be able to keep up with all the output and input of information that the computer was generating.” Connie agreed, “…people now want and need more information, and are not interested in getting just a piece of the puzzle. When we list a house for a client, they are counting down the seconds of when they can see the pictures of their home! Previously, we gave customers just a bit of information to get them interested and started in the home searching process, but now, they want and need an entire array of information, and the demand for information begins rather quickly.” Leon added, “…I was somewhat worried in 1995 about what our actual roles would become due to the advent of computers, but in a sense, REALTORS® have become even more important and integral in the entire purchasing and selling process. We are now needed to analyze and evaluate the data to give an accurate and professional outlook of what the client can come to expect! It continues to be an emotional decision, perhaps more than we want to give credit for, and the one common denominator still remains showing someone around. Only by viewing homes and listening to what the client says can we ascertain the kind of home they are actually looking for!” Connie concludes by stating, “…our opinions, our insight, and honestly, our relationship with people still drives business and returns clients, some as many as four or five times! We put a lot of pictures on our site, as many as fifteen to twenty pictures for each listing, or in many cases the maximum amount that we are allowed – and that in itself is a very unique feature that our clients often comment to us about. We never delete or throw away pictures, because they can always be a valuable source of information.” THEIR OFFICE’S MARKET – Central Georgia Including The Greater Byron Area Leon and Connie and their Collins Real Estate office, serves the communities and surrounding areas of the Central Georgia region, including the Greater Byron, Warner Robins, Perry, Fort Valley, Roberta, Peach County, Houston County, Crawford County, Knoxville, Bonaire, Kathleen, Macon, and Bibb County. Their office and staff take great pride in their motto…“Your Central Georgia Specialists!” LEON & CONNIE COLLINS TELL WHY Advanced Access? Leon and Connie were very direct when asked why they chose Advanced Access. “…The single most productive product that we have enjoyed to date is the “Guestbook Feature,” which in a sense, requires visitors to our Website to provide a minimum of contact information that we can then follow-up with and start a positive dialogue with the potential client. Without it, we would be trying to find contacts and new potential clients on our own. The “Guestbook Feature” is the single most important feature that we utilize on our site!” Leon continued, “…Back in 2000, we already had a Website through a private company that dealt with custom websites, but we pretty much had to design everything we needed ourselves and had to explain to the designer what we needed and eventually wanted. The Website was pretty basic and did not provide the extra information about our area that our customers were demanding.” He continued, “…We went to the annual NAR convention and tradeshow, and while visiting the Advanced Access booth met Jerra Morris, who was the owner. The whole idea of a templated Website was just coming into popular discussion. After meeting them, I was attracted to their family-type business and recognized that they were a relatively new company that wanted to impress their initial customers – We knew that we were going to be treated special. They told us to send in our contact info, and they would create a bio about us and our real estate business. It took practically weeks to get the entire Website up and running, and we followed the instructions and the entire process was made much easier because of the way we were treated almost immediately!” Connie adds, “…We really like and appreciate the way Advanced Access periodically adds things to our site, such as school information, community links, and other interesting features. It makes you realize that you are actually getting more value for your initial investment, and not getting “nickeled and dimed” like some other companies. Our Website has been a very solid investment for our company, and we feel very strongly that we can trust Advanced Access as a proven part of our overall business. Hardly a week goes by that someone doesn’t tell us what an informative, great looking, and easy-to-use Website that we have!” She continues, “…Thousands of people have registered to go on our site who don’t even buy a house, but like reading and looking at the information that Advanced Access has provided to us, and also that we have been able to add over a period of time. The testimonial letters that we include on our Website are proof, and we feel confident that our site will continue to help us with our successful business in the future!” THE FINAL WORD Leon adds some final thoughts, “…We simply can’t keep up with the leads that I currently have with the on-line guest book registering feature. We remember that the very first month that we started to really use it resulted in over three-hundred contacts that provided us their contact information to follow-up on! It definitely added to our overall lead generating process, since at first we could not get potential clients to send in their information. Now, I am provided with real, accurate information that both Connie and myself can actually follow-up with!” Connie also continues, “…We have been with Advanced Access for about six-years, and have been exposed to nothing but total professionalism at every level. They have experienced some growing pains, as any small business attempting to make their niche in the market would be expected to run into, and I think that Advanced Access has learned with us what our specific needs were, and how they were able to help us in our unique situation even more. But I can honestly say that the way in which we were treated and made to feel special, is the reason that we will continue to utilize Advanced Access. Their staff is wonderful, and both Leon and I always feel that they are just a phone call away! Leon and Connie offered this final word about Advanced Access and their success in the real estate industry, “…My daughter has always said accidents happen, and we both know that when you use technology that mistakes are bound to happen. But for the most part, we have always felt taken care of and made to feel that we would always be taken care of by Advanced Access. We both have heard fellow Advanced Access clients bragging about their Websites, the company, and of course, the kinds of services that they get for free…which is pretty much the way we have felt since joining their extended family! But most of all we want to point out how extremely blessed we have been by our Lord Jesus Christ, and we give Him all the praise and glory for where we are fortunate enough to be today. He has gotten us through some lean times, and at times it has been a “walk on faith.” However for the past 24-years we have honored God and He has honored our business. Our faith has certainly pulled us through to be able to enjoy the success that we have today!” |
 
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Leon & Connie Collins, 
Connie commented about the real estate industry. “…When we first came into the industry in nineteen eighty-two, the lowest interest rate was between seventeen and twenty-percent for a thirty-year fixed rate mortgage. With that kind of economic climate at the beginning of our careers, imagine the experience that we were able to develop and use to survive and grow our real estate business. We always felt that if we could start in that climate, we both could manage to survive at any time in the industry!”
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