Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris D. Bentley.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started my 16 plus year real estate career as a Mortgage Loan Originator during the mid-2000 U.S. Housing Bubble. In 2004, I was introduced to a guy that was crushing it selling real estate and I somehow talked him into mentoring me after I got my real estate license. A couple of years later and after many real estate deals closed, the Housing Bubble burst and the economy went into a Recession.
A few years later, I relocated to Dallas from the Washington D.C. area and have been here for over six years. The people here are nice plus the lower cost of living, lack of a state income tax, and business-friendly environment has kept me here.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As they say, the Road to Success is paved with failure and I’ve experienced my fair share. After the Housing Bubble burst, the economy tanked, and people were getting laid off from their jobs. Banks weren’t lending money to anyone and just about all my clients were in foreclosure. This led to me filing Bankruptcy and having to get a job. I was crushed.
However, this wouldn’t be the first time I became broke. Around three years ago, I became obsessed with online leads and Facebook marketing. I purchased all the zip codes in Dallas from an online lead generation company and ran Facebook ads daily. As productive as that sounds, I was spending more money than I was making and the lead generation company got de-listed from Google. I was less than thirty days away from living in my newly leased BMW and was over $22,000 in debt.
Outside of the money issues I experienced, I think the toughest part of my journey was that when I moved to the Dallas area, I didn’t know very many people. I believe maybe five people in total. So, I needed to make some new friends and fast. I needed to meet people that were like me, business owners or entrepreneurs or at least aspiring to be. I started attending networking events and then created my own networking group, Plano Socialites. At its peak, the group had over 4,600 members and hosted events at least once a week.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Bentley Fine Properties – what should we know?
Bentley Fine Properties is a traditional real estate brokerage model, except there is a greater emphasis on leveraging technology to enhance one-on-one communication, acquire leads and close deals.
Headquartered in Plano, Texas, Bentley Fine Properties is just north of the Dallas Metroplex and at the heart of the relocation movement. People and companies from states like California, New York, Florida, and Oklahoma are calling the Dallas-Fort Worth area home.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
We’re simplifying relocation and committed to client care. Myself and my agents are always available via the traditional means like phone, text, and email as well as social media. We believe in being extremely visible and very accessible.
Contact Info:
- Website: BentleyFineProperties.com
- Phone: 972-639-7820
- Email: Chris@BFProps.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chrisdbentley/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chris.d.bentley
- Other: chrisdbentley.com
Image Credit:
Ed Wasson Photos, Laura Ouin Media
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