Like other full-service real estate offices in the area, Wagner has had to think outside the box to stay viable. Michael Saunders & Co., ReMax Alliance Group, Prudential Palms Realty and others have delved into international sales, short sales, foreclosure sales and more.
Wagner has found an advantages in having a large rental division and a commercial division selling property throughout Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Louisiana.
"Our commercial division is doing extremely well," said Ron Cornette, director of training and marketing for Wagner Realty.
While they are having a decent year considering there is several years of inventory on the market, Wagner recently introduced three new initiatives in an attempt to stay ahead of the curve.
One service the company is now providing is Attorneys-on-Call. Barnes & Walker, a local law firm, has a deal with Wagner to provide complimentary legal advice on real estate contracts and closings. In addition, if the sale needs special contractual provisions, the firm will draft those as well.
This service comes in handy if a contract makes it to the closing table and one side notices a change needs to be made that is beyond the Realtor's scope of contract law knowledge. Now, instead of having to come back to the table later, most problems can be taken care of much more swiftly.
"If our people need an attorney because they are going to do something unusual, the attorneys will write that clause," Cornette said.
Since many buyers seem hesitant to buy because they are afraid prices will far even further, Wagner created the Price Protection Program. Sellers may choose to participate in the program where a certain amount of money earned on the sale of their property is put in escrow for an amount of time. If the value of the home slips during the previously determined amount of time, buyers will get some money back.
It also shows that Wagner Realty is confident sales prices have bottomed out, Cornette said.
"Even a few months ago, this would have been a losing deal but we think that values are going up again finally," Cornette added.
The company is taking on an unusual role in the marketing of several new projects throughout the county.
The location of Wagner's El Conquistador office made it a prominent place for a Legend's Bay information center. Specially trained agents can educate people about the homes available in Legend's Bay and take them back to the property.
"Buyers when they see your name associated with Wagner, they stand up and take notice," said Jerry Blumberg, principal at Gibraltar Homes.
The arrangement worked well and Gibraltar Homes set up a similar arrangement with Wagner in its Bougainvillea Place development in Ellenton.
"They have their finger on the pulse of the Bradenton market. They know what's going on," Blumberg said.
Most developers will sell more than 50 percent of their homes through Realtors, Cornette said.
One of the things that attracts developers to team up with Wagner is the company's ability to generate advertisements in house. The marketing arrangement is just that, it is not an exclusive sales arrangement, which is unusual.
"We are helping other people earn a commission," Cornette said.
