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Harry Norman opens office
By Donald Fraser Staff Writer
In a hushed and rushed deal, Rabun County now has a Harry Norman, Realtors® real estate office.
"We're open for business now," said Morton Campbell, owner of Heartwood Fine Home Builders.
"It all happened in a whirlwind fashion," he explained. He and wife Meg "were approached nine weeks ago and asked to become an alliant partner" with the real estate giant.
"It's something fairly new," Campbell said. In addition to the Clayton office, the only similar offices are in Blue Ridge and Savannah.
"We are more than a franchise," he added. There is no real distinction between alliant offices and Harry Norman corporate-owned offices.
Harry Norman is "undoubtedly the finest name in Atlanta in residential real estate," Campbell said. "We're pleased they have the confidence in us to manage a Harry Norman office."
Campbell said the rush was on to find an office location, and he was fortunate to find the South Main Street location he is renovating.
Campbell declined to answer when asked the purchase price of the building. Courthouse records show that Ron and Susan Antinori paid Margaret and Richard Buchanan $180,000 when they purchased the .31-acre property in November 2002.
Campbell said the renovation, including state-of-the-art information technology, will cost $400,000. The technology will give his agents "a competitive edge."
"I want our agents to have the best of everything," he said. "They are the most important part of the company."
Campbell said his Heartwood employees were told not to disclose that the building renovation was for a Harry Norman office. That secrecy also worked in garnering employees for the newest real estate company in the county.
Most of company's agents came from Coldwell Banker Mountain Brokers, including Sandi Griffin, the new chief operating officer.
Ed Poss, owner of both Coldwell Banker and Century 21 Poss Realty, confirmed he had lost a number of agents to Harry Norman.
It's not the first time he's had defections to rival companies. "It's pretty common," he said. One such incident occurred when RE/MAX opened its doors.
"I've trained the majority of (real estate) agents in Rabun County," Poss said. "It happens. They'll move on.
"It's no problem. Things happen. I don't have any bad feelings."
"We're open for business now," said Morton Campbell, owner of Heartwood Fine Home Builders.
"It all happened in a whirlwind fashion," he explained. He and wife Meg "were approached nine weeks ago and asked to become an alliant partner" with the real estate giant.
"It's something fairly new," Campbell said. In addition to the Clayton office, the only similar offices are in Blue Ridge and Savannah.
"We are more than a franchise," he added. There is no real distinction between alliant offices and Harry Norman corporate-owned offices.
Harry Norman is "undoubtedly the finest name in Atlanta in residential real estate," Campbell said. "We're pleased they have the confidence in us to manage a Harry Norman office."
Campbell said the rush was on to find an office location, and he was fortunate to find the South Main Street location he is renovating.
Campbell declined to answer when asked the purchase price of the building. Courthouse records show that Ron and Susan Antinori paid Margaret and Richard Buchanan $180,000 when they purchased the .31-acre property in November 2002.
Campbell said the renovation, including state-of-the-art information technology, will cost $400,000. The technology will give his agents "a competitive edge."
"I want our agents to have the best of everything," he said. "They are the most important part of the company."
Campbell said his Heartwood employees were told not to disclose that the building renovation was for a Harry Norman office. That secrecy also worked in garnering employees for the newest real estate company in the county.
Most of company's agents came from Coldwell Banker Mountain Brokers, including Sandi Griffin, the new chief operating officer.
Ed Poss, owner of both Coldwell Banker and Century 21 Poss Realty, confirmed he had lost a number of agents to Harry Norman.
It's not the first time he's had defections to rival companies. "It's pretty common," he said. One such incident occurred when RE/MAX opened its doors.
"I've trained the majority of (real estate) agents in Rabun County," Poss said. "It happens. They'll move on.
"It's no problem. Things happen. I don't have any bad feelings."
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