Monthly member Profile: Kristyn Martin

Name: Kristyn Martin
Company: RE/MAX Associates Realty Group, Waynesboro
Years in real estate: 9
Specialty: Residential sales
Local association: Pen-Mar Regional Association of Realtors®
Title: Associate broker/Realtor®

How did you get started in the real estate business?
I’m a third generation Realtor®. My grandfather and my father are both still practicing Realtors®, as well as many other family members. It’s a family business.

What advice would you give yourself if you could go back to the start of your career?
I would tell myself to not be so reserved and not hold myself back on what I was doing on a daily basis. I started in real estate when I was 19 and there’s a big fear of coming into a business where I didn’t have all of the experience. I was dealing with a lot of clients who were older than me and I essentially had analysis paralysis where I was more fearful of saying something wrong than trusting the knowledge I had.

Why you love being a Realtor®?
I love being a Realtor® because of what it stands for. It’s not just being a real estate agent who has a license and the ability to practice real estate. Being a Realtor® has so much more meaning to it. We have a Code of Ethics that we have to stand by and that shows you’re dedicated to your profession and to serving the public and not just serving yourself. Selling real estate is a job, but it’s also something that I take very seriously in making sure that I serve my clientele properly, not just focusing on the paycheck.

What do you attribute your success in the field to?
I would attribute my success to my tenacity for the job and continuing with education, making sure that I actually know what’s going on. I think clientele and consumers really do see a lot of value in someone who stays up-to-date on trends and changes and values someone who can give them true answers and not someone who just thinks they know what’s going on. With my education and experience, I am well versed in residential real estate in my area and it seems that that my clientele really appreciates that and can recognize that.

What is the biggest challenge you face being a Realtor®?
I would say that my biggest challenge being a Realtor® is today’s world and how immediate everything needs to be. We have come to expect things at the drop of a hat and the real estate process is sometimes very involved, and people are making a large purchase and a large financial investment and/or making a large sale on the other side of it. For those who want it done fast and now, that’s not always the best solution for them and sometimes it’s difficult to get clients to understand that and why we’re taking things a little bit slower.

What made you become more involved in your local, state or national association?
I have to give a shout out to my father, Darwyn Benedict, because he’s really the reason I became involved at a local, state and national levels. He was the first one who said, “Hey, why don’t you get involved locally and sit on a committee?”; and then, “Why don’t you sit on the board?”; “Why don’t you become the president of our local?”; and on the state association, “Why don’t you sit on some committees there?” and that has led me to this year being involved nationally with the YPN group.

How has being involved helped your business?
Being involved has helped my business greatly because I’ve been able to meet people from all over the state. That’s something that I would not have done if I had not become involved, especially on the state level. That’s helped me see things through others’ eyes. I’ve learned very much about the association, about how things work and about real estate processes in other parts of the state. It has really helped me to learn more about other things that are going on. Just this past year I received a referral for a listing that came through a contact made during my time at LeadershipPAR. It’s not always about the dollars, but it can be that too!

What’s a fun fact about yourself?
Before becoming a mom, I had a small street bike motorcycle that I enjoyed riding. Maybe someday once I don’t have small children, I’ll get another, but for now, I can’t fit a car seat on there!

What do you do when you’re not selling real estate?
When I’m not selling real estate, I spend time with my year-and-a-half-old daughter and my husband. Family is really my priority; it always has been and I want to makes sure that my family remains that way throughout my career. But I also really enjoy drinking wine. So, you’ll probably either find me with my family, or drinking wine, or doing both!