Two Northeast Florida real estate agents were recognized as leaders in their industry, ranked in the top 10 percent in Florida for individual sales last year.
Jan Shields and Kim Martin-Fisher were listed in the annual Best Real Estate Agents in Florida report, produced by REAL Trends, a Colorado-based residential real estate research and analysis firm.
Shields was ranked 24th for selling $69.5 million in homes in 2017, while Martin-Fisher was ranked 29th for selling $63.1 million.
Shields was shocked and flattered to learn that she was recognized among her peers in the report.
“I knew I had a really good year last year,” she said, but didn't realize it was good enough to get her ranked so high. “I don't know if my company has ever had that kind of volume.”
Shields has been working in the field for 33 years and always for the same brokerage, Watson Realty. She said her normal annual average for sales is around $50 million, but that her previous record was $66 million in 2006 before the market crashed.
“So last year was quite a big jump for me. I got really lucky. Everything came together well,” she said, adding that she mainly sells homes in the Beaches area.
Her advice for other Realtors looking to do as well or better is to “pretty much stick with it.” Shields said it's important to work hard whether the market is good or bad.
“I committed myself to this career a long time ago, and I survived fine (during the downturn),” she said. “Just keep working.”
However, Shields said she couldn't have done it without the support of her two full-time assistants, as they allow her the ability to leave the office to show homes to clients and to keep things organized.
Martin-Fisher, an agent with Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty, has been a full-time Realtor in Jacksonville since 1996, but originally was licensed in 1980 in the Ormond Beach area. She did the job while also raising two children on her own for many years. Her daughter ended up in the same field and the two now work as a team.
For those who want to repeat Martin-Fisher's success, she has a few recommendations.
“Be consistent, always follow through and always be honest,” she said, adding that she's run into some Realtors who will make promises to clients they can't keep. “I've actually lost clients because I've told them the truth.”
Martin-Fisher said she would recommend the industry only to those who are willing to provide superior customer service and are willing to put a lot of time and effort into it.
“I get up at 4 a.m. to start my day... and then I'm out all day long meeting people,” she said. “I have it down to such a science.”
Like Shields, Martin-Fisher specializes in selling luxury homes and mainly in the Beaches and Ponte Vedra Beach region.
The next Jacksonville-based Realtor on the report's individual sales list is Anne Winicki, of Berkshire Hathaway, who sold $34.2 million. She ranked 83rd.
The top individual seller is a Palm Beach-based agent who sold $303 million.
The report also listed the agents with the highest number of transactions, also known as “sides,” as well as teams with the top sales and transactions.
The Jacksonville-based Realtor with the most transactions is William Miller, who ranked 34th with 96 sides. Jan Shields was the next area agent listed, ranking 51st with 86 sides.
