iHOUSE Website Customer Close-Up
John Ernstrom and his wife Trish share a long and successful career in Resort, Beach and Second Home Community Real Estate in the picturesque beach communities of Seabrook and Kiawah Islands of South Carolina. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, John worked in building and construction and later joined his wife in property sales. “Real Estate was a household phrase in our family, a business that we both knew quite a bit about. After our kids went off to college, we moved to the beach coast of South Carolina. We used to vacation here and always loved it here. Now we are happy to assist buyers and sellers in the area. We like to think of ourselves as Good Ambassadors of the island.”
When it comes to Mr. Ernstrom’s preferred internet tools, he is a hands-down iHOUSE advocate. “In 1999, I was using another real estate website company, they were too pushy and I decided that they weren’t the right company for me. My wife mentioned iHOUSE, as a member of CRS, she had heard good things about iHOUSE. She encouraged me to take a look at the products offered by iHOUSE. I never looked back once we moved to iHOUSE. I can’t say enough great things about all the people I’ve worked with at iHOUSE. Anytime I contact Customer Service, the staff is always patient, extremely helpful, courteous, and generous with their time to answer my questions and help me make my website the best out there. Customer Service is absolutely terrific; polite and knowledgeable people who want to help you and take as much time as needed to do it.“
“My iHOUSE website is responsible for 60-70% of my business. Our properties range from $800,000 to 5 million dollars. My clients can afford anything they want; they expect service and are very particular about what they like and what their needs are. Most are computer literate and fast with their fingers on the keyboard. My website makes it easy for them to search for homes. I’ll tell you, we get many, many compliments on how easy it is to use our website.”
“My iHOUSE website is a tremendous lead generator. I get leads from all over the world. We get email continuously through the website, it’s easy to use, and people can find the information that they want and need. My website is a full service tool, it reflects my knowledge of the area I represent. I don’t feel comfortable providing information about areas that I don’t know very well, so I’m happy to refer people to agents in nearby competing areas. My website provides many services and I’m very happy with it.”
“Our area is a niche market in the sense that we are a vacation, beach and second home community. It’s changing, the baby boomer population is coming through, and we’re seeing more permanent housing. We’re becoming more of a suburb of Charleston. We have a lot to offer here: a beach community, a country club, many amenities. 7 years ago, the average age was 61 years old, now it’s 50. I feel confident that my business and my services are appropriately offered and marketed through my iHOUSE website.”
“I recommend people to iHOUSE all the time. As a member of the local MLS board, when the conversation comes up, I point people to my website and give out the phone number for iHOUSE. I like iHOUSE and I’m happy to tell others. iHOUSE has helped me so much and does such a good job, I’m willing to share it.”
John Ernstrom has served on the local Charleston MLS board for many years and is e-PRO (internet Real Estate professional) certified. Trish Ernstrom has also served on the local MLS boards for many years and holds both CRS (Certified Residential Specialist) and GRI (Graduate REALTOR Institute) certifications. The Ernstroms are active members of the island community and also serve on several community committees.
