From the Charlottesville Business Journal: February 16, 2009
A Superior Team at Nest Realty Group
Jonathan Kauffmann, Managing Broker of the newly formed Nest Realty Group, recently announced the addition of three new members to the team: Martha Campbell, Jim Duncan and Keith Davis. All three, experienced real estate professionals, have chosen to work with Nest Realty, Charlottesville’s new breed of brokerage.
“I am delighted to have such a great team on board,” Kauffmann said. “Collectively, our ideas will benefit all of our clients.”
Martha Campbell has had outstanding success representing local builders & developers with several developments around the City of Charlottesville. Martha, an Associate Broker with Nest, has 8 years of real estate experience.
Jim Duncan is a third generation Realtor and graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and has been assisting buyers and sellers alike for over 7 years. Jim keeps everyone in town abreast of real estate news with his entertaining blog and frequently appears on radio and in print with his always-honest assessment of the local market.
Keith Davis, who entered real estate through the banking world in 1993, holds an MBA from Kenan-Flager Business School at UNC, Chapel Hill with a concentration in Real Estate Finance and Development. Keith has represented home sellers and buyers as well as developers in home and land sales.
All three new team members at Nest have a record of successful production and all three were immediately attracted to the new philosophy and standards of Kauffmann’s new company.
“One thing that will set us apart from other real estate firms is our commitment to a higher standard,” Jonathan remarked. “We insist on experienced agents, those with at least three years in business. All of our agents will be required to attain a Broker’s license and all must be committed to a full-time career in real estate brokerage.”
Further, dual agency will never be allowed at Nest Realty.
Dual Agency means that one agent can represent both parties – the buyer and seller – in a single real estate transaction. The policy is allowed by many firms and is one of the leading causes of distrust arising from consumers about real estate agents: that they may put a commission ahead of customer representation.
“We will simply not allow it,” Kauffmann emphasized. “In every transaction, the interest of our clients will have priority. There is a reason why many states have outlawed the practice.”
“The world of real estate has changed,” noted Jim Duncan. “It’s time for us to change as agents, to stay ahead of the curve down the road. Nest Realty will allow agents with diverse expertise to share goals and values in the best interest of our clients.”
According to Jonathan Kauffmann, serving the best interests of educated clients is helping to keep them informed through superior technology.
“The information is out there,” Jonathan noted. “The consumers are going to get it. I wanted to create a one-stop shop for both buyers and sellers to come into our web site – NestRealtyGroup.com – and get useful real estate information – everything from active listings to sold statistics to school reports.”
“Real estate is a team sport,” he said. “The more information our clients have, the better job we can do for them.”
“We consider this as a unique opportunity to be active players with a new real estate firm dedicated to new standards in both ethics and technology,” Martha said. “As a team, we will be able to transform the way we handle real estate transactions.”
“The theme here will always be ‘What’s best for our clients’.” added Jim Duncan. “We intend to be upfront and direct with a transparent level of integrity and ethics.”
“Each of us has been doing this on an individual basis,” noted Keith Davis. “Now we can have a collective effort to push forward through technology, higher standards and a commitment to personal service.”