Informational Interview

FIN 180

Carson Billings

Hansz

Spring 2011

Informational Interview

For my informational interview I interviewed Joe Hollak who is a real estate agent at Keller Williams Westland Realty. Mr. Hollak has a very interesting background and has had many different jobs all over the country before become a real estate agent in Fresno.

Q. What is your educational background?

A. I have a Bachelors degree in both Business and Digital Media. I have also done some work on an MBA.

Q. Are there any classes that you took that you think have been particularly useful to you?

A. The courses that were required to take the California real estate license exam were really all you need to be successful in real estate, but it would have been nice to take to take more in depth real estate classes.

Q. Is there a class that you think would be useful to have taken?

A. Bookkeeping because as a real estate agent you are basically an independent contractor and are ultimately responsible for everything, and marketing because as a real estate agent you have to market yourself, properties, everything really.

Q. How did you get into real estate in the first place?

A. A friend who was in real estate needed help and thought I would be good at so they paid for everything I needed to get started even for my license.

Q. What do you enjoy most about being in real estate?

A. Being my own boss. I really like being to come and go as I please, and really only having to me answer to myself.

Q. What do you enjoy least about being in real estate?

A I don’t like the Fresno Market, it is very distressed I would really rather be in a healthier market like San Diego. Forbes Projected San Diego to be the 5^th best real estate market 2011, and I would really like to go somewhere like that while it is still possible to make money there.

Q. What Kind of person do you think is best suited to being a real estate agent?

A. An outgoing driver you really need to be a driver to be successful. People buy on emotion not price per square foot so it is important to be outgoing and personable.

Q. What forms of social media do you use to promote yourself?

A. I use Linked in, Facebook, Twitter, and I have my own blog

Q. What type of social media have you found to be the most effective?

A. My own personal blog has been the most effective. If I could only keep one of my online outlets it would be my blog. The reason I would keep my blog is because the content is my property and no one has control over what goes on the site other then me.

Q. What are some of the jobs you had prior to becoming a real estate agent?

A. Before I was in real estate I was a Stock broker in New York, a newspaper photographer, and a radio station DJ on B95

Q. Do you feel like any of those jobs have helped you in real estate?

A. My experience as a stock broker definitely has helped because it is really very similar both jobs deal with sales and finance. Both jobs deal with what are typically a families two largest investments.

Q. Where do you see the real estate market in Fresno headed?

A. I don’t think it looks to good. California has been badly mismanaged. There really aren’t any jobs or anything else to really draw people to Fresno. Something needs to change so people want to come here.

Q. What do you feel is the number one reason you enjoy your job?

A. I like working for myself. I like being the one that is ultimately responsible for my success or failure.

I enjoyed talking to Mr. Hollak, hearing his take on the ups and downs of the real estate market in Fresno. It was also very interesting to hear him talk about how he thought his experience as a stock broker has helped him to be a better real estate agent. I would like to thank Joe Hollak for the interesting interview and for all of his help.