OAKHURST – Courtney Twiss has Twiss Realty offices in Mariposa, Bootjack and now in Oakhurst. But that’s not the end of the story, they continue to grow and expand offerings to their clients.
Originally founded in 2012, Twiss Realty operated at a small capacity, literally on founder Courtney Twiss’s kitchen table, while Courtney and her spouse focused on growing their family. In 2016, Courtney hired her first assistant and trained her right on that kitchen table using a “hand-me-down” computer that was so old it didn’t even have Wi-Fi! Truly a “grass-roots” operation!
In an effort to grow the business without acquiring debt, Twiss Realty moved the office from the kitchen into a converted shipping container and shared the space with her husband and their other family business, Ranch Fence, Inc. Once the companies saved enough to move forward with their next step in development, they constructed a new office and “moved up” into a converted metal shop building!
Fast forward to now.
The Twiss Realty team is bursting at the seams with twelve real estate agents and two administrative/marketing staff! We are excited to begin the upcoming construction of another new office across the street from our current location.
Their newest office opened in March 2020, just in time for the pandemic. They took the COVID issues as a challenge and worked diligently to keep staff and clients safe in order to pursue real estate goals during this difficult time. A ribbon-cutting took place on September 17 with Mariposa Chamber of Commerce and another ribbon-cutting cum community mixer takes place at their Oakhurst office, scheduled for Thursday, November 18. They also plan to have a booth at this year’s Oakhurst Fall Festival to increase their engagement and presence in the Oakhurst area.
Asked how Twiss coped during COVID, she reported, “From a financial perspective, 2020 was our best year yet! Fortunately our office was already proficient with Zoom, and we held team weekly meetings prior to COVID. We were able to transition into the new climate fairly smoothly. As a leader, I made it a point to check in with my team members more often than I did prior, ensuring that everyone was coping with the situation both personally and professionally.”
In fact, Courtney says, their biggest challenge encountered was to find sufficient inventory for the buyers who wished to relocate to this area. The demand exists, the supply does not.
Their stated mission and trademarked motto is Healthy Home Ownership®. As Courtney explains, “. . . we dig a little deeper with our clients . . . often looking for “out the box” ways to prepare them to buy, helping them create healthy sustainable financial habits, that will ultimately build wealth through home ownership.” Was it coincidence or clairvoyance that Twiss Realty created the Healthy Home Ownership® trademark in 2019?
Twiss Realty is committed to walking clients—both buyers and sellers—through the steps of home ownership no matter the time frame needed to reach the goals they have identified.
As to current difficulties, hiring is key. Courtney works with an executive coach, and she is part of an advisory group with CEO’s nationwide. Recruiting and hiring has been a major topic of conversation for over a year. Twiss Realty is currently hiring Real Estate Advisors and are looking licensed Realtors® as well as non-licensed candidates that they can train who prove to be a good fit for their business.
In that regard, Courtney finds her biggest satisfaction as mentoring and grooming her team of Realtors® and associates. She loves watching her team grow, both in size and in professional ability. She affirms that they are a very tight-knit bunch who enjoy improving their skills on a daily basis.
Although Twiss Realty’s growth has been steady since 2012, she claims her biggest personal challenge is often related to speed. “I have big plans and things don’t always move as quickly as I would like!”
The face of Twiss Realty is decidedly feminine, but Courtney affirms they have a fantastic staff of men, as well, who are an integral part of their team.
But big plans are in the future for Twiss Realty. They have a strong vision to expand Healthy Home Ownership® into the central valley. “We truly want to create a movement that forever alters our country’s culture where healthy home ownership is understood, embraced and cultivated. To further that goal, they are launching a lending company, called Healthy Lending Co. As she builds her team, she believes this will enhance and streamline her client experience.
As the community attempts to navigate the new reality of our COVID existence, Twiss Realty makes it their mission to move homeowners, sellers and prospective homeowners into a safe, sustainable comfortable life space. Twiss Realty can be contacted at any of their three current locations: Oakhurst (559-683-LIST (5478), Bootjack and Mariposa (209-742-SOLD).
Photos courtesy of Twiss Realty.