Lavinia Strong and Carolyn Ezelle have found a creative way to juggle work and motherhood – they share the responsibilities and the profits. There are so many times that we need to meet a client at a moment’s notice and our husbands aren’t home from work,” Carolyn said. “If we did not work as a team there would be no way we would be able to get a babysitter on short notice.” The arrangement is also practical financially, eliminating the cost of a babysitter and the potential for losing money if a client doesn’t end up moving to Savannah and paying a commission.
“Feeling that exemplary customer service should be our first priority, we wanted to make sure one of us was available at all times to meet our clients’ needs and expectations,” said Lavinia. “We knew that if we had tried to do this individually with a new baby it would be hard to give each client all the attention they deserve – that’s why we decided that forming a team would be the only way we could be successful. So often, evenings and weekends are when we need to be available for our clients because of their job schedules. Doing this together allows us to better serve our clients.”
The approach has proven wise. They earned 2007 Top Producer recognition from Celia Dunn Sotheby’s International Realty, along with four other agents.
Business partnerships work best when ground rules are clear and the partners have similar values, and they were lucky in both respects.
“From the start of our friendship I saw many qualities in Lavinia that I really respected,” said Carolyn. “She was very hard working and honest, which was something I felt was very important not only in a friend but in someone that you work with. We have similar values and seem to agree on most everything.”
They decided from the very beginning that everything from expenses to commission would be split 50-50, no matter who did more work. It worked out especially well when both families had their second children – fortunately 6 months apart, instead of 5 weeks apart as their first children were. They were each able to enjoy time with their newborns instead of having to worry about negotiating a contract.
“Going into this as friends is one of the reasons this has worked as well as it has,” Lavinia said. “Not once in the three and a half years we have been doing this have we ever had an argument or even a small dispute. We have always gotten along great and if anything it has strengthened our friendship. I think because we both care so much about our friendship we both make sure that we contribute equally so that neither of us ever feels frustrated. You always hear people say that they want their job to be fun and it truly has been for us.”
The children also enjoy the setup – th ey get to play with their best friends when Lavinia or Carolyn is working with a client.
“From a parent’s perspective, to be able to leave your children with someone you trust completely and who loves your children as their own could not be a better situation,” Lavinia said.
They met eight years ago when both women were newlyweds and neighbors in Ardsley Park. After they both had their first child five weeks apart from one another, they learned each had a strong interest in a real estate career.
Before she joined Celia Dunn Sotheby’s International Realty three years ago, Lavinia taught middle school math at St. Andrew’s School and worked as an account manager for Snelling Personnel. Carolyn worked for five years as a pharmaceutical sales representative and as an over-the-counter trader for Robinson- Humphrey in Atlanta.
They’re also very involved in the community, including volunteering for the Telfair Museum of Art and St. John’s Episcopal Church. Both Lavinia and Carolyn also sell Orient Expressed children’s clothing.
Lavinia and Carolyn have created the perfect solution for them to balancing career and motherhood – and they’re having fun as well.
“After having worked as an OTC trader and a pharmaceutical Sales Rep in Savannah, I can honestly say this is the first job I have ever have that I have truly enjoyed and that is because I get to do it with one of my best friends,” Carolyn said. “We could not be happier with how everything has worked out, we have been monthly and yearly top producers.”
Known for its tradition of integrity, Celia Dunn Sotheby’s International Realty specializes in residential and commercial properties in Savannah and the Low Country of Georgia and South Carolina. Founded in 1981, Celia Dunn Sotheby’s International Realty is noted for outstanding service to its clients, thorough knowledge of Savannah and the South Carolina Low Country, and excellent staff, in addition to having one of the region’s top property management departments. The owners are natives of Savannah who have more than 60 years’ combined experience in real estate. The offices are located at 9, 13, and 17 West Charlton Street on Madison Square in Savannah and 6 Bruin Street in Bluffton, S.C.
For more information, call Celia Dunn Sotheby’s International Realty at (912) 234-3323 or visit www.celiadunnsir.com. To contact the Bluffton office, call (843) 836-3900.
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