Meet Casey Rutherford | REALTOR & Business Development Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Casey Rutherford and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Casey, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
In the world of real estate, I have found that more often than not, the answer to “why are we doing it this way?” is “because that’s the way it’s always been done.”
The world around us is innovating, yet agents are still surprised that in 2021 the same methods of building a business and teaching others to do the same aren’t working the way they did ten years ago.

Would you believe me if I told you that 80% of my real estate business came from social media? Many don’t believe this, but it’s not because I have a significant following. Instead, it’s the way I leverage social media to build a relationship with my online community and let them really get to know me.

My vision for the Rutherford Real Estate Group is to create a space where I can utilize social media to get the maximum return for my real estate clients and create an environment where I can coach and empower other REALTORS® to do the same.

What should our readers know about your business?
I tend to think that women (moms, in particular) undervalue what we can contribute to our families. We find ourselves in the ever-so-common struggle between not wanting to lose our professional selves and wanting to be present for our kids during “the years we won’t get back.” I struggled with finding my identity during the early years of motherhood – I felt the pressure to stay home, but in my blood, I’ve always gotten a lot of fulfillment out of working. From a desire to find something that was my own and contribute again to our family, my real estate career was slowly born during morning and afternoon nap times, and evolved back into a more than full time adventure.

In those early days, I didn’t approach it the way all the old-school brokers tell you that you have to, by door-knocking and cold calling people I haven’t talked to in 15 years. Social media became the vessel for growing my business – except instead of getting on to scroll, I came at it with a business strategy that I deployed with a bottle in one hand and my phone in the other.

Over the last four years, my business has doubled every year (on track to triple this year!), and I now have a team of four mighty women by my side and 8 additional agents that I mentor on how to use social media to build their own real estate empire. Our modern approach to real estate marketing, lead generation, client engagement, and retention is unlike any other in the industry.

The social presence I’ve built over the last several years is also incredibly impactful for clients. First, it’s allowed me to build meaningful relationships with other agents and brokers all over Atlanta. This serves sellers well in the negotiation process and buyers well in winning offers. Second, it allows us to get thousands more eyes on a client’s listing than they may otherwise receive through just hitting the MLS and third party sites.

While our modern approach is certainly something to be proud of, what I’m even more excited about is partnering with other women to build meaningful businesses that will impact each of their families as well. In an industry that can be extremely cut throat, I believe that there is plenty of real estate to go around for us all, and that by partnering together, sharing knowledge, and maintaining a mentality of abundance vs. scarcity, that we are stronger together. I think that if we move forward together, working smarter not harder, we can change the industry one day at a time. The future is bright, and I’m here for it, arm-in-arm with a mighty team of women who are taking the Atlanta real estate market by storm.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My favorite part of metro-Atlanta is the North Fulton area of downtown Alpharetta. The brand new Hamilton Hotel would be my preferred choice for accommodations, due to it’s walkability to all that downtown has to offer. You can’t beat a morning coffee at Valor, and I’d grab a cup of joe to take a walk over to the farmers market on the green on a Saturday morning.

For lunch, I love Chiringa or the rooftop on a cool fall day at Jekyll Brewing.

Don’t miss the short drive over to Crabapple and pop into my favorite home store, Stevie Collective. While you’re there, check to see if in my office, and come say hi!

Fermented has a wine flight that is to die for, and is the perfect place to camp out for happy hour before dinner at Citizen Soul, Coalition, or Carson Kitchen.

You’ll love a little getaway to awesome Alpharetta, and I’d love to meet you for a toast!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As cliche as it sounds, my husband. Having built a business himself, he not only understands the work that goes into creating something bigger than yourself from the ground up, but also the time, effort, and sacrifice that entails as well. Instead of asking me to wait until our kids were older or putting my career goals on the back burner, he’s truly been a partner and also my biggest cheerleader. He truly believes that the greatest gift we can give our kids is a fulfilled parent, and that happiness trickles down into the quality time we spend together as a family.

When he has to do bath/bedtime three nights in a row, he’s happy to do it. When I need him to come with me to a networking event, he’s happy to be the tall handsome guy on my arm. Starting a business isn’t easy, but having a partner who truly understands your vision is the greatest gift.

Website: www.caseyrutherford.co

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/case.rutherford/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casey-rutherford-b433b521?trk=people-guest_people_search-card

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/caseyrutherfordrealtor

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClRUtjwXTj8Rb7_3HtSgxFw

Image Credits
Photos by Lauren Carnes Photography