Coastwalk Real Estate Merges with Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage
Posted: August 01, 2018 by Honor Rudd
We are thrilled to announce our merger with Coastwalk Real Estate, the #1 real estate firm in Carolina and Kure Beaches. With the merger, Coastwalk’s 46 agents and managers will now operate as Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage, locally owned and operated since 1988. The official announcement was made today at a sales meeting attended by Coastwalk agents at the Carolina Beach Marriott.
Justin Donaton, co-owner of Coastwalk Real Estate with his wife Aimee, will continue to list and sell property as an agent with the firm, and he will continue to act as a resource and mentor to Coastwalk agents. Coastwalk’s four existing offices in Carolina Beach and Wilmington will remain open and its four Brokers-in-Charge will continue to operate in their current capacity. Kimberly Sands, Managing Broker of the Carolina Beach office of Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage, will oversee all operations for the merged companies on Pleasure Island.
“Coastwalk and Sea Coast Advantage’s cultures and philosophies are well aligned - particularly our work ethic and high level of professionalism,” said Donaton. “These similarities make this merger a great fit and I am confident we will work very well together. And the timing of the merger couldn’t be better. The dynamics in real estate are changing, and the resources required to succeed in this business are more important than ever. With the merger, we now have access to a wide array of resources that will strengthen, expand, and build on our success.”
Added Tim Milam, president of Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage, “Coastwalk is a hugely successful company with a great reputation and excellent agents. We look forward to building on this success and helping their 46 agents grow their business both on and off Pleasure Island. The merger brings many benefits to both the agents and their clients and we look forward to a successful future together.”
ABOUT COASTWALK REAL ESTATE
Coastwalk Real Estate was founded in Carolina Beach, NC in 1996. The company has grown to 46 agents in four offices and has been the #1 real estate firm on Pleasure Island for many years. Its locations include 103 S Lake Park Blvd, 1009 N Lake Park Blvd and 105 Tennessee Ave in Carolina Beach; and 4037 Masonboro Loop Road in Wilmington. Together, these offices closed more than $128.3 million in sales and 442 sales transactions in 2017.
In addition to its leadership status in sales, Coastwalk has also earned a reputation for the strength of its commitment to the Pleasure Island community. Coastwalk agents are active volunteers for numerous community groups and have fielded an enthusiastic team every year at Pleasure Island’s Dragon Boat Regatta in support of Step Up for Soldiers. Coastwalk is also a regular sponsor of many local events and charities, including Life Rolls On, Carousel Center, Harrelson Center, and Crawl for Paws.
MERGER BENEFITS
“Coastwalk has grown to the company it is today through our ability and willingness to adapt to market changes,” said Donaton. “This merger will spur new growth and create significant benefits for both our agents and buyers and sellers.”
According to Donaton, these benefits include ready access to referrals throughout North and South Carolina; state-of-the-art technologies that make buying and selling a home easier for homeowners; an ability to reach a broader group of potential buyers to facilitate more sales; enhanced marketing and social media campaigns; access to a Technology Help Desk for all agents, a Training Director, Social Media Coordinator, Marketing Trainer and much more.
“Another big benefit for our listing agents is the opportunity to expand their listings outside of our current footprint in New Hanover County to Brunswick, Pender, and Onslow counties, where Sea Coast Advantage has a dominant presence.”
Additional benefits the merger will bring include:
- Access to 14 additional Sea Coast Advantage offices, where any Coastwalk agent can drop in at any time to use support services and technologies
- A dedicated New Homes department.
- Coldwell Banker Global Luxury, an elite team of agents who specialize in high-end luxury real estate
- Relocation referrals -- Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage is among the Top 4 members of the Cartus Broker Network, the country’s largest and most established referral network
- In-house dedicated trainer who hosts classes on a variety of real estate topics, such as business-building strategies, negotiation tactics, best practices, etc.
- In-house closing coordinators
- In-house administrative support
CHANGES TO OCCUR OVER TIME
According to Milam, there will be changes with the merger, but they will occur over time and with input from Coastwalk agents. An online survey was emailed to all Coastwalk agents today to help identify agents’ priorities and what tools and resources they need most to help grow their business. The results will be tallied over the next several weeks and will guide the leadership team as they craft a strategic plan for the continued growth and success of all Coastwalk agents.
“Everything about this merger is positive, including its implementation,” said Milam. “The changes will occur over time and will not disrupt agent’s existing business. One change that we all agree on, however, is the introduction of new tools and technologies, like our CBx® technology that uses proprietary BIG DATA to identify potential buyers and sellers. We’ll be conducting a variety of onsite training classes on IT and will identify ways to increase agent’s efficiencies. The IT department at Sea Coast Advantage is invaluable and they handle the technology so our agents can concentrate on what they do best, which is helping their clients buy and sell real estate.”
Added Donaton, “This is a new day for both companies, and as a result, an abundance of marketing resources, logistical and administrative support will be deployed that will allow agents to sell more homes, in less time and with fewer hassles.”