From the Desk of Bobby Reese – Your Business Update

We have just updated Sunbelt’s listings in Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head and Savannah. They are more than 100 businesses for sale along SC’s coastline and the types are varied.  Buyers have great opportunities from which to choose a great business to own, manage and profit from. The inventory includes a marina and retreat, several liquor stores, hotels and motels, landscaping and other retail and service firms. If you know someone who is seeking to buy an income-producing business, please refer them to Bobby Reese, your Broker-In-Residence. And, remember, a fee is available to you for this type of referral.
Thanks, your Business Broker, Bobby Reese 843-693-0065

Since my last report, we have added a number of new listings including those referred by AgentOwners and through our direct contact with business owners. The quickest way for you to obtain the list is to contact me: businessbroker@agentownedrealty.com or via phone @ 843-693-0065. Remember, if you refer someone who is looking to buy one of the listed businesses, this makes you eligible for a 20% commission when the deal is done. It is same fee paid to those who refer a business seller. So, don’t hesitate, contact me and we’ll get the ball rolling.

Your Business Broker, Bobby

Hello, Folks,
Guess all have heard or read that the U of South Carolina captured the College World Series last night. A great win for the Palmetto State, the school and the team. With Clemson finishing 3rd, that makes SC the baseball capitol of the US for 2010. Hoooray – Hoooray. Want to wish all of you a great 4th of July – salute your men and women in uniform who keep us free and veterans like me. Take care, talk with you soon.

The photo is ( L to R) – Taylor Reese, Ava Reese and yours truly

Your Business Broker, Bobby

Did you know everytime you refer a business seller or buyer to me, you create a real possibility that 5 people will become very happy and pleased with your decision? It’s true. It’s a fact.
The Smiley Faces will include you, the seller, the buyer, maybe another AOer (or you, again), and lastly, me.
Everyone gains by a simple call to 843-693-0065 or by e-mail to
businessbroker@agentowned realty.com.         

Don’t delay, spread your joy, today.

Bobby – Your Business Broker

Since becoming the on-site business broker in January, it has been a pleasure to have teamed up with a number of Agent Owners. Although our transactions, professional training and operating methods differ, we share the same commitment and dedication when serving our clients. When a deal comes together and closes, we also share the same sense of satisfaction, accomplishment and pride.

It is in this regard, I want to thank the following seventeen individuals who have partnered with me over the past few months:

Susan Aviles, Ann Burnett, Machelle Cox, Shawn Dolphin, Ann Gillespie, Max Hill, Stan Huff, Pearl Jenkins, Angie Jordan, Jason Ogden, Ken Roe, Charley Schmidt, Neil Schneider, Susan Stroman, Liza Loadholt Valero, Reggie Webster and Joette Wielicki.

On behalf of Sunbelt Business Advisors, I appreciate your trust, support and willingness to refer your friends and acquaintances to us. We look forward to a long and prosperous relationship with you and all Agent Owners.

Your Business Broker, Bobby

The letter I sent last week listed a number of Sunbelt’s businesses for sale, including C-Stores (gasoline/convenience stores). Three of them are now under contract, so Sunbelt’s supply has dropped, significantly. We have a number of good buyers eager to make a deal for one. These stores carry a six figure price tag and the commission check for referring one or more to us can earn you a substantial reward. If you know of someone who wants to sell this type of business, call me immediately at the new Buyers’ Hotline: 843-693-0065.

Your Business Broker, Bobby

As reported in the previous update, I met with a number of Agent Owners at nine office meetings; however, not everyone could attend. Therefore, I have a three-page letter coming to all of you through your Broker-In-Charge that covers the many topics we discussed. I would appreciate your taking time to read it. It provides details about the ways – phone, website and e-mail – you can contact me. By sending you the letter, it helps fulfill a key goal I’ve set for working with you. All the goals are set forth in the letter.

Thanks for your interest, Your Business Broker, Bobby 

I recently completed a whirlwind tour of the AgentOwned offices at Park Circle, Sumter and Trolley Road in Summerville. I feel like a circuit-riding minister preaching the gospel about the AgentOwned – Sunbelt alliance; one made in heaven. More than 65 agents turned out for the events, and judging from the number and types of referrals I’m getting, it appears we’re all on the same page and moving apace. My hat’s off to Melissa Bissett, Kirk McLeod and Ralph Wetherell for their hospitality and for giving me time to talk with the Shareholders in their offices. Thanks to All of You – - Now Let’s Close Some Deals.

Peggy Reese and I will be in New York attending our Grandson’s school visitation day, but, I wanted to update all of you on our partnership’s successes for the year’s first quarter. 

As noted in an earlier blog, the great majority of referrals made in 2009 involved commercial real estate and are not the type of transactions Sunbelt handles. The referring agents were so notified and these were deleted from the referral log. The log now contains what I call “true, Sunbelt business referrals.”

Currently, there are 7 Seller (listings) and 5 Buyer referrals. One of the Seller referrals is under contract and two from 2009 closed within the past several months. The Sellers are seeking buyers for a car wash, a sports bar and grill, an assisted living facility, a day spa, a franchised sandwich shop and a home or business insulation service. Anyone you know who might be interested in any of these, please let me know.

We assist referred buyers by helping them to find the right business to purchase. Other than owning a business that has a good earnings record, growth potential and something “I can run”, buyers usually give us a number of options for the type and price they want. Through personal discussions, we help them determine what their best investment should be and try to match them to your referral and others we have on hand. If the selected business is not in Sunbelt’s inventory, we search for one that meets the Buyer’s requirements. Sound familiar?

As in real estate sales, the more listings we have, the more buyers we attract and are able to serve. Your seller referrals are helping to fill the void and if you know anyone, either through your professional or personal contacts, who wants to sell their business, please let me know at your earliest convenience. I can be reached anytime at 843-693-0065 or by e-mail, www.businessbroker@agentownedrealty.com.  I’ll follow up, promptly.

If you need more information about the commission structure between Sunbelt and AgentOwned Realty, please contact me. Thank You for your participation in the partnership and I look forward to working with each of you.

Your Business Broker, Bobby

As reported, two AgentOwners recently received commission checks for the closings of their business seller referrals. These dollars were earned for their participation in the AgentOwned-Sunbelt alliance and the Shareholders will be recognized at AgentOwned Realty Co.’s upcoming quarterly meeting.

The agents’ participation and the succesful efforts of the Sunbelt brokers have resulted in new economic activity for the companies and the communities where they are located. One of the key reasons business buyers invest in a going concern is the opportunity to expand markets and grow the business . Business growth means new jobs and because of increased demand for materials, supplies, inventory and other items neccessary to operate, local suppliers, vendors and others reap the benefits, too.

Real Estate Agents and Business Brokers are keenly aware of the devastating impact the recession has had on hometown economies. Although economic indicators have us on a path to recovery, unemployment continues to hover around 10%, short sales are still a major factor in real estate markets and individual paychecks and retirement accounts are far less than they were in December, 2007.

There is good news; however, and at Sunbelt, we are beginning to see a brisk upturn in seller-buyer activity. We are getting a number calls from many who, for whatever reasons, lost their jobs and now want to control their futures by owning and operating their own businesses. Many also tell us they want to create new jobs and employment for others who are in a similar situation. A number of these new entrepreneurs are moving and relocating to South Carolina and more specifically, to this area of the state.

As citizens and professionals, we are dedicated to keeping our hometowns and communities premier places to live, work, raise our kids and enjoy life. We know when the downtown business district or the local mall is bustling and the economy vibrant “Sold” signs replace “For Sale and Foreclosed” ones and “Open For Business” signs replace boarded up store fronts.

The unique partnership between Agent Owned Realty and Sunbelt Business Advisors affords us the opportunity to get in there and add value to our local economies. When we do, as these closings show, it is not only a great win for us, but an even bigger win for our friends and neighbors.

Congratulations to the AgentOwners who added value to their communities.
You can take pride in your accomplishments

Thanks for letting me share these thoughts.
Your Business Broker, Bobby