REACHING NEW HEIGHTS IN AN UNPRECEDENTED YEAR
How One Top Hamptons Team Doubled Their Business in the Midst of a Pandemic
The Hamptons real estate market has been a veritable rollercoaster in 2020; what started as the traditional seasonal winter slowdown quickly escalated to a frenzy of demand as New York shut down, changing again to a sustained year-round hunt for inventory as ex-urbanites settle in long-term. One top Hamptons team, having joined Compass just months before the pandemic hit, has embraced change with particular success. This month, the CeeJackTeam isn’t just celebrating one year at Compass – they’re celebrating 70 closed transactions, 157% business growth, and a lot more to come.
Stepping into Compass this time last year, Cee Scott Brown, Jack Pearson, and Jeremy Dunham of the newly-minted CeeJackTeam set themselves up for success well before COVID-19 reached the Hamptons. “What we learned right away is that Compass requires you to work,” Jack recalls, “There are so many tools and systems and facets that we were never exposed to at our previous company. The level of innovation, creativity, and support inspired us to lean in from the get-go.” And with the new environment came a golden opportunity to build a cohesive team brand – something to define and differentiate their longtime strength within the Hamptons market. “We met with Compass marketing more in our first two months than we had in the ten years we were at our prior brokerage,” Cee reports. Leveraging in-house strategists and design, the team has cultivated strong brand equity in their markets that speaks to expertise, results, and of course – luxury.
Another element to which the CeeJackTeam attributes both early and sustained success? The Compass agent network. “We attended the Miami offsite in our first week,” says Cee, “and we had a mission: do nothing but meet people for three days. That plus the national and regional referral system is a large part of how we’ve doubled our business in the last year.” From Boston to California, the team has tapped into a national network, gaining not only referrals but also inspiration from their counterparts in luxury markets across the country. “It’s opened our eyes to how much we can do,” they realize. Energized by content strategies and digital channels they had not yet tapped, the team hired Kyle Barisich as their Social Media and Marketing Director, who has since doubled their following on social media.
Having already laid the foundation for a strong year, the CeeJackTeam was primed for success and took the early challenges of the pandemic in stride. “It was like a tsunami,” they recall, “the population was suddenly 6x the norm – like August in April.” Buyers who had seen property in January were calling and emailing with offers, and when new inventory came on, people bought sight-unseen. Cee himself closed transactions all spring from California, where he had been heeding non-essential travel bans until easements in July. “Usually people can take their time in second home markets,” says Jack, “but now time is of the essence if you want to be competitive.” And the fast-paced, innovative approach they adopted upon their arrival at Compass paid off – “We had to come up with new tools and new ways to conduct business in a virtual world, and now we can do so much more without having to physically be everywhere.”
And as we enter colder months, the Hamptons show no sign of slowing. “Fundamentally, I think New Yorkers have experienced a change in the way they see and value space – and it’s not going away.” People are searching for homes with pools, yards, office space – something the team is working into their SEO strategy. And with employees working remotely and Manhattan schools opening up local campuses, 40% of summer residents plan to stay for the foreseeable future. Between that and the international travel restrictions that will interrupt otherwise typical allocations of time and capital, the CeeJackTeam anticipates a busy winter season.
As for continuing the record-breaking trend in 2021? They have plans for that. An immersive affiliate marketing event is poised to be the highlight of the year – in partnership with Hamptons Magazine, the team will host next year’s exclusive Rosé Day at their properties on Shelter Island, where 1,000 invite-only guests will have a chance to spend the day experiencing all the area has to offer.
As we close out what’s been an unprecedented year in many ways, the Hamptons real estate market continues to move at breakneck speed. The CeeJackTeam’s advice? Know what you want, and move quickly when you see it.