Jack and Lona Efaw
Dynamic sales duo finds Platinum Realty meets their combined and individual needs
Jack and Lona Efaw started their real estate careers in 1997 after moving to Missouri from Nebraska. Having been with the same company for 25 years, they found themselves wanting to be their own boss. They attended real estate school together. Eighteen years later, they are as excited about their careers as ever.
The two joined RE/MAX and stayed there for 13 successful years, but they felt a market downturn coming. It was hard to justify the expense of maintaining office space and keeping up with the fees and other bills associated with being under the RE/MAX name. Platinum Realty had about 140 agents at the time and was growing during a down market, so other agents must have been thinking along the same lines. In 2010, they joined Platinum Realty never looking back.
If Jack and Lona are anything, they are social. When they moved from RE/MAX to Platinum Realty, Lona is the first to admit thinking, “There goes my social life.” “Jack and I work from our home office a majority of the time now, but we can use any Platinum Realty office anytime,” says Lona, “We do enjoy the social events that Platinum Realty sponsors and have made many good friends.”
There is a misconception that if agents aren’t paying fees to a realty firm, then they receive zero support. “I believed the same thing, but soon realized that simply was not the case. Our Broker is always available, always helpful and anything or information we need is really just a phone call away,” Lona explains, “The structured commission, importing our own MLS listing, and the ability to download our contracts directly to Platinum saves so much time. Having a non-selling broker who isn’t competing with us is huge. We enjoy the freedom and latitude and the feeling that we are more in control.”
Jack and Lona understand how scary it can be to switch realty firms, especially after being with the same one for so long. There is the fear that people will not hire you if they’re not familiar with the company name. “We quickly discovered that people don’t hire a company name, instead they hire us. We have never lost a listing since moving to Platinum Realty for that reason,” Jack states.
Never get so busy making a living, that you forget to make a life. While there’s no doubt our agents’ professional successes are impressive, we know it’s what happens outside of work that makes a life full. At Platinum Realty, we believe that personal achievements are equally as important to recognize. Through the Power or Platinum, our agents share in celebrating each other’s wins both professionally and away from the office.
Support, ideas, comradery. The Platinum Professional Network is made up of Platinum agents in your area just like you. Agents who thrive as entrepreneurs, but also know there is strength in numbers. So, share your strikes and gutters while throwing strikes and gutters. Or, soak up other agent’s tips at one of our happy hours. Regardless of the event, you’re bound to make connections and leave with new ideas to your help grow your business.
For families caring for a child with a serious illness, life is turned upside down. Long hospital stays and uncertainty become the new normal. This is especially true for the families caring for critically ill children when even basic necessities like meals can become burdensome. Feeding Families was started with the goal of providing lunch daily to these families, so they can focus on the most important job of all – caring for their sick children.
