James Dwiggins is the Chief Executive Officer of NextHome. In 2018, he was named a “Futurist” by RISMedia and was ranked #72 on this year’s list of most powerful leaders on the Swanepoel Power list 200.

Not just numbers

NextHome is a relatively new real estate franchise that was established in January 2015. Despite having only around 4 years in the business, they have already established operations in 340 locations across 45 states in the United States, access to over 3,000 properties and agents across the country, and they’re able to close 7,000 transactions a year.

Despite these impressive numbers, NextHome is different because they don’t focus on just numbers—a trait that the real estate industry is notorious for, they care more about professionalism and doing business in the East local market and raising the bar of the industry. Dwiggins states that they care a lot about how their brand is used.

They know that a lot comes down to their brokers on the ground. The brand is represented every day by the actions and words of their employees, so how do they make sure that they choose the right people?

It all starts with culture. NextHome spends a lot of time vetting their applicants to make sure that they have the same vision and they’re looking at the positive changes and contributions that they can make in the industry. They also talk to people in the market to know a little more about how they operate in the field.    

One of the reasons they can have such a detailed onboarding process is that they’re not beholden to any number. They’re not publicly traded nor held by investors, so they can make decisions to hire people that are a great fit for the company and not just to fulfill number quotas.

The role of the realtor

The common perception of the consumer is that they only have a small window of time in working with an agent. They talk with them, buy a house, and so on, but after 90-120 of looking for a property, consumers never hear from the agent again.

Statistically speaking, 82% of consumers say they would work with their agent again, but only 27% of them actually do. That’s a huge problem.

“There is the part of buying or selling, but there’s so much more. How can we make the agent part of the process of home ownership for the 7-10 years that the owner owns the property?” asks James Dwiggins.

NextHome is working on ways they can help agents serve owners after they buy the property (as in the case of recalled furniture or appliances, new developments in the land, etc.) and how AI can help the agent know when to reach out and talk to the client.

The role of the realtor is changing. Adapting to new technology can help them talk to the customer at the right time.