Old Colony, REALTORS®, a West Virginia-based brokerage, has been innovating for more than 79 years all while maintaining the same values, traditions, and quality of service they introduced those many years ago.

Old Colony, REALTORS® got its start as a small real estate company in Charleston, West Virginia in 1944. Over the years, they have had affiliations with numerous franchises, such as Coldwell Banker in the 1980s. They even merged with Homefinders, Better Homes and Gardens in the 1990s, becoming Old Colony, Better Homes and Gardens. However, in 2006, they dropped all their franchise affiliations after seeing rapid growth and expansion. 

Old Colony, REALTORS® now has offices spanning four states. They serve customers throughout most of West Virginia, Southwestern Pennsylvania, Eastern Kentucky, and Southeastern Ohio. 

Old Colony, REALTORS® offers both residential and commercial real estate services. They have a Premier Collection for those interested in buying luxury homes. They are also a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (LeadingRE).

Robert Thomas currently serves as President of Old Colony, REALTORS® alongside Executive Vice President Tommy Dunbar. Christi Short manages operations in Southern West Virginia and Alisa Jackson manages operations in the Charleston and North Central West Virginia markets. Joe Miller heads business development, with Mark Mansour as the firm's broker. Under their leadership, the firm has maintained its long-standing tradition of leading with integrity, professionalism, service, and respect.

Old Colony, REALTORS® remains true to these traditions while continuing to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of the real estate industry. This year, they are innovating further by introducing a few new initiatives in multiple areas of their business, ranging from education to technology to customer service. 

Experience is Everything

As a brokerage that's been around for quite a long time, Old Colony, REALTORS® knows that in order to succeed, they have to be different. They feel that the primary way they distinguish themselves from their competitors is through their experience. This refers to both the experience they provide their clients as well as the years of experience their staff possesses in the field.

Dunbar says, "The difference is the experience of working with our sales associates. It's also the experience that our sales associates have. We've been around for 79 years. It's taught us how to adapt and evolve."

Another transparent element of their success is the leadership at the company. Many of these leaders have been a part of the company for years and have a great deal of experience with innovation and evolving with the times, so they have seen the value it brings to their business.

An Innovative Infrastructure

Old Colony, REALTORS® was built on an innovative infrastructure. The founders recognized the importance of innovation back then, and the company continues to use this strategy to stay competitive in today's market. One of the key ways they stay innovative is through working with Delta Media Group® and offering an all-in-one CRM platform to their sales associates.

"We built our company on an innovative infrastructure," says Dunbar. "We have to be competitive in today's market. And we try to provide our clients and sales associates with the tools and systems, processes they need to make the home buying and selling journey easier. If it's an e-signature platform or working with Delta to elevate the search experience. We give our sales associates a CRM that makes it easier to communicate."

Another way they are staying innovative is by launching their very own online platform called Old Colony Muv to walk buyers through the entire moving process and offer them all the resources they need. Old Colony, REALTORS® plans to launch this later this year.

Dunbar says, "It's basically a portal that provides access to local utility information, homeowners insurance, cable and internet providers, and coupons. It's just a resource to help them facilitate their move a lot easier and take some of the stress out. It's branded for our agents, so it's just another tool we give our sales associates to stay top of mind and in front of their clients."

Lastly, the Old Colony, REALTORS® team knows that the best way to stay innovative in the real estate industry is to integrate the digital with the physical. In order to provide the best customer experience possible, they need cutting-edge technology and to recognize the value of face-to-face support and interaction.

"Our biggest thing is integrating the digital with the physical," says Dunbar. "In almost every facet of the industry, we're seeing cutting-edge technologies. In the back office, we utilize technology to automate real estate processes, and at the front end, new innovations enhance and optimize the customer experience. Being technically proficient is important, but we always remind ourselves that without satisfied clients and sales associates, nothing else we do on a daily basis matters."

Tommy Dunbar, Executive Vice President

Commercial Division Growth

Old Colony, REALTORS® is in the process of expanding its commercial division, and the first step is education. They are providing more opportunities to teach sales associates who are interested in working in commercial real estate. By giving their sales associates more training in this specific area, they will be better prepared to serve clients. 

Dunbar says, "Currently, we're pursuing some educational opportunities for sales associates who are interested in working in commercial and getting them experience in the business and being able to provide a good experience for our clients."

To help them grow this area of their business, they are using both the digital and non-digital resources they have at their disposal, such as social media and their statewide presence and connections. They are using their competition as motivation as well.

"In order to grow our commercial presence, we're going to take advantage of a lot of the tools we already have in place: our statewide presence, our social media platforms, our regional connections, local connections," says Dunbar. "And then we'll embrace our competition. It's what helps us build and grow and bring our best ideas to life and move forward."

Also, they are introducing fresh branding and marketing materials to help build traction within the commercial division and to better appeal to clients. 

"We've developed some unique branding, implemented marketing presentations, and are using analytical data to provide our commercial clients an enhanced experience," says Dunbar.

Opening a Real Estate School

Old Colony, REALTORS® will soon be expanding their education program by introducing their very own real estate school. They believe this will help them recruit new talent, be more competitive among their peers, and grow as a company. 

"Brokerages now are competing for sales associates in the tightest real estate market we've seen in years," says Dunbar. "We're competing to attract talent from around the state and also nurture our current sales associates to build and grow their businesses. We just can't move people from one industry to another or from one skill level to the next. And I think with the real estate school, we can recruit new talent, grow our company, and stay competitive among our peers."

Old Colony, REALTORS® currently offers a pre-licensing course as well as multiple courses for continuing education. While the current offerings are all online, as they expand, they will begin offering opportunities for in-person instruction.

"We're currently doing an online 90-hour pre-licensing course and a lot of continuing education opportunities," says Dunbar. "But as our certifications expand, we'll begin offering in-person instruction, continuing ed in person, and the West Virginia pre-license course, which is 90 hours. This is the future. We've got to learn to embrace new ideas like this so we don't limit ourselves in the opportunities available."

New Tactics For Training

Aside from their ongoing efforts to provide the highest level of real estate education, they have many options for refresher courses that will allow sales associates to gain a new perspective on past training.

"We're taking a back-to-basics approach this year on all of our training opportunities," says Dunbar. "The ACE certification, or Advanced Client Experience, is going to be a three-module program delivered locally in all of our offices. It will teach sales associates to build stronger relationships, provide smoother transactions, and increase repeat and referral business, all while holding true to Old Colony's core values."

The company also plans to host a series of master classes this year featuring topics such as using the DeltaNET® and other technology to build and grow client relationships.

"We're going to be doing a series of master classes with experienced sales associates hosted by our management on topics like listing presentations, effectively managing your day, and having difficult conversations with your clients," says Dunbar. "In September or October, we're going to do a special one with staying in touch and using the CRM, building DeltaNET, and just basically building those relationships long-term. So we're excited about the master class sessions."

A Seasoned Support Staff 

At Old Colony, REALTORS®, they believe that "you can do anything as long as you have the passion, the drive, the focus, and the support." So, the staff is always available to provide support for their nearly 200 sales associates. They have a number of business partnerships in place to assist them.

"We like to utilize some unconventional partnerships," Dunbar continues, "We are a LeadingRE company, we use Delta Media Group. We're partners with Google, Lone Wolf, and various marketing and education providers."

Another way Old Colony, REALTORS® supports their sales associates is by leading by example. The management team not only has years of industry experience and expertise but follows the same principles they foster in each and every one of their sales associates.

"We have a management team that exemplifies our core values," says Dunbar. "They have a passion for real estate. For the Old Colony, it's history, and its people. They're experienced, with a lot of industry connections, and they're committed to our sales associates' growth and success."

They also have a dedicated team of specialists and other support staff at Old Colony, REALTORS® to help sales associates out in multiple areas including technology, design, and business strategy. These team members are extremely valuable in helping them grow their businesses. 

"We have an in-house e-services coordinator to offer our sales associates tech support," says Dunbar. "We have a professional graphic designer on staff, and a couple of years ago, we hired a personal business coach that our sales associates have access to, which a lot of our experienced associates are using to grow their businesses and do a reset."

Jarrod Johnson, e-services Coordinator

Driven by Delta

Old Colony, REALTORS® is one of Delta's longest-standing partners. With this partnership, they are empowered to bring any idea they have to the Delta team. And not only will their ideas be heard, but likely be put into action.

"We've been with Delta for years," says Dunbar. "We veered off once briefly for two years, and they were very unhappy years. The team at Delta is just amazing. I have a lot of crazy ideas. I can call up Harley or Noel or Mike, they'll hear me out and usually come up with a way to make it happen."

According to Dunbar, the partnership with Delta is different from any other technology partnership they have, largely due to the commitment to innovation and one-on-one customer service. 

He says, "It's unlike any technology partnership we have. It's one-on-one. You guys are always innovating and kind of thinking ahead. I feel like Delta has grown with us over the years. As the industry shifts and changes, Delta is quick to come up with a solution to help us stay competitive against some of our competitors."

Keeping Sales Associates Satisfied

Based on their remarks, it's clear that their sales associates value the training and support they are given at Old Colony, REALTORS®. They are more than satisfied with the leadership and the resources they are provided.

Janet Amores, who has been with Old Colony, REALTORS® since 2013, says, "From the beginning, I knew that I wanted to be a part of the Old Colony family because their team support and their mentoring program is why I've been successful. Their training and mentorship are invaluable. They lead with empathy."

Given that many of their sales associates have other careers and responsibilities, they greatly value the flexibility and the technology Old Colony, REALTORS® offers as well.

Lindsay Emswiler, who has been working in the industry for 10 years and with Old Colony for two years, says, "Being a working mom is the most rewarding job I've ever had, but time is so precious to us. Old Colony has the support, dedication, and staff members to not only help manage our time but also balance our workload. I primarily work from my home office, but I have the flexibility and technology to do this through Old Colony's support."

Their sales associates additionally value the fact that the leadership is supportive and proactive in changing with the times by partnering with a provider that offers them the latest technology available and tools for marketing and social media.

"Old Colony has always been a leader in real estate and having a broker that is proactive and present both physically and by phone is vital for me, even as a seasoned REALTOR®," says Necia Freeman, an Old Colony sales associate since 2003. "Having the support of my broker is of major importance to me. Old Colony is proactive with the changing of times using marketing and social media and being on top of today's technology."

Staying Organized 

One of the key ways Old Colony, REALTORS® has remained consistent in its success is by staying organized. The primary way they do this is by using DeltaNET to manage their transactions.

"The CRM is critical in helping our sales associates stay organized," Dunbar continues, "It's great. It provides all the necessary data fields our sales associates need to effectively mine their data if they take the time to fill it in. Digital transaction management has changed the way we do business."

Aside from the CRM, they have a few other tools they use to keep them organized, such as Monday, which their management team uses for project management to assign tasks.

Dunbar says, "Team members kind of grumble every time they see a notification when I'm assigning them a task. But it really helps us stay on track and meet our planning goals for the year."

Prepared For Whatever Lies Ahead

As they look ahead, Old Colony, REALTORS® knows that the first step in being prepared is possessing the knowledge they need to best serve their clients. With the debut of their expansive real estate school, along with their new training initiatives and master classes, their agents will be more prepared than ever before.

"None of us really know what the remainder of 2023 looks like," Dunbar continues, "But our sales associates and management team know that we have to be well-rounded in terms of the knowledge and expertise we possess and provide to our clients."

Although knowledge about the market and the industry is essential for providing great service, they know that the quality of service also includes the overall customer experience, which largely relies on staying innovative through having the latest technology, organization strategies, and other key processes. It also includes the resources and support provided for their sales associates.

"Our true success is going to lie in the quality of service we provide to our buyers and sellers, and as a company, to our sales associates," says Dunbar. "We're innovative, we're resilient, and whatever challenges lie ahead, we will stay ahead of the competition."

By expanding their commercial division, launching the Old Colony Muv platform, and providing the next generation of the DeltaNET CRM for their sales associates, the quality of service for both their clients and sales associates will only increase. By staying innovative, Old Colony, REALTORS® is well-prepared for whatever lies ahead.