Chris Sweat

In our third installment of our new series at Southwest Florida R.E. Group where we highlight our agents, interviewing them for tips on their respective expertise, and so we all can get to know them a bit more. Today we’re interviewing Chris Sweat, who specializes in Naples, Bonita Springs, and Estero Real Estate.

What do you love about real estate, why’d you get into real estate in the first place?

I love the freedom real estate gives you. The harder you work and put in to your craft, the more successful you can become. Setting my own schedule and being able to balance every aspect of life has been great change. I got in to real estate to work with my twin brother, Nick, and help him grow his brand while he travels around the country and world with his wife playing professional beach volleyball. 

Is there a particular area in Southwest Florida you concentrate on (or love to work in)?

Naples, Bonita Springs, and Estero. 

What do you do for fun?

Go out on the boat, play beach volleyball, watch college and NFL football, go to different breweries around town.

Favorite restaurant?

First Watch for breakfast and Ted’s Montana Grill.

What are your keys to success?

My keys to success are pretty simple and straight forward – follow up and communication.  Follow up during the course of a sale is very important, but don’t forget to keep going. Follow up after the closing, especially with buyers or seller who are out of town, I’ve seen this simple task lead to the happiest of clients and future opportunities. “That’s not in my job description” is something that should never be said. Also, work with the other agent in the deal, not against them. You both are the middleman and your job is to get the deal closed. Leave emotion out of it!

How has our system worked for you?

The system works amazingly well for newer agents learning the whole process of a transaction. They get someone to make sure no items get missed and are able to help put out any fires that will and almost always do arise. I found out this year when I had 9 transactions in an 11 week period that having a listing coordinator and transaction coordinator, helped to keep me organized and get the deals done with no hiccups. The team didn’t let anything fall through the cracks on every deal which helped ensure everything went as smoothly as possible. Also, there are going to be times where you are double booked, or someone is in town and you are out of town. Having a 50 person team always helping each other out with showings and advice is something I feel is very beneficial. 

Anything else you’d like the team to know about you?

I also coach beach volleyball at Florida Gulf Coast University and the freedom and flexibility of real estate has taken both jobs to another level. Working with my twin brother all the time and now having my wife as our operations manager has been life changing. Being able to count on people I know and trust has made this the best career path for me.