Today we’d like to introduce you to Laurence Martin.
Laurence, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started my company in 1986. I decided I wanted to conduct Estate Sales and had to figure out how to contact decision makers and gatekeepers in that arena. I made the decision to contact probate attorneys and looked int the Yellow Pages. There was no internet at that time. In the yellow pages was an entire section of probate attorneys. I began cold-calling them. Explaining what I did and asking for five minutes of there time to introduce myself and my companies services. The first few meetings were a learning curve. Several of the attorneys said. “we don’t have anything to do with that the heirs get everything in the house. I had to educate the attorneys. I explained that that was interesting, now you have a family that inherited a house full of furniture antiques and general household items.
The people involved don’t have time to deal with it, don’t have the knowledge of values of items, and already have houses full of there own stuff. One day I met with an attorney named Howard Keys. He asked me if I had ever heard of The Daily Commercial Record. I had not. He then explained to me the by law when someone passes away they must make an attempt to contact creditors and that was done in this publication. That gave publication gave me the contact information for the executor of the estate and the attorney handling the estate. I developed a form letter that I could personalize and a brochure and began mailing them out, about 5-10 letters a day. Soon my business took off and all the probate attorneys knew who I was and were recommending me to there clients.
During that time I met a gentlemen named Bill Wade. He opened the first Antique Auction house in Dallas. Bill took me under his wing and I apprenticed under him to learn the appraisal business. I went to the Missouri Auction school and received my Auctioneer’s Licence, Then went through the Certified Appraisers Guild of America Training and received there accreditation. Then I became a member of the International Society of Appraisers. My business has been a success for more than thirty years and has given me a very nice life. I have been fortunate to handle some very large project as well as assisting people with average estates that most of America has inside there homes.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has been a fairly smooth road. I was fortunate to connect with people that wanted to assist me and help me up the ladder of success. Now I am the one helping newcomers up the ladder. The struggles have been educating people about my services. It’s very narrow market.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Futures Past estate sales and appraisals story. Tell us more about the business.
Futures Past Estate Sales and Appraisals is a company that conducts Estate Sales and provides Appraisal services to families for Tax purposes, IRS, Equitable distribution, Insurance, Divorce and Casualty loss. We are known for our honesty and accuracy and highly regarded in our field by Banks, Attorneys, and The I.R.S. I believe what sets us apart is the care and concern we put into each situation. We are many times dealing with the loss of a loved one or some other tragedy and have to be able to deal with the high emotions that go along with those situations
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The biggest shift has been the internet and social media. You have to have a good presence in these areas. Online auctions are becoming a bigger trend, information on values is readily available online.
Pricing:
- We work on a sliding scale for Estate Sales anywhere from 25-50% depending on the estate.
- I charge $200.00/hour for appraisal services
Contact Info:
- Address: 6412 Patrick Drive
Dallas Texas 75214 - Website: Futurespast.com
- Phone: 214-828-0992
- Email: lmartin@futurespast.com
- Facebook: Futurepast
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