Realty Times Q & A with Kim Clark, Broker and Owner, Bayside Realty Consultants

Question: What market do you serve?

Answer: We have agents in our office that serve Plymouth to Provincetown, All of Cape Cod. In addition, one of our agents is very familiar with Martha's Vineyard and lived there for years!

Question: How long have you been in real estate?

Answer: I started in back in 1999 where I was previously a pediatric charge nurse for pediatric and adolescent medicine. Most of my agents have been in real estate for 10+ years!

Question: What is it that you love about this industry?

Answer: I love that it changes constantly! If you look at other industries you may be forced to work with people that you do not get along with. In this industry, it's mostly positive and happy and if you do run across someone that is difficult - it's over quickly. The education and technology is constantly evolving and that really keeps you engaged... I am constantly asking how I can do things better!

Question: Tell us a funny story about something you encountered in your career!

Answer: I was working in Brewster as a new agent and there is a late condo complex. I was showing 6 condos to prospective buyers. I was knocking, as taught, before entering and no one answered. I was also told by the listing agent that the condo was empty. I opened the door to find a man coming out of the bedroom in his underwear - but we were already inside and he didn't speak English! I was so embarrassed but the buyers got a great laugh out of it!

Question: Are there any trends in home building, for instance, screening rooms were in vogue at one point and then went out of fashion, what trends are you seeing today?

Answer: I've had more clients come in and tell me me that they are looking to downsize but are also looking for more amenities. Home theaters, hot tubs, and pools can all go either way - In some instances they hurt the sale and with others they remove or fill in. Here on the Cape it's all about location! The question is "How close can we get to the water and stay in our budget?"

Question: What piece of advice would you offer someone just getting their start in this industry?

Answer: Work on putting together your data base of people that already know and trust you and work that data base. Face time is most important. Book a coffee meeting, lunch or find any other excuse to have face time! Tell everyone what you are doing and remember it is okay to ask for their help.

Question: Are you recruiting? If so what sets your office apart?

Answer: I am always looking for skilled, ethical, community minded people but I'm not just trying to "fill the office up" with agents. By keeping my office small I can tell you who are clients are, what agents are working on and the quality is so much more impotent than the quantity. I'm not a franchise so I have no expectations of adding agents (some agencies are charged a fee for not adding to their roster). We can adjust marketing plans on the fly and the agents have access to me 24/7 - which I find to be extremely important in order to help them grow! We don't just stick our listings on a rotation with 300+ others. We carry between 25-50 listings and its very manageable. We also have a full time admin that answers the phone, is licensed, and knows where calls need to be directed. This allows our agents to spend the time servicing the sellers/buyers!

As a Real Estate broker, a former pediatric nurse, and a resident for 35 years, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. knows Cape Cod! She specializes in residential real estate, waterfront homes, dock homes, golf homes, 1031 tax exchange, and at this point works mostly by referral. She also has a team member that specializes in commercial real estate if that is your need. As the owner of Bayside Realty Consultants, Kim services these areas: Cape Cod, Orleans, Dennis, Brewster, Harwich, Chatham, Yarmouth, Barnstable, Eastham, Wellfleet,Truro, P-Town, and Sandwich. Kim has been married for 27 years and has two children, two dogs and a cat. She enjoys water sports, classic cars, hockey, basketball, volleyball, and car racing. She owns a pro-4 race car that races all over New England.