At NLR, We are constantly learning, improving and innovating.

By now, you’ve probably seen or heard of our new interactive touring technology we released earlier this year. You’ve probably also learned that our company consistently strives to build a culture of innovation by bringing its clients cutting-edge technology and always seeking out ways to help each team member better serve his or her clients.

One broker who fits perfectly into this culture is Pat Snyder, Land Broker in Western North Carolina. Pat is the Managing Broker of National Land Realty’s Western NC office. He is a retired military officer, Rotarian, Certified Negotiations Expert, REALTORS Land Institute member, and serves on the board of directors of the Rotary Club of Asheville and Blue Ridge Honor Flight. He’s also a repeat author on our blog. His posts are among some of our most popular, with pieces on topics in the Western North Carolina area, book reviews and his very informative timber series.

Pat’s strategy to constantly learn, improve and innovate is a “layered approach,” he said.

“I regularly read books on subjects including leadership, sales, negotiations, regional history, homesteading, sustainability, and agriculture. I’ve become adept with seeking out and applying innovative technology that allows me to market properties better than any other land broker in the region, to research for red-flags that might need to be investigated, and to use various tools to understand properties and surrounding areas. I write blog posts, teach classes, and mentor other brokers which all require me to understand topics at a much deeper level so that I can explain them more simply. And I team up with other experts, including environmental engineers, archeologists, geologists, conservation trusts, agricultural experts, financing entities, surveyors and attorneys who help educate and protect my clients while teaching me.”

To him, it is vital to constantly learn and improve. Pat told us that he’s always been naturally curious about how things work and finding solutions to problems.

“My military career fed that drive for continuous learning and helped me quickly adapt and learn as I changed jobs and locations every couple of years in a deliberate effort to develop a breadth of knowledge and become a more capable leader. Since focusing on real estate, I’ve found that selling large land tracts is less repetitive, has less commoditization than the residential market, and allows for incredible opportunities to learn about unique attributes of each and every tract. When showing land, I regularly hear from buyers that they are impressed with my detailed knowledge of the property and preparedness to make sure they have the information they need to make informed decisions.”

Pat’s strong efforts to keep learning and innovating have allowed him to succeed and grow his skills exponentially. He genuinely reflects what our culture of innovation is set forth to be. When we asked him how he felt he fit into NLR’s culture, he said:

“When I got to the point in my land brokerage career where I realized that I could not afford to develop and maintain top tier marketing, technology, and an infrastructure for support necessary to best help my clients, I began searching for a firm that could offer exemplary services aligned with my personal values. As a U.S. Air Force retiree, I still honor the core values of Integrity, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do; and as a Rotarian, we believe in truth, fairness, building goodwill, and finding solutions that benefit all concerned. What I saw in National Land, was strong mentorship from the leadership team, a commitment to innovation and excellence, a focus on quality over quantity, and a support structure of experts available to help my clients succeed at their goals. All of that is sustained by an organizational culture that is aligned with my core values.

I also believe in abundance over scarcity and am willing to help other brokers (including competing brokers) be better at what they do. At NLR, I do this by leading and participating in efforts to help educate others and provide input to shape where resources are applied for us all to improve. At the regional level, I help competing brokers by co-marketing their listings so that their clients can also benefit from our innovation, I organize land broker network events for them to make better connections with local experts, and mentor brokers at multiple other firms on ways to market and sell land tracts. The more educated and capable they are, the easier it makes my job in the future and the better will be for both of our clients.”

Pat’s tips for any new agent or broker at NLR are to:

“Align yourself with industry leaders so you don’t have to do everything yourself. If you are a new NLR agent/broker, you have a team of professionals willing to invest in your training, who are able to support you in meeting your goals, and are interested in helping you succeed. Let them provide you with the best tools, marketing and mentorship available in the land brokerage industry so you can dedicate your time to learning, using those resources efficiently, and focusing on your clients.”