Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Woodall
Hi Justin, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I began my real estate career in 2004 as an individual agent. I found that I loved the industry so much, I soaked up all of the training and education I could possibly find and hit the ground running. I had a few good years and then the Great Recession hit. Many agents left the business and my wife and I found ourselves dipping into our savings account just to cover our basic bills. I was beginning to think that I would need to go back and get a J-O-B which I really didn’t want to do.
After much prayer and thought, I sensed that real estate is what I was born to do. So, I hired a coach, invested in lead generation, and went to work! I changed my mindset and told myself that while prices may be going down and fewer people are buying and selling homes, but there are some that need my help and I just need find those people.
That’s when my business really began to grow. I first hired an assistant who is now the Operations Manager for my team. Then we began to hire and train other agents to help with our many clients. Woodall Realty Group brokered by eXp Realty now has 13 agents, 4 office staff, and will close around 300 transactions this year. We have created our Agent Launch Program which creates a foundation for agents to launch quickly into a successful career selling real estate. As we grow, agents we hire are put through this training which, in just a few months, gets to the level of an average agent that has been selling for a several years.
In 2018, to compliment the sales business, we opened Iron Horse Property Management which operates with 4 amazing property managers who oversee the leasing and management of over 300 rental units.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We’ve had some major obstacles to overcome in the past 20 years. The first one was learning how to not only survive, but to thrive coming out of the Great Recession and to actually grow a team. Those hard times forced me to do things differently.
The second large hurdle was coming through the pandemic. We had to learn how to meet people virtually, show homes safely, and the market went nuts during that time due to low inventory and low interest rates. It was a challenge helping agents when we couldn’t have in-person meetings and the market had shifted to a place where often times buyers were competing to win bids.
In more recent years, interest rates have risen significantly which means that it’s harder for buyers to qualify and many sellers don’t want to sell because they are locked in at a 30 year rate below 3%.
And this year, the NAR settlement has changed the way we interact with other agents and placed some demands on buyers that were not there before.
We see all of these as challenges and as we learn how to adapt and work through them, we come out stronger on the other side.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Woodall Realty Group brokered by eXp Realty specializes in residential real estate in the Athens GA and surrounding areas. Our market area primarily includes Clarke, Oconee, Barrow, Jackson, Walton, Madison, and Oglethorpe Counties.
We seek to provide the best possible service and expertise to our buyer and seller clients by offering special guarantees and programs like our Seller and Buyer Advantage Programs.
For us, it’s not about making a sale. It’s about finding out more about what problem our client is trying to solve and how to best solve that problem. Sometimes it means buying or selling a property and sometimes there are other better solutions. We know that when we put our clients first, everything else works out just fine.
For Iron Horse Property Management, the goal is to maximize the Return on Investment for our clients while giving them peace of mind. We strive to make owning rental property as simple, easy, and passive as possible for our owner clients.
How do you think about happiness?
I’m happy when I feel like I’m growing and becoming more.
In business, it may mean that my business is growing and serving people at a high level with fewer mistakes.
In my spiritual life, it means that I’m in tune with my Creator through Scripture and prayer. I know the direction He is leading me and I’m growing in faith and becoming more like Jesus.
With my health, it may mean that I’m getting stronger in the gym, my body fat percentage is low and my energy is high.
With my family, it’s that I’m connected with my wife and kids.
Overall, I feel happy when I feel like I am accomplishing good things and growing.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.WoodallRealtyGroup.com & www.IronHorsePropertyManagement.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/woodallrealtygroup & https://www.instagram.com/ironhorseathens/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/woodallrealtygroup & https://www.facebook.com/ironhorseathens
