Johnny speaks with one of Arizona’s top-producing agents, Denise Pruitt of Arizona Best Real Estate. They talk about her start in the resort business, what it means to deliver services, her history in Arizona, and why it is such a desired area. They have a fascinating conversation about being intentional and The future of the industry, interest rates, and all. You do really get a sense and worth of professionals who have been through cyclical markets.
Transcript
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Johnny Pfeiffer: [:The president of Sniper Smith and Frampton in Aspen, Colorado, we learned so many exciting things about Aspen and the Roaring Fork Valley market, and Krista provided a lot of insight for us on what it would be like to. Begin your career in real estate in the Colorado luxury real estate market, and also the benefits of clients using Krista and her team.
a in Arizona Best happens to [:Denise has been with them for a long time, has incredible experience in the industry, and is one of the top selling agents in her field. So I'm so excited to have Denise on our show today and to talk with our listeners and share her insight. Denise, welcome.
Denise Pruitt: Well, thank you, Johnny. We're really happy to be here today.
Johnny Pfeiffer: Well, thank you. I'm so excited you agreed to join us, and I'm so excited to go through our list of topics today to chat about. Just to let our listeners learn all about the Arizona area, Phoenix, Scottsdale, just everything you have to offer in that region. And I know you are the expert, I believe you're born and raised there, is that correct?
I am
Denise Pruitt: an Arizona native, yes. That's, And I've lived in the Scottsdale area since I was six.
enise, if you would, do us a [:Well,
Denise Pruitt: sure, I'm happy to. And so, you know, interestingly, um, much like your career, I started in the resort industry and so I enjoyed 16 years working in the hotel and resort business. Everything from front of house, back of house, human resources, and really became a chameleon of sorts. . And when the time came for me to start a family, um, it also brought along a career change for me.
And that was when I joined Arizona Best Real Estate, a little over 22 years ago. So, um, I'm an anomaly in many cases. You know, oftentimes people will hop scotch from firm to firm, and I'm one of those crazy folks that I, I put roots down and I have a tendency to stay put. So shortly after my son was born, David McIntyre, the broker and and co-owner of our company had approached me and asked if I'd be interested in, in, um, you know, running the HR and accounting functions for our company.
And at the time, I really [:And so, you know, when one of us was in the office, one would take care of the kids, the other one would go into the office and so on and so forth. And we did that for a period of time. But at one point David looked at me and said, Denise, you know you're going to be writing. And checks for some people that you know, in some cases you may be able to run circles around from time to time, and at some point you're just gonna have to get your license.
I can't keep them in this chair forever. And I laughed at 'em because I enjoy organizational detail and I'm just as good of a paper pusher as anything else that I've done, but. He was right. And so when my son started into preschool, um, I, I went ahead and activated my license and never looked back. And it really has been quite a beautiful fit.
only from a customer service [:And I would've never seen. That duality, um, until I found myself in it. And so I absolutely love what I do.
Johnny Pfeiffer: Well, I love that you shared that. Thank you. And actually our listeners are probably starting to see a trend, though I didn't prompt Denise for this is, Real estate is a limitless opportunity industry for careers for everyone.
No matter who you are, what your goals are, it has, as Denise said, you have back a house and accounting side. You have marketing side, you have the selling side, and then ownership and beyond. So what I think is so important is David McIntyre, I have the great pleasure of knowing he and his wife Charmaine very well, and they.
her team, and now David and [:Create tremendously successful careers. Their daughter Allison Ek is an integral part of their team. It's truly a family run business. And I think Denise would say she's definitely part of their family and I believe you are their babysitter. Is that correct, Denise? I think , yeah. It's,
Denise Pruitt: It's true guilt.
Guilty is charged. And obviously our families go way back and mine has been a realtor since I was six years old. I'd be dating myself if I revealed how many years. But it's been like half a century .
Johnny Pfeiffer: Well, and I,
Denise Pruitt: so yes, our fam, our families go way back. And you know, the interesting, our company's multi-generational, um, not only with David and Charmaine's family, with Allison's involvement in additional members, but my mom and I both still are active with the company.
But there's, [:Johnny Pfeiffer: estate.
I love that. And it just fits into the theme of this entire series of our podcasts. And you know, with that, obviously Dave and Charmaine. And their family have created this iconic brand that's well known across the entire state of Arizona and specifically in the greater Phoenix area. What has caused that great success in real estate?
For Phoenix, for the Scottsdale area, or the entire valley for that matter. Why is everyone wanting to come to Arizona and specifically the Phoenix area, what makes it such a desirable destination?
Denise Pruitt: Well, you know, part of that, a variety of different things. You know, climate and the weather and activities are some of that.
bout the weather, we, while. [:And so we have all of these signature destination events that occur at various different points of the year. That is an alluring attraction for people that really want to be able to experience the destination, not only from an event standpoint, but then how are they gonna spend their time once those events have kind of come and gone.
And so, you know, for a long time people would vacation here. I think that one, one of the gifts was at top how to office remotely. And so one of the, we saw our market when all of that occurred is that people that traditionally had second homes here or they. Or began to very quickly realize that they could live here full time and that they could office remotely.
you know, having said that, [:And as we all learned very quickly, real estate didn't gooning off a cliff once that happened. In fact, there was a slight pause, if you will, and then the markets took off across the board. And so, you know, Arizona and Scottdale in particular are still a growing and thriving area from a business standpoint.
And so we have continued to grow. Um, obviously, I'm sure we'll get into some dialogue about what interest rates are doing too. That's a whole nother element. But you know, Phoenix was a target prior to this big swing in the real estate market that we've all sort of been the beneficiaries. .
na in a specifically in your [:It's such. Citing dynamic, energetic place to be most of the time. What are a couple of your favorite go-to spots? So when people, if they are interested in exploring that market and getting to know your area a little bit, where would you recommend they go hang out and kind of get to experience your
Denise Pruitt: area?
Well, you know, and that is such a wonderful question because I think a lot of that depends on what. Someone's interests happen to be, and if you happen to be a golf enthusiast, there's more world class golf available on public courses within a four to five mile radius of each other than anywhere else in the country.
You know, a lot of segments of the country are more country club driven, and while we have that available as well, we also have very robust public golf facilities available that are very. Of in this resort market. Um, we also have the McDo North Preserve, which is the largest urban preserve in the country.
And so trust land was [:Destination resort amenities. You know, for the cycling enthusiast, there's plenty of that as well. You know, lots of indoor, outdoor cultural. The signature destination events that we have occurring here, really, they start to really fire up around the holidays when all the bowl games come in. And obviously this coming year in January, we'll be hosting the Super Bowl, and that's right on top of the Waste Management Phoenix Open on top of everything else.
son car auction, followed by [:So it is just one event behind the other, behind the other, behind the other. And um, you know, that's one of those things that gives us a little bit of something for everyone. Really wonderful dining and retail experiences available as well. And Scottsdale Fashion Square is a host of a collection of a variety of different luxury brands as well as more affordable alternatives and it's centrally located.
And so they actually have one of the highest per capita spending from a retail standpoint than anywhere else in the country that not a lot of people know
Johnny Pfeiffer: that. Well, no, and it's, It is such. Beautiful shopping districts, and it's right on the canal system there in Scottsdale and there's outdoor dining alfresco, and it's just absolutely incredible.
And I can personally tell our listeners, as Denise can attest to, I've purchased a home in Scottsdale. I'm one of its biggest fans. Denise was our realtor, and it was. The best experience ever. But what was so important is we were down there and learning. As Denise said, there's so much for everyone. It does.
n't have to be a golfer, you [:Incredible resort. So I love what you shared with our listeners. It's just something for everybody in the greater Phoenix area, and so. With sharing all of that that relates to us, your passion for your area, and I think we would both agree. Having been in real estate for so long, you have to love what you do to be successful and anything.
you feel that way and. with [:They're powerful women in real estate that have reached the top of their success ladder and you have done the same. Why do you think the industry offers so much opportunity for everyone and, and specifically to women? Why is there such limitless success in real estate available? .
Denise Pruitt: Well, I, That is such a wonderful and thought provoking question, Johnny, because, you know, first of all, one of the first things that David taught me after I got my license, he goes, Look, he goes, You get compensated for results.
If you don't work, you don't get paid. And I think sometimes there is a displaced perception about how easy or difficult and challenging our industry can be. And you know, frankly, if we make something look. Then the perception is easy, so often to, you know, avalanche of telephone calls, emails, text messages, and all the files that you know, go into that.
, and all the things that go [:A real estate purchase, right? It's the usually the most significant financial decision that a person makes in good, bad, or indifferent. And if there is an emotional element that is not quantifiable, we can run statistics and data all day long, but it's our responsibility to be able to. Sort of lean in and listen to all of the things that are important to our clientele and help them manifest that into what it is that they're looking for.
And I think one of the most important skills we can bring is that ability to listen and then articulate that into our search. Um, you know, there's a thing that happens when you walk into the home that you fall in love with, and I, it's kind of that aha. Or hallelujah moment as I sometimes like to call it, when somebody walks in and they, Oh my God, I love it.
heart. And so, you know, we [:And, you know, our ability to be able to connect to our relationships with people and help make those moments come to fruition are very, very important. And one of the things that I've marveled about over the years, because, you know, all of us, I think that have been in this industry for a long time, have had the opportunity to work with everything from first time home buyers to clients that can potentially write a check for whatever they.
I've seen some very powerful and influential people come through our doors over the years. And the thing that surprised me is like, I know some that are like a barracuda in the boardroom, but when it comes to affairs of the heart and taking care of their families is like when you see the soft, squishy side.
cessful in this too. I'm not [:And so I, I have a sensitivity around that that leaves the door wide open where we can balance the analytics with the emotional piece. And when those connections happen and we are helping family, this is really valuable. And, you know, I, I don't know if it, I don't know if it's a nature nurture thing or what it is that drives that, but I've.
Successful women in this industry and I, you know, the, the most successful men I've seen in this industry really have a good, um, balance of, you know, figuring out where the analytics fit in and allowing some of that emotional piece to shine to,
Johnny Pfeiffer: I absolutely love this response and. It is so interesting to me.
out what Denise, just so Bri [:It's about taking care of people, doing right by them. And what I think is so important is, Denise brought a different element to this was is that a mindset of someone who is a realtor and who is actively selling and the component they bring. Making sure that they find the perfect future spot for them.
It's very emotional. It's very personal, and as Denise shared, it's also probably the most. Expensive investment they'll ever make. And so I think with that, that's a perfect segue, Denise, into my next question. For our listeners wanting to start a career in real estate and or currently successful and just wanna boost their business, what vital steps are needed to accomplish this?
find their dreams. That is a [:How can they do that? What are the opportunities?
Denise Pruitt: Well, I, you know, first of all, you have to have grit and you know, and grit is important because you have to have the tenacity to be self-disciplined. to get up and make this. and you know, business isn't something that just falls from the sky. There is an organized way of going about it.
And so, you know, for, for the individual who's not particularly organized or you know, doesn't wanna put themselves on a schedule or, you know, have systems in place, they might experience some initial, what we might refer to as accidental success. Right where the, maybe their first two or three transactions sort of come because of their immediate sphere.
anything else. And, and that [:You know, another one of those things that you can't really measure. But if you don't have it, you're really gonna have a hard time being successful and you know, you can't be a one. With the things that you are trying, you know, consistency is key and it usually takes, you know, you'll hear people say it takes six months, it takes nine months, it takes a year.
The reality of it is you have to be consistent in your efforts and what it is you're doing day in and day out. Because when it hits. And that engine takes off. That engine really starts to move. And all that effort that you put in in the months that preceded is what's bringing you, what's happening now.
a high attrition rate where [:Well, what does that say about the perception of our industry? Right? And if and if we make things look easy, it means we're doing a. Really good job. And you know it, people don't realize that they need you until something goes sideways. Totally. Absolutely. That's where the rubber meets the road, because when something goes sideways and you're able to help them navigate what can, in some cases turn into, you know, a quagmire of legal things among other things, you know, that's the time when they were like, Oh my gosh, I could not have done this without you.
I didn't realize that X, Y, and Z was involved in all that. , you know, for, for somebody that's getting started, you know, I think having a good mentor under your wing is also kind of a, a, an advantageous thing if you can find somebody, you know, obviously not one person can mentor everyone. Um, otherwise that becomes your, your designated broker,
including my mom, that I've [:Um, you know, I, I, I know I'm giving a very wordy response to a simple question, but, you know, there, I, I think the most important thing is grit, tenacity. You, you absolutely have to have a fire in your belly if you wanna do well at
Johnny Pfeiffer: this business. Well, and I love this feedback for our listeners because I hope what everyone takes from all of that incredible feedback that Denise just shared is its in.
an't lose. And the one thing [:Because just at the time, all of those months of hard work are ready to pay off. As Denise said, people tend to leave the business, they get frustrated. That is exactly when you were ready to be successful. So just follow your gut, keep your head down, keep working. Your intentions will. Lead you home to success.
It's that simple. And Denise, for those of us right now who are looking at the news and reading it and hearing it, and of course there's a lot of stories out there about bubbles and crashes and interest rates and such. It's a lot of media coming at at, at everyone. I'd love for you to share with our listeners, and for those who may be potential clients of Arizona Best, and Denise Pruitt, what do you see as the future of real estate?
Where's the market headed? Couple of years. Can you polish up that crystal ball for
ou know, unraveling whatever [:he highest they've been since:Well, guess what? in:But the [:What we're doing is we're reentering into a more normalized market and people will talk about elections and interest rates and all this different kind of stuff, but actually just this morning, Received an email from my financial planner that demonstrated during the midterm elections. Do you know the stock market has taken a giant dive?
So all of our investment portfolios, every four years during the midterm market elections timeframe, they've seen substantial declines. Followed by in the next 12 months. Substantial recovery. Absolutely. I, They've been tracking this since 19 and it has happened every single
ta jump in here if it's okay.[:Yeah, we, we did at Lyer, Smith and Frampton, we did a 20 year study, just as you said. And if you over. The activity of the stock market and the history and track record of it. Mm-hmm. , it nearly matches the real estate market. Exactly. It does. It is a brilliant
t rates on mortgages from the:Quickly remember and get educated on, oh my gosh, we actually had this beautiful gift of these extremely low interest rates for a very long time. The good news is, though, is that first of all, you know these rising interest rates are occurring in order to offset inflation. We're all filling the burn of that right now, but that does not mean that there are not solutions for that, and so just because interest rates aren't going up, what that means is hello seller.
arket where buyers will give [:Johnny Pfeiffer: Ah, but they need, they need one more. What's that? They need the best real estate company and the best real estate agent to do that for them. True .
Denise Pruitt: This is not, I will say this is not the time to hire an amateur . All of those times when people don't quite really understand, it's like, what are you gonna do to.
Separate yourself from the competition, and what are you gonna do to make sure your home is the next one to sell in a changing market. And so when you hire somebody who's been in the industry for a while and has been through X number of election cycles, or you've seen the market go up and you've seen it go down and we've navigated these storms before, that's our intellectual capital.
rather than later. And it's [:And so, you know, that that's important. You know, it's like it's, it is important for us to make sure that we've aligned with the right clients as much as it is for our client to select the right realtor.
Johnny Pfeiffer: Oh, absolutely, and I mean, I think everyone will nod their heads and agree with me as they're listening.
Did I tell you she's brilliant or what I, I learn every single time I talk with Denise, I learn so much and it's the key component to this topic is I hope everyone takes away what this person who has. In this incredible career, very experienced, has gone through a multitude of market ups and downs, is telling all of us it's going to be okay.
Sellers will. Still be able [:So thank you, Denise. That was absolutely fantastic feedback on that topic. And as much as I could sit and talk with you for three hours, we're kind of wrapping up the podcast, so I'd love you to close this out if you don't mind. Tell us why Arizona best, Why would we wanna work with Arizona best if we're a seller, if we're a buyer, if someone's looking to make an industry move and why do they wanna work with Denise?
Give us a minute overview please. Well,
Denise Pruitt: thank you for asking that. You know, as I mentioned earlier, it's like I've been with Arizona Best for over 22 years now, and that's not an accident. Um, I. I love the corporate culture, what we are able to offer. And you know, having, having been doing this as long as I have, I would say about 90% of my business is by referral repeat clients or personal introductions from people that I know.
And I'm [:And you know, so as independent brokerages we, we are able to collectively, and I'm talking as an industry, generate more sales transactions than many of the corporate, um, you know, entities that are franchises, if you will, and so on so forth. So bigger isn't always better and, you know, relationships matter to.
And I'm only as good as the last family that I helped. And so, you know, if I'm looking to my clients to introduce me to the next person that I'm able to help, it allows me to focus my 10 and energy on me to focus my 10 and energy on that, unless on marketing myself and having my name and my face out there, because I think the results will speak for themselves.
one of the things that makes [:And so I, I agree with
Johnny Pfeiffer: that. I will second that
Denise Pruitt: underneath. Yes. And I feel very honored to be able to work under that umbrella. And it's like we all learn from each other. Every day. And it was because of that relationship and that network that you and I got to know each other. And, you know, we started out in what we thought was gonna be a client relationship and we've turned out to become very wonderful friends and colleagues.
se that they, that you know, [:And whether it's a client or a family member or a friend or whatever it happens to be, I don't take those relationships lightly. Um, and so, you know, that's kind of how we roll around there. And I, I think. Culture is alive and vibrant within Arizona best real estate, and I think that's why our turnover rates are so low in our company as a result.
Johnny Pfeiffer: Why? I agree with everything Denise just said. Uh, the McIntyre family has created, as I said earlier, an icon in luxury independent real estate in the state of Arizona, and their reputation is untouched and unmatched for that matter. And. Denise to visit the company information, I believe it's Arizona best.com, is that correct?
through technology, but also [:And our favorite thing with leading real estate companies of the world is they are local, but they are also global. So Denise, I just can't thank you enough for joining us today. I have, This has been an absolute pleasure and you've shared so much great information.
Denise Pruitt: Oh my goodness. Well thank you so much for having me.
You've got my creative juices blowing now. I feel like we could go for another hour, but I . I have no hard time
Johnny Pfeiffer: today, . I know, absolutely. And thank you so much. And I absolutely agree. I wish these could be longer, but. Am so grateful to all of our subscribers and listeners who hang in there with us and listen to our banter about real estate from some of the, the best of the best in real estate across across the country.
And so I just would love to thank all of our listeners for joining us today for Brokerage Insider. Please stay tuned for next week when we will be bringing you more exciting news from the real estate industry. Please listen to us everywhere you are and able to listen to your podcast. And they are always available on Tribu website@tribu.com.
e have a great afternoon and [:us.
