Jim Batten started Emerald Isle Realty in 1962 by doing what his friends asked him to do, which was: "Watch out after our house in Emerald Isle, will you, Jim?"
Jim was no dummy and the rest is history. And if you want to know that history, talk to Jim's daughter, Julia Wax or her husband, Mark.
One of my favorite memories of Jim is seeing him walking in the Food Lion with a rumpled shirt, and shorts about to fall. He and I would chat and the entire time we were talking I could not help but notice that Jim did not wear shoes or any other protective coverings on his feet. For all I know, Jim may have been the inspiration for Jimmy Buffett's song, "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problem."
Like I said, Jim was no dummy. And, one day, he took those gnarly feet and turned them into a brand, the Barefoot Broker. If memory serves, that brand still has legs as the title of Emerald Isle Realty's Vacation Guide.
Fast forward, forever, to 2018 when I received my real estate training from Jim Normile, passed my State and National Boards, and earned NC Real Estate License #302133. A couple of years and agencies later, I am associated with the Crystal Coast Realty Group with Don Johnson as Broker-in-Charge. Don emphasizes marketing and branding to all of his agents.
But, marketing and branding are hard. Robert Zimmerman had to leave Minnesota, live from hand to mouth in NYC, and play nightly in The Village before he "became" Bob Dylan. The Quarrymen had to play 10,000 hours in Germany before they 'became' the Beatles. So, what are my chances of marketing and branding myself, successfully?
Well, I won't know if I don't try. And, I started out with marketing. I created my website so I could write this blog. I wrote a book, more than one, actually. I do various types of lead generation. I've generated a following and a number of sales.
And, now it is time to move on to the harder stuff... branding. Look around and you can read about "the smartest" or the "hardest working" or the yada yada broker. And, besides being generic, how do you know one broker is smarter or harder working than another? You don't.
So, I am sitting here in my donut shop, Flip Flops Donuts, and I am thinking about branding. Oh, you didn't know I co-owned Flip Flops Donuts? I'll leave that for another blog. In any event, I am a hands on owner of Flip Flops Donuts. I not only sell the donuts but chances are I also helped make the donuts.
This got me thinking of Jim Batten, and his brand, the Barefoot Broker. Nice alliteration. Two, two syllable words. And, unique! And, BAM!, it hits me. The Baker Broker. Nice alliteration. Two, two syllable words. And, unique! What other real estate broker here on the Crystal Coast can claim to be a baker, too?
So, with a tip of the cap to Jim, the Barefoot Broker, let me introduce you to the one and only Baker Broker, Denis Raczkowski!
To learn more me, real estate in Emerald Isle, NC, my town of residence, sign up for my blog on my website, www.EIHomesforSale.com, or subscribe to Emerald Isle Vacation Home Specialist on You Tube. If you want my free Guide to Living Were You Vacation, text your email address to: 919-308-2292. Stay well and stay safe.
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