Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Clough.
Hi Emily, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I went to college at the University of South Carolina and majored in Real Estate. During my Junior year, I was offered a job as an assistant to one of the top agents in the area selling luxury homes. At that point, I went to real estate school and obtained my license. Upon graduating college with my degree, I moved back home to Greenville and started working as a single agent. I quickly realized that jumping into the luxury market in Greenville without being established was going to be harder than I had anticipated. Struggling as a single agent, I decided to join a team and started gaining momentum quickly. I met my (now) husband, Logan, while working for that team and after 2 years, we decided it was time to start our own group.
In Early 2018, The GVL Group was founded by Logan and I in the laundry room of my first home. Establishing trust and loyalty with our clients, we quickly began to see success in our business and were able to upgrade our laundry room operation into an office at the Keller Williams branch. Now 4 years into The GVL Group, we have seen consistent year-over-year growth and have helped hundreds of clients in the upstate buy or sell their homes.
I enjoy the opportunity I have to share my love of Greenville on Instagram. Being able to connect with and educate buyers and sellers through Instagram has quickly become our biggest lead source. Every day we receive messages with questions and comments about Greenville and how to buy or sell. I love that I get to be myself on the platform and share my personal and business life. With many people attracted to Greenville, this has given me the opportunity to connect with people from all over the US.
Our small partnership has grown to a 4-person team where I now get to work as a realtor and mentor to agents. I have ranked as a top agent in Greenville and my office and serve on the Agent Leadership Council at Keller Williams Greenville Central.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Starting real estate at 21yrs old I found it hard to be confident when competing with older more seasoned agents. Over the years gaining experience and knowledge, and being confident became easy.
Working in real estate you get to stand beside your clients through the best and worst times of their lives. There are many joyous times when people decide to make a move like getting married, having children, or moving to be closer to family. There are also devastating times like divorce, death, or loss of a job. I form a close connection with my clients and helping families through tough times can be truly heartbreaking but it is rewarding to be able to help in such tough situations.
Being a realtor you can feel like you are always “on call”. Especially in the beginning, you feel the need to respond to every text, call or email immediately no matter the time of day. In the past, I’ve left family events, vacations, and time with friends to go show a home or meet with a potential client. Now, I set expectations upfront with clients and schedule back up showing assistants when I need help. Working alongside my husband it can be hard to turn off work mode when so much of real estate intertwines with personal life. We make sure to plan date nights with no real estate talk and no real estate talk before bed.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am the co-owner of The GVL Group with Keller Williams Realty. Our marketing is next level in comparison to most agents. We pride ourselves on social media and internet marketing. We specialize in everything real estate in the Upstate of SC. From mountain homes, lakefront estates, first-time buyers, and downtown condos, we sell it all! We truly take the time to get to know our clients and figure out the best game plan for them. We provide prompt communication and make sure all questions are addressed. We use FaceTime and Zoom to show out-of-town buyers properties quickly so they don’t miss out on an opportunity just because they aren’t in town.
You can check out some of our client reviews here: https://www.zillow.com/profile/TheGVLGroup/
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I’ve had many mentors throughout my life. First are my parents who have taught me the foundations of hard work and discipline. Others being co-workers and other business owners. I think the best way to find a good mentor is to find someone who is doing what you want to be doing and see if they’ll share their story with you.
Contact Info:
- Website: thegvlgroup.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/greenville_realestate
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegvlgroup
- Other: https://www.zillow.com/profile/TheGVLGroup/
Image Credits
Cherisse Salisha Young Photography
