In the month of October 2002 we will be featuring: Emma Lou Jones Ron Jones Realty

Emma is the owner of Ron Jones Realty. Read on to find out how she is using the internet to run her Real Estate business.

Erum: How did you venture into the Real Estate business?
Emma: I married at 16 and we bought our home a few years later after having looked at several homes that were for sale in our area. Even after moving into a home that I loved, I always managed to find time to look at other homes that became for sale in our area and enjoyed so much seeing all of the different floor plans and furnishings.

Years later, after having worked as Office Manager for a large construction company, and as Executive Legal Assistant for a prominent lawyer, I decided that both my husband and I should go into real estate as a career. We did and our son and daughter joined us too.

Erum: What kind of training is required to become a realtor?
Emma: To become a realtor a person must have several hours of schooling and take a state test. After passing the test, the new salesperson must work under the direction of a real estate broker for at least 20 hours per week for 2 years before the salesman can acquire additional schooling and then pass a test to become a real estate broker.

Erum: Where are you located? How does your location help in your business?
Emma: Prior to 1975 my husband and I had often sold properties for a developer in the western Kentucy area. In 1975, while living in Somerset, Kentucky, we obtained our salesperson's licenses and worked for a local realty firm for two years before going out on our own. In 1977 we opened a large office at 81 Realty Lane in Somerset and have remained in this location ever since.

We have been successful and have enjoyed our vocation very, very much and we plan to continue our work for years to come even though others at our age often retire. We don't wish to retire! We love our work.

Erum: Can you expand more on how successful you are?
Emma: I have made a decent living each and every year since I entered the field. I have made thousands of friends who will remain good friends through life. My income is probably not up to that made by most local physicians and some attorneys, but is far greater than it would be if I had gotten into most other vocations.

As I have often stated, however, the monetary value is excelled by the true friends that I have made through my work and that I treasure so greatly.

Erum: How has the internet helped in your real estate business?
Emma: The internet has really helped us in our business because it is so very easy now for people to select the properties they think they will like from the comfort of their own homes or businesses. We have, in fact, sold a few properties that the customer didn't physically see. These people made the initial selection from the picture and detailed description of the home that is shown on our website. They then requested more info and more pictures. At that time, we carefully pictured each room, each nook, and each cranny and e-mailed it so they could see "everything"! From these pictures, they made their selection and soon moved into the property they had selected from the internet views of the property. These buyers have been most happy with their selections and enjoyed the savings they pocketed from not having to commute to our area to personally view!

For those more cautious, the internet allows them to select only a few nice properties to personally view and eliminates the time and effort needed to physically see properties that aren't of interest to them once they have viewed the internet photos and descriptions.

Its so much easier for a customer to make a few clicks, than to travel hundreds of miles to and from our area to see what is there for them in their price range. The internet also helps the customer in seeing what similar properties have sold for and allows them to see the activities and attractions that are available to them in the area.

We truly feel that someday most properties will be bought through these virtual offices and that each customer will become more and more knowledgable about the simplicity of purchasing the perfect property with complete ease.

Erum: What feedback do you usually get from customers?
Emma: We derive wonderful feedback from our customers! I truly believe that each and every client and customer we have ever had remains lifelong friends. We appreciate their devotion to us and we are devoted to them. We are now selling to the third generations and get referrals constantly.

Erum: How can people in real estate business make sure that their customers are happy and satisfied?
Emma: It is so very easy to keep a person's clients and customers happy and satisfied; just do the very best you can for each and your loyalty and devotion to their needs will be quite obvious to them. When I list a property for sale, I always tell the seller than I might not get it sold, but I will certainly do my very best to get them a good sale. A lack of sale will never be from my lack of effort! When I find a buyer, I always tell them that I will deligently work with them until we find the perfect property at the price they think they can easily afford. And, again any failure to find the customer the perfect property has never been from my lack of devotion to their wants and needs!

Erum: What do you love most about being a real estate agent?
Emma: What I love most about the job is, again, the wonderful people that I work with that become so very close to me. I can spend 3 days with customers looking for a home and learn more about them than I could possibly learn by being in church with them each time the doors were open for the past 20 years!

Usually by the time the customer has selected the perfect property I know the names and ages and dreams and ambitions of their children; I know the type entertainment they enjoy; I know the amount of friends they often have visit them; I know their life stories from birth, and their ambitions for the future; I know their work schedules; their daily routines, and often even know the type meals they enjoy! I love this closeness and treasure the many wonderful types of people that "make this world go 'round".

My efforts are the same with the minimal wage worker with his wife and 5 children struggling to buy their first mobile home as with the highly paid executive with cash in his pocket and ready to close! My dreams for each and every person who meets with me is that I can fulfill their dreams in the easiest way possible!

Our goals have always been to do the very best we could for each and every person we have opportunity to serve. With these goals, we not only have made hundreds and hundreds of people happy, we have managed to make a reasonably good living.

Erum: Any advice to people who want to be entrepreneurs?
Emma: If a person is loving and caring and not the least bit lazy, that person can succeed in this business! By putting the goals and dreams of others first, good things automatically come to you and we have certainly proved this with our many, many years and hours of work.