Kathy Martin has sold homes in the Morgantown area and parts of southwestern Pennsylvania for a quarter of a century with her company, KLM Properties.
So what does Martin hope to accomplish now that she and her company have reached that milestone? Another 25 years, she immediately responded.
“I can’t even think about not doing this,” said Martin during a recent interview at her Morgantown office, at 1533 Mileground Road.
The mother of two grown children and grandmother to two started her business at the suggestion of five local builders back in the early 1990s. At the time Martin was with Peteroplus Properties, a full-service real estate company also in Morgantown. The home builders wanted Martin to start her own real estate company and represent them and their developments.
“I am proud to work with local developers,” she said. “I became the new construction specialist.”
While Martin had the builders’ business, Martin started small on her own with leased office space in a Victorian house. She had one other agent and a secretary, but KLM Properties was up and running and Martin has not looked back since. KLM’s sales territory now stretches from Elkins to three Pennsylvania counties and includes Uniontown. Besides Martin, two other KLM sales agents are licensed in Pennsylvania.
Martin, who is also a general certified appraiser, said she eventually purchased the Victorian house, but soon outgrew the space. She moved into her current location in 2000. KLM now has 30 agents in Morgantown — including her husband Pat, a retired banker, who sells commercial real estate — and five agents in the company’s Bridgeport office, 1509 Johnson Ave.
KLM’s sales territory now stretches from Elkins to three Pennsylvania counties and includes Uniontown. Besides Martin, two other KLM sales agents are licensed in Pennsylvania.
These days, Martin typically divides her time between the two offices, where she is available to help her agents with any questions they may have on deals. Martin also still sells and lists for select clients, but added she gives all business leads to her agents. Plus, she coaches and counsels the agents and encourages them to take advantage of continuing education classes. She pays them extra for every industry designation they earn.
“I got bit by the real estate bug,” she said. “It’s the most fulfilling job. You make lifelong friends with people.”
The relationships that KLM build are especially evident on its website, where testimonials from clients are posted. For example, Bill and Sonia Bailey-Gibson bought and listed with Martin.
“It’s really neat looking back now to think that KLM Properties was just getting started and so were we. Since then, we have bought three times and sold two times with KLM Properties. Kathy and the rest of the team have taken such great care of us. We’ve never had to worry about anything working with them. They are super knowledgeable, know the area very well, maintain excellent communication throughout the process, and at the end to the day, we trust them. I highly recommend Kathy and KLM Properties!”
Erik Olness, an area anesthesiologist, used Lisa Ware of KLM to buy and sell a property. He said she took care of everything.
“I simply don’t have the time to look out for my own best interests, but Lisa does. She has proven herself to be trustworthy on numerous occasions. Plus, she has sold some properties in a matter of days.”
Even though the Morgantown area real estate market is a healthy mix of large national and regional firms as well as smaller agencies, Martin said the market competition these days comes from the internet, not other firms.
Buyers tend to spot the property they want to purchase on the internet before they contact an agent. If using a real estate site to house hunt, then use realtor.com, she said.
It’s up to date and accurate,” she said.
Still, because of her longevity and attention to detail, Martin has earned the respect of the local real estate market, a competitor said.
“Kathy has been engaged in her community both from a business as well as philanthropic perspective throughout her business career. Congratulations, Kathy! I and all our agents wish you many productive years to come,” said Steve Walker, broker and owner, J.S. Walker Associates, Inc. in Morgantown.
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