Myrtle Beach area Realtor named one of top in the nation

Local Realtor Blake Sloan pretty much knew his career path as he grew up watching family members who worked in real estate, but now Sloan is ready to take the family tradition forward.

Sloan's technological innovation, education focus and success propelled him to be one of the "Top 30 under 30" Realtors in the nation, according to the National Association of Realtors.

"I kind of broke the mold, did my own thing," Sloan said. "It's a lot of hard work but it's something I love."

Sloan, 28, who was born and raised along the Grand Strand, grew up in the industry helping his mom put up signs and watching her work from the time he was just a few years old. His grandfather, uncle, dad and stepfather all worked or still work in real estate.

As his mom, Trena Draughn, tells it, his entrepreneurial spirit started young, with a lemonade stand.

At 7 years old he opened a lemonade stand on the golf course next to his house with a "partner," another kid in the neighborhood. One day after selling, he turned to his mom and said that his partner wasn't contributing to the lemonade stand so he didn't want to pay him an equal share, Draughn said.

"He's always worked with something," said Draughn, who now works for her son.

That entrepreneurship is part of what earned him the national recognition, said Katherine Tarbox, the senior editor for Realtor magazine who oversees the "Top 30 under 30" program.

"We look for somebody who is bringing a lot of innovation to the industry or who is just a rock star in the industry," she said.

The National Association of Realtors puts out a call each year for applications and asks that Realtors nominate themselves because it found that was the most effective way to get high quality, complete applications. This year almost 700 young Realtors from across the country submitted applications to be named one of the top 30 Realtors under 30, Tarbox said.

What stood out in Sloan's application was that he established his own business and has been successful at such a young age, Tarbox said. Sloan Realty Group, which Sloan owns, had more than 350 transactions and sold more than $50 million in property last year.

"That's pretty rare. Most people at his age are normally maybe still learning the business," she said. "To own your own business and do well in this market is not easy."

Sloan would agree with that; he's had to work hard to set himself apart, he said. His greatest challenge in his business so far has been his age. Early on when he would meet with clients, he would present them with information and at the end they would all just ask how old he was.

"That biggest challenge has been my biggest blessing," Sloan said. "It is my biggest strength now, I know how to differentiate myself."

He did that largely by learning all he could in traditional and less-traditional ways. After graduating from Socastee High School, Sloan spent a year at the College of Charleston before transferring to Coastal Carolina University. While studying business management at Coastal, Sloan started selling time shares and learning more about the real estate business. After his junior year, he left Coastal, got his real estate license and started working full time.

As he got his start he sought out coaches in real estate and business to guide him and read everything he could get his hands on, he said.

After several years working with his mom at Re/Max Ocean Forest, Sloan set out to build his own company, Sloan Realty Group, in 2008.

Since 2008, he has more than doubled the number of agents - eight work with the company now - and has set up a technology-focused team model.

The agents all use a specially designed software system to track progress, keep client information and also have an in-house education and training website. Sloan puts a big focus on learning and staying on top of, or ahead of, the latest trends. The agents work with coaches and have training sessions every week about the latest issues.

"The way the market is now you truly have to be an expert," Sloan said, adding that increasingly savvy buyers and sellers demand it.

Much of the education also focuses on new ways to use technology - the company has dozens of websites, does regular video tours and sends video emails to clients.

The Realtors also regularly reach out to past clients, and keep their interests written in their computerized file, so when their favorite sports team wins they get an email or phone call.

Earlier this week most of the company gathered in the conference room and discussed several national trends and an effort, and internal competition, to get additional client testimonials.

Sloan read some of the reviews that had come in and shared a video of the young daughter of a recent buyer talking about what she loved in her new house as an example of the power of video in their promotional efforts.

Anthony Schibilia has been with the company since it started and described Sloan as demanding, innovative and dedicated.

"You can't ever say you work more hours," he said. "He leads by example."

In the early days of the company, the two would drive around checking out foreclosure properties well into the night, Schibilia said.

"He's always trying to set the standard. He wants to be known for something. He wants to set a new standard for what real estate agents should be," he said.

The employees are a close-knit group, Schibilia said, but they are all focused on business during the workday. While it's not a playful atmosphere, agents are always willing to help one another and answer questions, he said.

Sloan is pretty serious and doesn't have much time outside of work, he said. But he does serve on the board of the local Boys and Girls Club and last year, with several Realtors across the country, founded a nonprofit called REO for Kids. The Realtors involved donate $100 for every REO, or bank-owned property, that they sell and host events to raise money for the Boys & Girls Club of America.

Sloan has also served on task forces dealing with foreclosures and short sales for the Coastal Carolinas Association of Realtors, said Laura Crowther, the CEO of the association.

"He's young and just loves the industry and I will have to say that I haven't seen anyone with that kind of zeal for our industry in a long time," Crowther said.

Sloan's business model is different in some ways than traditional Realtors, in part because of the creative ways he uses technology, Crowther said.

"He's going to be the future of real estate as we know it. His generation ... I think they're going to be driving the future," she said.

That is, in fact, Sloan's goal, he said - to leave an imprint on the industry. And, of course, grow his company.

"My main passion though is now to teach Realtors on a national level how to build teams, how to run teams and how to be able to deliver to the consumer," Sloan said.

He recently started the Real Estate Expert Institute, which offers a real estate expert certification and online education, training and coaching groups.

"If I can just put these systems in place here: this is how you can deliver, how you can over-deliver. I think that's something that will help rebuild the Realtors name as a whole and solidify us going forward as an industry," Sloan said.