“I’ve made every possible mistake on my fixer-upper. I feel good when I help others avoid that.”
Estey has hit paydirt—$8 million in annual sales—targeting parents of University of Colorado students who’d rather buy than sink money into rent. His booklet “The Student and Parent Guide to Campus Property” is also available in PDF format on his Web site. Parents aren’t his only target; he also focuses on homebuyers eager to buy and fix up a first home then trade up.
Buttering up past clients: To attract referrals, Estey calls on his Maine upbringing, hosting an annual client appreciation party themed around an old-fashioned New England lobster bake.
Why he’s succeeded: Estey approaches business like a marathoner rather than sprinter. “You don’t churn out deals but go for repeat, long-term business,” he says. He’s even turned away business that wasn’t in a client’s best interest, he says.