Today we’d like to introduce you to Jon Franko.
Jon, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Jon Franko has gained a wealth of experience in sales, management and leadership for 35+ years as a business to business, pharmaceutical and currently as a client based real estate sales professional. Consequently, his extensive leadership, coaching, training, and interviewing skillset has led to a passion for identifying opportunities to provide professional guidance and consultation in real estate. He pays great attention to detail and develops trust with clients to understand their needs, promises timely communication, and ensures honesty while striving for their complete satisfaction regarding his service when buying, selling or investing in resale or new development properties. If you’re looking to be well informed and educated on the real estate process by knowledgeable and professional agents then allow the Luminate Team to guide your experience…”Real Estate Enlightened.”
The Boulevard Company – Luminate Real Estate Team, comprised of Jon Franko & his business partner, Ryan DePoppe, was recently recognized by The Southeastern Chamber of Commerce as the “Boutique Team Excellence in Real Estate Award” delivering boutique sophistication with team-first client service. They’ve garnered local visibility through polished digital storytelling and agent-led networking. Their model fosters unity, professionalism, and a tight-knit approach across transactions and community touch points.
Jon is currently with The Boulevard Company, Co-Founder of the Luminate Real Estate Team and Ninja Trained Real Estate Consultant which is a system based on building relationships, listening to the client’s needs and helping them achieve their goals. His business is recognized as a Top Producer in the area and ranked among the top agents for closed business transactions in the Tri-County area. He’s also a Certified Investor Agent Specialist, in addition to the completed course trainings for the SRS (Seller Representative Specialist); ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative); RENE (Real Estate Negotiation Expert); and PSA (Pricing Strategy Advisor). Furthermore, he has been nominated & voted one of the Best Realtors in Summerville for 2014, 2015, 2016 by the Summerville Journal Scene’s Reader’s Choice Awards.
He also has an extensive history of volunteering and participating with multiple non-profits, local schools & organizations in the community. This includes the Summerville Dream Chair for the Board of Directors and Chair of the Promotions Committee from 2013-2023, Leadership Dorchester 2014 Alumni, Leadership Dorchester Advisory Board 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, Summerville/Dorchester Chamber of Commerce since 2013.
He is also one of the founders of Bike/Walk Summerville who advocate for pedestrian and cyclist safety in the Dorchester County area of Summerville, SC, as well as, being involved in many of the local running, triathlon and swim clubs, such as, YMCA Summerville Triathlon Club, Fleet Feet Running Clubs, Park Circle Pacers Running Club, Charleston Running Club and Sunday Funday Open Water Swim Group are among the various activities he participates with throughout the Low Country area. In addition, Jon is an avid financial supporter of local running races throughout the year and also supports the Tri-It-For-Life women only triathlon organization as another way to give back to the local community in addition to supporting women empowerment and promoting a lifetime physical fitness.
And in his spare time, he really enjoys spending time with his wife of 33 years, Michelle, and their 26 year old son, Jay, who graduated from Clemson University for Computer Engineering. In addition, he finds time to engage in many forms of recreation & physical fitness, including the desire to compete, volunteer and participate in many local community events, running races & triathlons, CrossFit and Open water swimming. He’s also completed multiple triathlons, including Half IronMan and a Full IronMan race, as well as, writing about himself in the third person.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Being a real estate agent can be incredibly rewarding, but it also comes with some real challenges, and very often, uncontrollable factors as well. Here are just some of the challenges I commonly face on a daily basis:
One of the greatest uncontrollable factors are market shifts and affordability. Fluctuating interest rates can price buyers out overnight and limited inventory makes it difficult for first-time buyers to compete. Agents have to constantly educate clients about what’s realistic in the current market.
Managing emotions and expectations for buyers and sellers are deeply personal — clients often act on emotion rather than logic. For example, sellers may overvalue their homes because of sentimental attachment and buyers may fall in love with a house outside their price range or panic in a competitive market.
Also, most people who enter real estate think it’s going to be easy but work-life balance is always a challenge, nights, weekends, and holidays are prime showing times and sellers need constant communication regarding their home sale progress as well. So essentially, it’s an “Always on call” culture which can burn out agents very quickly. I would say successful agents often have to set clear boundaries — or build teams — to avoid burnout…let’s just say, I’ve become better at this through the years.
Lastly, the most important area of challenge in my professional opinion, is the attention to details in this industry, transaction management and the tremendous legal risk in our business. A single deal involves inspectors, lenders, title companies, and appraisers — any of whom can cause delays, and again, more uncontrollable factors when so many people are involved — so you must trust them to do their job as well! Missing a deadline or disclosure can lead to major liability issues and agents have to juggle dozens of details while keeping clients calm. My ultimate goals as a licensed Realtor is to protect the interests of the clients, keep these clients consistently informed with a high level of communication, and ethically speaking, always put their interests ahead of my own throughout the transaction.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My work as a real estate agent really isn’t about “work”…it’s about guiding people through one of the biggest decisions of their lives — with honesty, patience, and strategy. I help buyer clients find homes that fit their story, their lifestyle and not just their budget. For sellers, I love transforming a property into its best version — through staging, photos, and marketing. It’s rewarding to “highlight their home” (Luminate Team) and what makes that home special and see buyers fall in love with it!
My business is all about people. I help families and individuals find places that feel like home — and I take pride in making the process less stressful, more transparent, and even a little fun along the way! Guiding sellers through pricing, timing, and offers builds deep trust. There’s satisfaction in helping clients make informed, confident decisions — especially when emotions are high. It feels great to be the calm, experienced voice in what can be a stressful process. A well-executed listing feels like a mini success story.
Real estate isn’t just about houses — it’s about helping people move into the next chapter of their lives. My work/life/business is a combination of value and pride in helping the client’s transition smooth, confident, and rewarding. Often, selling marks a life transition — a growing family, a relocation, or a new beginning. I want to help them move smoothly into their next chapter….when you do the right thing for people, protect their best interests and make sure they have a great experience from contract to closing, there’s pride in knowing clients will call again when it’s time for their next purchase or sale.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
There’s many specifics details I enjoy about the real estate business, but here’s a few of my favs! Certainly, first and foremost, guiding clients through major life milestones — first homes, growing families, new beginnings — is deeply rewarding. Seeing the joy at closing never gets old.
I also get to run my own business, and frankly, wish I decided to jump into real estate sooner! I control my schedule and shape my own success. No two agents do it exactly the same way — that freedom to make ALL the decisions is a big draw for me.
There’s also quite a bit of variety in real estate — what I mean by that is every client, home, and deal is different. One day you’re doing showings, the next you’re negotiating or marketing — it’s never boring and I NEVER run out of things to do. Just when you thought you’ve seen it all, something comes up that surprise me! It’s a work in progress — always learning and experiencing more with each passing day.
One of my ultimate favs is forming lasting friendships with clients and other professionals. The social aspect — meeting people, networking, connecting — is energizing, fulfilling and meaningful in so many ways. I have so many opportunities to be part of my community, sponsor organizations, volunteer for events and make a difference right in my back yard so to speak! I have literally seen the impact of my efforts over the years. Happy clients, friends and recognizing the work I’ve done in the community are visible proof of success.
Now luckily there’s more I enjoy about real estate than not, but with all the “good” also comes the “grind”. My unpredictable schedule with nights, weekends, and last-minute calls are part of the business. Work-life balance can be tricky, especially during busy seasons and juggling multiple clients. Also many times transactions can become very emotional for people so managing emotions and expectations can be draining. There’s a joy in helping clients but there’s the “chaos” that comes with it due to difficult negotiations, challenging transactions and buyers/sellers unwilling to find compromise can become a strain on everyone involved.
There’s also the constant duty to be extremely organized with the paperwork, contracts and the compliance side of our business. Real estate is highly regulated — contracts, disclosures, inspections, and legal details can be overwhelming. Fortunately, this is a strength of mine, but these details always demand much effort to stay focused and paying attention to details are a requirement — one error could cost your client more money, stress or a disruption in the transaction!
Lastly, market volatility, interest rates, inventory, or economic shifts can change everything overnight. Success often depends on external forces you cannot control so I spend most of my efforts on the details I CAN control. I also share these experiences with clients in an effort to set clear expectations of these potential “hiccups” with any given transaction. Overall, I control as much as I can and if something goes side ways, I have enough experience to guide clients through those dilemmas. Real estate is a highly competitive business, people have many options since most markets are saturated with agents so people need competent, honest and trustworthy agents to advise them. However, like most industries, the top 20% of agents do 80% of the business — fortunately I’ve found ways to stay among the top producers, make myself stand out while marketing my business, building strong relationships and proving my value proposition due to my experience to protect the best interests of every client!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.luminaterealestate.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luminaterealestate/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jon.franko.35/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-franko-884bbb1b/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC90DXZb4KIkvSC9jf89_EBw
