Swanay completing three decades in business

By Greg Miller
STAR STAFF
gmiller@starhq.com

   Russ Swanay is in his 30th year as a real estate agent.
   Russ began his career on Sept. 29, 1972, founding his own business some 2-1/2 years later.
   Russ notes that many changes have taken place since he began his career. "When I began in business, there were only a few realtors in town," he recalled. "There were no such things as Multiple Listing Service, computers of Internet providers. Now, these are the everyday tools of a realtor.
   "We now place all of our properties on the Internet, featuring visual tours of each listing," Russ said. "The Internet offers us exposure all over the world. We receive calls -- a lot of calls -- from out-of-state buyers, referring to a particular property they have seen on the Web. Their initial inquiries usually consist of a request for more extensive details or additional photographs."
   Russ says that although he initially resisted the technological advances that were available, competition forced him to adapt. "I like it all now, and I do not see how anyone can do a great volume of real estate business without full utilization of these tools," he said.
   Another sweeping change Russ points to which has impacted the real estate industry has been the availability of financing. "In years past, only a small number of lenders were available for home financing," he said.
   "Today, there are endless lenders available all around the country. It is common for us to sell property to people who secure financing from lenders in California, Texas, New Jersey, etc."
   Other valuable real estate tools utilized by area realtors are the homes magazines. "The impact of these magazines has been tremendous as regards our business," Russ stated. "We put a lot of emphasis on the real estate magazines, featuring our properties prominently."
   Four years ago, Donna Swanay joined the firm as an affiliate real estate broker. "Donna has proven to be a great asset to our business," Russ said. "She is extremely energetic, very imaginative and is just an excellent addition to the firm."
   Donna sold more than $1 million worth of property in 2001. "That is good for your third year out," Russ stated. "Donna is an excellent assistant," Russ said.
   The company now has a new Web site, which was built by Star Technology Group. For more information, call 543-5741, e-mail donnaswanay@chartertn.net, or log onto the Web site, www.swanayproperties.com.