Who is Junior Sparks?
Where do I start? Hah! I’m a lover of life and family always comes first for me! I simply go with the flow of life with a positive mindset through faith. I have two siblings: Denis and Lisa. As the last born, it seems that I’ll forever be the “baby.” I studied both accounting and real estate sales at Barbados Community College. I’m a self-made real estate mogul and have been working in the Barbados real estate industry for over 15 years now. I had a pretty humble upbringing and I love that so much because it helps me to appreciate my accomplishments even more. I am always open to sharing knowledge as I like seeing others advancing in life too. I’m energetic and enjoy lifting weights. I’m addicted to travelling the world and experiencing different cultures and food.
What services do you offer?
I offer property sales and long-term rentals via Global Estate Agency Inc. Property listings on Global Estate Agency are for both domestic and international markets. Also, we specialise in high-end long-term rentals for expats on the island via Global’s sister company BarbadosExpatHomes.com.
We consider you to be one of the most successful Agents on the island. Who/what do you attribute your success to?
Most definitely my parents! Growing up in a household seeing both of them working hard around the clock to provide for my siblings and I had a major impact on me. I pretty much made up my mind from my teen years that I’ll have that same energy and more going forward with whatever career I decided to pursue. I was driven by a strong desire to be in a position to take care of my family and myself comfortably plus be able to assist my parents in their retirement.
What is one common myth about Real Estate Agents that you would like to clarify?
That real estate agents don’t work hard! And that once you’re in real estate that means you’re extremely wealthy! Many people think that we show a house once, sell it to one of the first 3 viewers, get paid the same week, then take a 6-month vacation with a “huge” commission cheque.
Real estate is simply not for the faint of heart! Here’s the perfect example I have experienced recently. I had a listing on my books for sale that was a large house, meaning valued at over one million dollars. I showed that house over 25 times and let’s not even talk about the marketing costs spent! I started negotiations with prospective buyers, submitted their offer to the seller and their offer was declined (too low). Then months later, I heard that the same prospective buyers purchased the same house via another real estate agent who had no idea the buyers viewed the house already. The buyers pretended that they never viewed the house before. Guess how much commission I made off that deal? $0! Still think real estate agents have it easy?
In my first 3 years in the business, I would have flopped, but I always see the brighter side of everything so that experience motivated me to customise some features of my brokerage services and also to focus on a new project that I’m excited to launch soon!
What are the basic traits of a successful Agent?
Most real estate agents are commission-based, but I always tell people to forget about the commission fees…money will come! Instead, I tell them to run your brokerage from the heart and actually care about your clients! Communication is key, keep your clients informed and connected. Having modern marketing mediums including a website and social media platforms that are updated with all the latest real estate trends/topics is essential. I also say, give back! Don’t forget the less fortunate.
How best would you advise an aspiring Agent to pursue a career in this field?
There’s a real estate sales course available at the Barbados Community College, which I did. You could apply to intern at a brokerage or apply to start in the administrative side of the business to gain the backend experience first before going out in the field showing properties.
What’s next on the horizon for Junior?
I completed another episode of HGTV’s House Hunters International and was just contacted by another international TV producer. So, we will see where those connections go. I am also working on launching juniorsparks.com soon, which will focus on properties exclusively listed by myself. Further, I am launching a foundation in the name of my parents that would be a non-profit organisation focusing on helping those in need, from dogs to humans.
Where can our readers connect with you online?
Global Estate Agency Inc: http://www.globalestateagency.net or BarbadosExpatHomes.com at 246-426-9469
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/globalestateagency
Twitter: http://twitter.com/globalestatebb
