Making connections in a new city

Elaine Wenger is a seasoned real estate agent with over 20 years of experience in the industry. “I just love meeting people from all walks of life,” she explains. “To me, it’s exciting to see people get excited about a home, and that’s what keeps me going. So I’ll keep going as long as I can.”

In 2022, Elaine and her husband decided to leave Virginia to be closer to family. That’s when Elaine signed on with Giving Tree Realty in Charlotte, North Carolina. “It’s all about giving,” she raves about her new brokerage. “Each of us has chosen a charity, and with every transaction, a certain percentage goes to that charity. And we also volunteer at least 24 hours a year at that charity. I’ve been with several different real estate companies, and I’ve never heard of anything like this.”

The focus on giving back, combined with the perfect balance of broker size and support, made Giving Tree the perfect fit for Elaine in her new home. There was one thing missing: Her sphere of influence.

“Before moving to Charlotte,” Elaine shares, “I had such a good sphere of influence that I didn’t need referrals. I had plenty from past business and people I knew. But, moving into a new area, I didn’t have a sphere beyond two of my children and a few of their friends. I needed something to kickstart me.” When Giving Tree made Tradewind available to their agents, Elaine knew right away that it would be exactly what she had been looking for.

Tradewind was not the first referral program that Elaine had tried. But with other programs, she wasn’t happy with the quality of the leads or the process of the handoff. “We each had a certain day,” she recalls. “We would just get a message that somebody was interested. And most of the time they did not respond at all. So I am enjoying having this warm handoff from Tradewind.”

Getting started with Tradewind was very straightforward. After a short interview with the Tradewind team, Elaine received her invite and was ready to go. Now, when a lead comes in, she simply clicks the call and gets it. And she gets a lot of them.

Elaine spent her first year in Charlotte getting to know the area — both for herself and so she could be a more effective agent. That investment, with a little help from Tradewind, is really paying off.

Just this month, Elaine found the perfect home for a prospect who wasn’t even sure of his timeline for moving to Charlotte. But once she introduced him to a quiet, secluded home on a wooded property less than an hour from the city? His decision was made.

“It takes a little while to get going, but I’ve had four closings,” says Elaine. “I’ve got another one under contract, and several in the works. It’s just a matter of finding the right home. As you know, it starts out slow. But I believe it’s going to compound. I’m already starting to get referrals from people who I’ve sold to previously.”

Elaine would be the first to tell you that she is not someone who worries. “I’m pretty low key,” she says.