Catalina Island Real Estate Agent Uses Hard Work To Earn Record Setting Sales Performance

LAKE ARROWHEAD, CA, December 22, 2010

It's hard to imagine a real estate market more competitive than the Southern California coastal communities, where oceanfront properties continue to command unimaginable prices, but can be a tough sell in this brutal economy. Even so, for real estate agents the potential rewards are extraordinarily high—but the simple truth is, the ratio of real estate agents to current listings is also incredibly high, making it very difficult for any one individual to rise to the top. Still, there are stand out performances that deserve special recognition. One of the most amazing success stories can be found on Catalina Island, a pristine getaway just twenty-six miles off the coast of Southern California, which has a particularly small real estate market.

Kelly Nelson has been working for Catalina Island Real Estate for the past five years. In that time, her success has grown at a steady pace, despite the continued deterioration of the Southern California real estate market. Kelly's success story has become so remarkable that she now ranks in the top 3% of real estate agents in her market area, the Pacific West Association of Realtors. The Pacific West Multiple Listing Service includes the highly desirable Long Beach coastal community, which has undergone tremendous renovation in recent years and has become one of the most desirable places to live in Southern California. Kelly Nelson is one of 11,500 realtors in the association, which also encompasses greater Avalon—Catalina's only city. Despite the fact that Avalon has a very tiny real estate market (there are only a few thousand homes on the entire island), Kelly Nelson is currently ranked #277 among the 11,500 colleagues that subscribe to her MLS.

Catalina Island Real Estate's broker of record, John C. Gilbert, says, "Kelly continues to amaze us. In this economy, selling over ten million dollars in real estate in a single year is an astounding achievement for any one agent. But when you consider the relative size of our market, Kelly's performance is even more amazing. Real estate agents in other markets have literally thousands of properties to offer their clients. On Catalina, there are only a couple of dozen properties available at any given time. Because we stay very focused on our own marketplace, we don't spend a lot of time comparing our performance to what is occurring on the mainland because it's really apples and oranges. One wouldn't think that we could be competitive with mainland firms, simply because they have far more opportunities than we do. But Kelly has consistently astounded us every year and we are so proud of her performance. Being in the top 3% is the kind of thing that most real estate agents dream about."

Not surprisingly, Kelly is the #1 real estate sales agent on Catalina Island. Gilbert explains her success this way. "Kelly not only works hard, she has great ethics and is one of the most honorable people you'll ever meet. She also invests in her success. Kelly continues to educate herself, attending seminars and getting the training that will help her to remain successful despite the challenges of this economy."

Kelly has a slightly different take on her success. "I love what I do. I love the people I work with and I'm not afraid to work hard. Most of the time I become friends with the people who buy or sell real estate through me. It's a wonderful thing to be able to do a job that also allows you to make new friends every day. I feel very fortunate."

Kelly's firm, Catalina Island Real Estate, is the leading real estate brokerage firm on Catalina Island. The company has become so successful that they actually publish the island's only real estate magazine, Homes and Hideaways. Kevin Strege, President of Catalina Island Real Estate, sums it up this way. "We don't allow ourselves to be flustered by what's going on in the economy. What's going on here is nothing short of amazing. Catalina Island continues to upgrade itself and the enhancements to the island are obvious every place you look. Though our market is small, it's a very desirable place to own a primary or vacation home. There's an attitude on this island that if you're going to do it, you need to do it well. We try to set an example in everything that we do, and Kelly Nelson is an amazing example of what we want to be. We are very fortunate to have a number of other agents that offer the same commitment to excellence. I'm incredibly proud of the people who work for this agency and our corporate culture."

For more information about Catalina Island Real Estate, log onto 4CIRE.com or call 310-510-3000.