Denny Hammermeister

Denny and Katy Hammermeister moved to Florida in 1990 thinking big. Real big. Starting from scratch, it took Denny Hammermeister just four years to shoot to the top of the local residential real estate market as the largest-volume sales agent in Lee County. Two years later, in 1996, he was named one of the top 10 real estate agents in the state. This year, with individual sales exceeding $20 million, Denny takes his place in the top one percent of home real estate agents in the country.

He attributes it all to visibility, honesty, access and a competitive edge few agents have, his life and business partner Katy. Together, they are listening, always listening to the customer...

"This is a great market. It's always in motion. People are continually moving from a house to a condo to the beach and back. And they are looking for help. That's how we approach the people we meet," says Denny.

First-time buyers require education on the basics, including the pros and cons of a fixer-upper. Seasoned homeowners upgrading or downsizing may need a sounding board to understand their priorities. All need confirmation that anticipated mortgage payments are comfortably affordable.

Home sellers depend on their agent to set and get a fair price. They like an objective opinion on exactly which maintenance projects and improvements will pay dividends. Those listing their home with an agent want their property advertised and promoted to move. Most of all, they want a deal that goes through.

Lee County has 2,000 real estate agents who do these things. The difference is in how they do them.

Access is the Difference

"People call us because my face is honest. And because we answer the phone, which isn't as common as you'd like to believe. Realtors call us because we call back," says Denny.

"When you have a question or a problem, you want an answer right away. Somebody here is always available to talk with you," says Katy. "As a close-knit family, we work together to make sure we are up to date on each of our 90 listings as well as current activity in the market."

Staying current means that Denny is on the road from morning to night, comparing notes with other agents, visiting properties and meeting with clients. In characteristic quiet understatement, this dedicated professional notes that the advantage of hiring a full-time rather a part-time agent is that "I get up and go to work every day."

Scores of incoming after-hours calls are automatically forwarded from the couple's Fort Myers Re/Max Realty Group office into the Hammermeister's high-rise condo on the Caloosahatchee. Nine to 11 p.m. are highly popular hours. Neither Denny nor Katy sees it as a hardship. Helping people buy and sell homes is their vocation and avocation. On an occasional night out, one of their two family associates, Carolyn Bryant or son Brian Hammermeister, steps in to field calls from Denny's and Katy's clients as well as their own.

The family approach works to advantage when Denny is out showing houses. Initial conversations with clients combined with Katy's computer research skills will have targeted the tour to about a dozen qualified homes. But people do change their minds. New parameters surface. If redirection is called for, Denny simply dials up Katy to identify and schedule appropriate listings and turns his Jaguar toward the new appointments. Not a moment is wasted.

"The five people in our firm are totally attuned to details," affirms Denny. "Hundreds of people are counting on us to get their house sold and to locate their next dream home. I know this market inside out.

Similarly, Katy knows the ins and outs of home mortgages, so that we rarely lose a deal due to financing, even with marginally qualified first-time buyers. We keep a portfolio on every client at our fingertips. And we follow through."

In 1996, that kind of detail work closed 160 home sales. This year, this indefatigable pair are going for 200. Successfully matching the ever changing top-drawer portfolio of Hammermeister listings with buyers in-house accounts for close to half the transactions. Makes you wonder why anyone seriously interested in moving would be inspired to place their confidence in an agent who only sells the average 12 houses a year.

Though the Hammermeisters work out of the 52-strong Summerlin Road Re/Max office complex, they caution people not to be impressed by claims that agents in a large office work together. In reality, the benefits are minimal. That's why the industry shows a coming trend toward two-person realty teams committed to serve as each other's backup.

"You'd be hard pressed to find any team more efficient than we are," says Denny. "When I'm on the road showing houses, there is no doubt in my mind that business is being taken care of back in the office. I know that I'll have what I need when I need it, including timely updates."

When Denny comes in off the road with a sales contract, Katy takes over, supervising financing, title documents, inspections and closing arrangements. She and Denny daily coach Carolyn and Brian on fine points of pricing, selling and financing a house so that family members become interchangeable. All of which leaves Denny free to invest face time with clients.

Listen More, Talk Less

"Denny likes to ask questions, then listen," says Katy. Though conversation comes easily to this friendly girl-next-door, she is quick to point out that, "you can lose a sale by talking too much."

The Hammermeisters apply the same rule to Real estate agent open houses, phone work and networking opportunities. A naturally affable couple, they nevertheless subordinate idle socializing to focusing on the business at hand.

"Denny listens well, then does what the customer needs. He'll show a client 50 houses if that's what's called for, though 10 to 12 is the average. He has the patience of Job. He never gets upset. I've also seen him sell a house sight unseen to a delighted buyer. People naturally trust him. I've never heard him tell even a little white lie. He's an amazing guy," says the spouse who has worked by his side for years.

Denny is just as appreciative of his partner's attributes, which include prescient organizational skills. "When another Realtor brings an offer on one of our listings, chances are that Katy already has talked with the buyer's mortgage lender more than the buyer's own Realtor," Denny says. "She has saved scores of deals from falling through in the past six years."

"A lot of people encounter glitches in their mortgage applications, small things that turn up on your credit report during the last decade," says Katy. "You can get turned down if you don't have the explanations and package put together correctly for the underwriter reviewing the paperwork. With our clients, we spot glitches ahead of time and clean up as many as possible."

"Some agents hesitate to ask prospects basic financia