Tom Blanchard keeps Blanchard & Calhoun focused on what big firms can’t buy

For over a century the Georgia-based brokerage Blanchard & Calhoun Real Estate Co. has continued to serve consumers in the Augusta area all while navigating recessions, record high interest rates, the rise of the internet, the COVID-19 pandemic housing market, the commission lawsuits and the current wave of massive consolidation hitting the housing industry.

Tom Blanchard, the firm’s president, attributes the continued success of his family’s firm to its focus on community and relationships. 

“I think what has helped us survive over the years, especially in previous waves of consolidation, is just sticking to who we are, knowing our business and doing our best to be a source of information that people want to engage with,” Blanchard said. “We just focus on sticking to the core of the business and surrounding ourselves with the best people we can. There are thousands of challenges out there and in real estate right now it feels a bit like we are under attack with all of the lawsuits and scrutiny. But, I think it’s a people business and having good people is what helps local, regional independents like us survive.” 

Blanchard believes the current rise of the “mega-brokerage” provides his firm with an opportunity to home in on what differentiates it from some of the national brands, but he knows this task won’t be easy.

“As everyone keeps consolidating, I don’t think our job is going to get any easier. It might continue to get harder for us independents, but if you build a company with a good reputation, that is always valuable, so we’re going to focus on keeping things that way for Blanchard & Calhoun,” he said. 

Competing with the big dogs

In the quest to stay competitive, Blanchard said he is focusing on making sure that the company is bringing in the right people and systems to support existing agents and continue to grow the brokerage. 

“If we’ve got good folks, who can effectively help consumers buy or sell a home, and the systems behind them help them become more efficient, collaborative and productive, then the sky is the limit,” Blanchard said. “As long as our agents continue to put themselves in positions to grow their business, making sure they are involved with community projects, then things will be positive. There is no question that the big firms are getting bigger, but we have always had to compete against bigger players.” 

The network effect

In addition to ensuring he has the right people at the brokerage to best serve clients, during challenging times, Blanchard said it is important to lean on other relationships in the industry. Due to this, he said he is glad to be part of the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World network, as it provides him with a network of other top-independent brokerages to discuss and identify best practices and strategies with. 

“They are a great resource for a company like ours,” Blanchard said of the LeadingRE network. “They add value to our ability to refer folks moving out of our area to other trusted professionals, but they also do a really good job of keeping us on the forefront of best practices and tools. There are some really successful companies and leaders in the network and it is really neat to just be around them and listen.” 

Navigating the noise

With so much noise in the real estate industry right now, Blanchard said he feels it is most important to remain centered on the consumer and their needs and concerns. 

“We are focused on staying on top of questions our consumers may ask us — lately that has been a lot of questions around commissions and compensation — and making sure that our agents are very professional and [provide] great resources for buyers,” he said. 

Currently, Blanchard said he and his team are working to help consumers navigate a relatively flat housing market and ongoing affordability challenges. Looking at the second half of the year, he said the company, which also functions as a developer, is excited about several new construction listings coming online soon.

“We’ve been looking at ways to help with housing affordability and some of that comes down to [bringing] more housing product to the market, so new lots and houses to the market, in a place where this is challenging, is really exciting and our agents are looking forward to bringing these to buyers in our market,” Blanchard said.