Business spotlight - Coldwell Banker Team Real Estate - By Michelle Libby

A red chair shaped like a hand sits in the lobby of Coldwell Banker Team Real Estate, 778 Roosevelt Trail, a leftover memento from owner and broker Charlie Tufts time overseas. 
 

“It’s a happy chair, it makes people happy,” said owner and broker Karen Tufts. The bit of whimsy does not mean that the Tufts are not serious about real estate, because nothing could be further from the truth.

Coldwell Banker is the most recognizable name in the real estate business worldwide, Charlie said. He has worked with people from China, Vietnam, Spain, England and other countries, whether it’s for investment properties or a residential home. 

“We deal with the spectrum from a $15,000 mobile home in a trailer park to a $10.5 million estate on Big Sebago,” Charlie said. 

“We like the process. We like the hunt. Put that together with the human aspect, the things we hear and see, it’s just mindboggling,” said Charlie. He is adamant that being a real estate agent is not the same as being a salesperson. “You cannot make someone buy a house,” he said. “There’s too much money involved. We often get compared to used car salesmen. ‘What will it take to get you into this ranch?’” 

“We don’t focus on the paycheck, we focus on the client,” Charlie said. When clients come into the office, they want them to feel like they are coming into a home. 

The Tufts follow real estate trends closely. They watch the market and can see when things are going to be up or down. “We’ve been doing it for a lot of years. We’re constantly talking about the business,” Charlie said. “The only thing we know is it’s going to be unpredictable.” 

Right now there are 13 agents working in the Team Real Estate office and Charlie likes it to be between 15 and 18 agents, not all of them full-time. Due to some offices closing and others being sold, the team covers the area from Portland west to Fryeburg, south of Winthrop to Wells. 

They do a lot of vacation, second homes sales, but our backbone is residential stuff, Charlie said.

“Real estate is always very local,” he said. “What happens in Denver, Colorado has no bearing on what happens in Windham, Maine. What goes on in Windham has very little to do with what goes on in Sebago.”

Technology plays a big part in real estate now. “If you’re not tech savvy, you’re toast,” Charlie said, citing that they use many different online avenues to get their houses out there and to find houses for new clients.

To find more information about Coldwell Banker Team Real Estate and their listings, visit www.cbtre.com or call 892-1600.