MIDDLETOWN’S NUMBER-ONE REALTOR TALKS ABOUT CURRENT TRENDS IN THE INDUSTRY AND OFFERS TIPS FOR BETTER BUYING AND SELLING

BY LINDSEY BLAIR • PHOTOS BY ROBERT NUZZI

When Christopher Walsh decided to determine his professional future with a simple coin toss, he never imagined it would lead him to become a mogul in the real estate industry. “I honestly had no idea what I wanted to do after college,” Walsh recalled. “It was June of 2003, and I kept seeing real estate and mortgage news everywhere, so I literally flipped a coin.”

 

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He watched as that shiny metal disc twirled through the air to determine his destiny. If the coin landed heads up, he had decided, he would pursue real estate. If it landed on tails, he would make his way in the mortgage business.

It came up heads, so, at the age of 23, Walsh’s real estate journey began. The New Jersey native soon hung his license at an agency down the road from his childhood home in Monmouth County and then set out to become a “total sponge.”

“I wanted to learn everything I could,” he recalled. “Real estate was different 14 years ago. This was before pop culture had adopted it as the focus of reality TV. There was nothing to model yourself after no real place to seek advice, answers, or inspiration.”

Fortunately, he was hardly a stranger to paving his own way. In fact, from an early age, he recalled, he had been starting small entrepreneurial projects to fill certain voids. And those projects had provided him with satisfying results.

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Nothing, however, compared to the incredible rush Walsh felt from selling his first home as a realtor. “I will never forget it,” he said. “It was like nothing I had ever experienced in previous businesses. I was hooked immediately.” He took that newly discovered passion, honed his skills, and set about building a career that has made him one of New Jersey’s most successful and dedicated real estate experts.

He is currently the broker/owner of RE/MAX Real Estate Leaders, with offices in Middletown, Holmdel, and Colts Neck. Walsh’s agency has 45 top producing realtors, and last year they closed more than 600 transactions, worth $225 million in sales.
“Even though I am a producing owner, my passion is still selling,” admitted Walsh. “Fortunately, I have an excellent management team in place for the day to day agency operations, which enables me to be in the field selling homes on a full time basis.”

Selling homes full time isn’t as easy as it sounds, and a day in the life of Christopher Walsh can be hectic to say the least. He credits proper time management as the skill most essential to success.

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“I live by my calendar, and everything I do gets written down. If it isn’t written down, it doesn’t exist,” he said. “Same goes with goal setting and business planning; you have to map that out and write it down. My goals and my plan are consistently evolving. As you become more refined in the business, so does your plan. It’s imperative to have your days mapped out and keep to that map.”

In addition to paying vigilant attention to his calendar and his strategic business plan, Walsh recognizes the on your feet mentality that realtors need to possess, as unpredictable curveballs become the daily norm, adding that the New Jersey real estate market is thriving.

“Real estate is the strongest I have seen it since 2005,” he said. “In fact, since mortgage deregulation no longer exists, would say it’s much stronger now than it was in the early 2000s. Today’s buyers are people who are really qualified, and inventory has been low across the board here in Monmouth County, which has been a contributor to rising home prices.”

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Walsh’s accomplishments include being named the No. 1 Middletown realtor in overall sales volume and units sold from 2014 to 2016; ranking in the top 1 percent for overall sales nationwide from 2013 to 2016; receiving the RE/MAX Distinguished Services Award; being inducted into its Hall of Fame; receiving its Lifetime Achievement Award; and, most recently, winning the RE/MAX Diamond Award which only 10 people in all of New Jersey have received for generating roughly $45 million in sales and $1 million or more in commission for a calendar year.

“It feels amazing,” Walsh said of his accomplishments. “This just shows that anything is possible. I got into real estate on a whim and climbed to the highest level in one of the most competitive organizations in the industry.”

Despite Walsh’s seemingly go with the flow nature, receiving such accolades took detailed planning in all areas of the industry especially marketing. “My marketing is state of the art and unlike anyone else’s,” he said. “I invest a good 25 percent of my annual income back into marketing. My mission is to showcase every home at its optimal potential so that a buyer can’t resist taking a look in person.”

So when does this real estate tycoon sleep? According to him, not very often. His days are packed with client meetings, sales/client activities, team huddles, end of day calls, a gym session (if he’s lucky), and wrapping up with evening appointments around 8:30 p.m. Not to mention, being a husband to wife, Randi (Walsh describes her as “a saint”) and father to two daughters, 4 year old Fiona and 4 month old Mia.
“Balancing work and family is challenging at times,” he said. “But with the right planning, it’s all possible.

RE/MAX Real Estate Leaders
113 Tindall Road, Middletown / 732.933.0200
teamchriswalsh.com