Today we’d like to introduce you to Ian Collins.
Hi Ian, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I became a REALTOR back in 2009 right after the biggest market crash in of our generation. I wanted to get into the industry to help people in my community that were really struggling after the crash. I then took some time off to go back to college and finish my dreams of playing college basketball. After graduating, I still wanted the camaraderie of being on a team and had a desire to serve, so I enlisted in the Navy. After finishing my master’s while serving and bouncing around the world, I came back to San Diego. I purchased my own home and saw that there was a lot to be desired with the way the real estate industry had progressed. So, I decided to put my MBA to good use to provide my community with professional market analytics in order to provide the best real estate experience possible.
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?
Well no. Anything that comes easily normally isn’t sustainable, hence the real estate market in San Diego. Agents flooded to the industry in the hopes of making easy money, but that was short-lived. In regard to my business, a struggle of mine was balancing serving my country as a Naval Officer and serving my community as a REALTOR. Initially, I tried to do everything myself but quickly learned that I needed a powerful team around me. I turned the struggle of having two responsibilities into an empowering moment. With me having to be extremely cognizant of my time, its forced me to make my business scalable, write standard operating procedures, automate certain tasks, and overall made my business much more efficient. Sure, REALTORs are normally the face of real estate, but in reality, it’s a team effort. The loan officer, transaction coordinator, title, marketing managers, and home inspector all play a vital role that often goes unnoticed by the public. And not to be biased, but mine are definitely the best. But the most vital of all is my partner, Bridgett Holland. She keeps me grounded, focused, and gives me perspective. But most importantly, she provides continuity to the business, so I don’t have to worry when I have to get underway for the Navy. Lastly, along with turning struggles into strengths, being an active-duty service member allows me to really remain focused on serving the community. Sometimes when the market is rough, it’s easy to convolute putting your client first with getting that next paycheck.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Big Block Realty, Inc?
I specialize in buying and selling residential properties, as well as relocation and investing. What sets my business apart is in my slogan “Dedication to duty, defined by results.” I provide my clients with the most in-depth marketing analytics around. Since I have a lot of clients who are going to more than likely move every 3 to 5 years, I provide present value rental estimates and conservative future estimations so they can see their options before they even purchase the home. I also specialize in marketing, providing my sellers with the most comprehensive marketing plan in San Diego. We don’t merely put the home on MLS and wait for buyers to show up, we invest heavily into pushing the home out there through social media and search engines to reach buyers that aren’t just looking on Zillow or with an agent.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I define success as knowing I made a positive impact and a lasting impression on my client, community, and family. That I leave behind a legacy of empowerment and that I made my community a little better than the way I found it.
Contact Info:
- Website: Linktr.ee/IanCollinsRealtor
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/iancollinsrealtor
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/iancollinsrealtor
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/Realtywithian
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/@Iancollinsrealtor
- Other: http://iancollins.realscout.me/
