The growth of the Forney area and a turning tide in the housing market has one local realtor receiving national recognition. Century 21 Millennium Group's Matthew Malone was ranked number 171 in total transactions represented, out of more than 963,000 licensed realtors nationwide.
"It was a real surprise to have that plaque show up in the mail," Malone said. "The majority of my business is repeat and referral customers, so I have some really good customers which means a lot."
Malone attributed much of the ranking success to a customer service mindset he learned from his father. "I come from a grocery background - my dad worked for Brookshires," he said. "What you hear in that business is that, no matter what your title is, your job is customer service. My dad taught me to treat every customer like I would want my mother to be treated."
"Of course," Malone said, "it also doesn't hurt to be selling property in an area that is experiencing an influx of residents and development."
"Forney is an unbelievable market right now, where everyone wants to be," he said. "People move here because of our schools, our parks, our location … you end up with 50 people in the market for maybe the same 20 available homes. It has taken a little while for appraisals to catch up with the market, but it is all coming around."
With the housing market in decline a very fresh memory, Malone noted buyers have learned a lot from that experience.
"Most of the bad loans that started all of the trouble have been foreclosed or been resolved," he said. "When the foreclosures stopped and the interest rates stayed low, the buyers came back. We are now some seven years later and, even if you lost a house, it has been long enough to repair your credit. You have a much smarter consumer now and everyone is more savvy, paying attention to their credit, and saving money until they are ready."
With a national individual award in hand, Malone also wanted to share the accomplishments of the rest of his staff, who have also been receiving recognition lately.
"Of all of the awards, the Century 21 Quality Service Awards are my favorite," he said. "This is the second year in a row for that, and that means all of the surveys for our customers have come back positive. That means a lot. As an individual agent you can do well and maintain a loyal customer base, but for an entire group to do that means everyone has really taken the approach that customer service is the first priority instead of commissions. Some companies don't stress that."
In a fitting move, Malone and his staff of agents will soon be moving into a new home, literally. Complete renovation of a historic home near downtown Forney will begin soon to serve as their office.
"It was built in the 1920s, and was a longtime residence on Main Street," Malone said. "Right now it has boarded up windows, but it won't be like that for long. I like it because it will be right in the historic heart of the community and close to the future development with shopping and eating places. I also just like the character of old houses and this will be nice."
Malone attributed much of the ranking success to a customer service mindset he learned from his father. "I come from a grocery background - my dad worked for Brookshires," he said. "What you hear in that business is that, no matter what your title is, your job is customer service. My dad taught me to treat every customer like I would want my mother to be treated."
"Of course," Malone said, "it also doesn't hurt to be selling property in an area that is experiencing an influx of residents and development."
"Forney is an unbelievable market right now, where everyone wants to be," he said. "People move here because of our schools, our parks, our location … you end up with 50 people in the market for maybe the same 20 available homes. It has taken a little while for appraisals to catch up with the market, but it is all coming around."
With the housing market in decline a very fresh memory, Malone noted buyers have learned a lot from that experience.
"Most of the bad loans that started all of the trouble have been foreclosed or been resolved," he said. "When the foreclosures stopped and the interest rates stayed low, the buyers came back. We are now some seven years later and, even if you lost a house, it has been long enough to repair your credit. You have a much smarter consumer now and everyone is more savvy, paying attention to their credit, and saving money until they are ready."
With a national individual award in hand, Malone also wanted to share the accomplishments of the rest of his staff, who have also been receiving recognition lately.
"Of all of the awards, the Century 21 Quality Service Awards are my favorite," he said. "This is the second year in a row for that, and that means all of the surveys for our customers have come back positive. That means a lot. As an individual agent you can do well and maintain a loyal customer base, but for an entire group to do that means everyone has really taken the approach that customer service is the first priority instead of commissions. Some companies don't stress that."
In a fitting move, Malone and his staff of agents will soon be moving into a new home, literally. Complete renovation of a historic home near downtown Forney will begin soon to serve as their office.
"It was built in the 1920s, and was a longtime residence on Main Street," Malone said. "Right now it has boarded up windows, but it won't be like that for long. I like it because it will be right in the historic heart of the community and close to the future development with shopping and eating places. I also just like the character of old houses and this will be nice."