Name: John Holbrook
Real Estate Office: Prudential Chaplin Williams Realty
Address: Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach & Yulee
Phone:904-415-0171
Website: www.nassaumls.net
Office Hours of Operation: All day any day
Questions:
How long have you been in real estate?
I graduated from Rollins College in Winterpark, Florida with a degree in business and economics. I made stops in Aspen Colorado and Washington, DC. along the way and eventually settled in Killington, Vermont. I built my first house some 20 years ago. I have worked on several mixed use residential developments in New England. I eventually returned to Florida and settled on Amelia Island 6 years ago. For the most part, I concentrate on newer home sales in Nassau County. I’m always on the look out for residential or commercial properties that make economic sense and offer a financial reward for the end user.
Describe your background in real estate?
As a Realtor, I pledge to do business according to a strict code of ethics and am proud to be a member of The Nassau County Board of Realtors. I have been licensed in the State of Florida since 1999 and am a member of the Florida Association of Realtors as well as the National Association of Realtors. Additionally, I oversee the training and educational platforms for all six of the Prudential Chaplin Williams Realty locations in Nassau County. As a company, we encourage all of our agents to regularly participate in classes and seminars that relate to our local market.
What do you enjoy about being a real estate agent?
The thing that I enjoy most about being a real estate agent is researching and identifying properties that match the needs of the buyer. If you are walking into your prospective dream home without a knowledgeable realtor by your side, you’ve done yourself a disservice. In my mind, it’s essential that all real estate agents have an understanding of the Nassau County regulations as well as the history of the communities and the individual neighborhoods.
What services do you offer?
We are a full service real estate brokerage company that handles all aspects of buying and selling property in the State of Florida.
How do you use technology like the Internet to help buy and sell?
Technology in the marketplace is vital in today’s marketplace. I currently sponsor a site called www.nassaumls.net that allows buyers to access the same information in the Multiple Listing Service that the local Realtors use. An individual user can log on to this site from their personal computer and research approximately 2000 different properties that are for sale throughout Amelia Island, Fernandina Beach, Yulee, Hilliard and Callahan. Another advantage of the internet is the ability to send out internet based newsletters and flyers directly to clients in my “buyers pool”. I can reach several thousand unique buyers who have expressed an interest in our area within minutes regarding any new listings or price changes.
What type of real estate do you specialize in…residential, commercial, land, PUDs?
Right now, I have about 25 different listings for sale. These range in size from individual lots to large commercial tracts as well as residential homes. I have a group of agents within the Prudential office that I work with to maximize marketing and exposure on all of my properties. Furthermore, our office staff is incredible at generating and gathering prospective buyers. The Prudential Chaplin Williams website alone routinely registers over 10,000 unique visitors per month who come to search our active listings. It’s just another way that our Prudential support staff is able to concentrate on preparing the marketing and promotional pieces while allowing our agents more time to show individual properties. I try to personally show five to ten listings per week to keep my clients up to date on what is available. Recently, we have been aggressively expanding our services to attract buyers who are looking for a full service real estate company that can handle all of their home search needs from property management to rentals to closed sales.
What distinguishes you from your competition?
I think the thing that personally separates me from other agents is that I know my product inside and out. My buyers are qualified and my sellers are ready to sell. I’ve never had a finalized contract that didn’t make it to the closing table. You can reach me at almost any time of the day and when your ready to move on a property, I shift into high gear very quickly.
What area of Nassau County do you cover?
I live on the south end of the Island and am always keeping an eye on the activity at the Amelia Island Plantation as well as Summer Beach. Most of my work week is focused on the Yulee and Fernandina Beach market. I think that there are some great opportunites for develop tracts and commercial pieces in the western part of Nassau County. I’ve had several large commercial clients who have expressed an interest in retail and industrial use property near the A1A and US 17 intersection as well.
What did I not ask you that you would like to see included in the story?
It’s a great time to buy! With the current inventory levels so high and the builders trying to liquidate homes, there are some incredible deals right now in the marketplace. It is not the time to sit on the sidelines and the best deals are not always advertised in the Sunday paper! I recently negotiated a home sale for a client who saved over $130,000 off the builder’s original list price on a new home. By being on top of the current market conditions and having great contacts within the industry, it is amazing what type of deals you can come across.
Specials awards or community memberships?
Recently, the Prudential Chaplin Williams Staff volunteered to staff the concession stand for the Yulee-Fernandina Beach Football game. It was great to see the many familiar faces of families that we had sold houses to over the years that were attending the game. We had an incredible turnout and were able to raise several thousand dollars in funds for the school. By the fourth quarter we had sold out every item in our inventory. Pizza, burgers, hot dogs, popcorn, soda – you name it, we sold it!
