Meet Matt Baker of Matt Baker Real Estate

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matt Baker.

Hi Matt, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story? 
I studied business/real estate in college at the University of Georgia. After college, I moved to Buckhead, where I worked in condo/new home sales, but when the market crashed in 2008, I switched to property management by jumping into the multi-family industry. After a few years of onsite property management, in 2010, I transitioned out of a management role and into a marketing role. Having worked for some of the more notable companies, like Greystar, in 2013, I accepted an opportunity to join CWS Apartments, where I eventually became their Director of Marketing, overseeing their national marketing strategy and managing the marketing department. With the corporate office based in Austin, Texas, and supporting markets all over the country, travel and corporate burnout set in, and I decided to leave corporate marketing to relaunch my real estate career. I joined Berkshire Hathaway Homes Services and established Matt Baker Real Estate in the spring of 2018. I have been building my Atlanta-based real estate business ever since. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Starting a new business is always a challenge. In real estate, most of the compensation is commission-based, so you only make money when you close a transaction. It took me almost 9 months to close my first deal, so operating a start-up with no revenue was a huge challenge. Once you get things rolling, you are still dealing with people and families that are considering a big transition in their life – buying or selling their home. It’s an emotional decision and you really have to focus on the customer service element. Defining your value, establishing expectations, and setting your client’s mind at ease. Real estate is also a competitive industry. There are a lot of agents in the Atlanta area. What can you do to stand out? How can you manage your business so that your clients have the success they expect? In real estate, there are a lot of factors out of your control that can dictate how successful you can be – volatile markets, interest rates going up and down, supply and demand. How you manage your business, and the level of service you provide to your clients will ultimately determine how successful your business will be. 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I specialize in residential real estate. I provide my clients with comprehensive marketing strategies, market insights, and analytics to successfully acquire or sell residential homes. What sets me apart from other real estate agents? The level of customer service that I provide. I truly place the client’s needs before my own. So many agents are “chasing paychecks.” I don’t operate my business that way. I place a premium on establishing a meaningful relationship with my clients. I treat them all like they’re members of my family, and my track record confirms that. My business is driven 100% by the needs of my clients. If we have to tour 75 homes before making an offer, that is what we are going to do. Almost all of my clients become a part of my life and we maintain our relationships long after the transaction has closed. So many of my clients have worked with agents in the past that did not provide the same quality of service. That is what I am the most proud of, the fact that most of my clients become friends and we continue to maintain our relationships to this day. Some agents disappear once that transaction has closed. 

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Providing unforgettable customer service from start to finish. Making sure my clients achieve the goals that we set out to accomplish. Allowing the needs of your clients to drive the direction of your business. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mattbaker.bhhsgeorgiaconnect.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattbakerrealestate/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MattBakerRealEstate
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIjNpeFi-auPEUA5aWwJ1ww
• Other: https://www.zillow.com/profile/user104663