Golf Life Navigators Enters Real Estate Market with Addition of PJ Smith
(NAPLES, Fla.) – Golf Life Navigators (GLN) – the world’s only virtual marketplace for consumer-to-club connections – announces noted real estate expert PJ Smith is joining its executive team as broker of record.
Boasting remarkable credentials in the real estate and digital marketing sectors, Smith has over 20 years experience both in private business ownership and real estate investing. In addition to being a realtor and licensed broker, Smith currently owns Cyber Digital Marketing Agency. She also co-founded Smartview Imaging LLC and Digital Motion X-Ray (DMX) Clinic in Florida, and worked for the State of Minnesota.
In her new position with Golf Life Navigators, Smith will be responsible for building the real estate industry’s first team of “Golf Certified Real Estate Agents,” which will specialize in understanding typical golf operations, connecting with local membership directors and building an inventory of market data for consumers to leverage during the decision process. Smith will create and lead teams of golf certified real estate agents across the country in Sun Belt markets populated with multiple club communities.
An avid golfer who has played many of the world’s best courses, Smith has won 10 private club championships and was an executive in the Minnesota Women’s Golf Association. She also attended a rules training seminar at the United States Golf Association headquarters in New Jersey.
“Leadership is so key to any successful business and Golf Life Navigators has very talented executives who know the golf lifestyle and real estate markets, as well as having proprietary data for those respective industries,” says Smith. “While doing my research and learning more about the company, I knew it would be a perfect fit.”
Research conducted by Golf Life Navigators showed that 76% of consumers plan to combine their search of club and home. These findings emphasize the need for golf certified real estate agents who work on behalf of the consumer to fine-tune the search and lay the path to a seamless transition process.
“We are ecstatic to have PJ join us and pioneer the industry’s original team of golf-centric real estate agents.” adds Jason Becker, CEO of Golf Life Navigators. “Over the past three years, we have seen a growing trend of consumers wanting to combine a search for both a golf club and home in the Sun Belt,” Becker adds, “In some cases, filtering the club communities is just the first step for consumers. A deep dive into the real estate available within a consumer’s search results can really expedite the process. One team, working on behalf of the consumer to help find their ideal club and home.”
A month ago, GLN disclosed intriguing real estate statistics on new home construction highlighted by a continued appeal to live within a golf community or near a private club. The desire for new construction by consumers in the marketplace rose 150% in 2019. For resale buyers, 57% prefer to live within a gated golf community, and their median budget increased to $510,000.
Also, statistics show demand for non-resident memberships increased almost 8% in the past two years; thus, 65% of clubs report they now have a non-resident membership option, which gives consumers the chance to build in a non-golf community and become a non-resident member.
In September, GLN also released its new consumer buying trends report showcasing industry defining data for golf communities and the private club sector. Among the key highlights of this compelling report: 94% of buyers indicate the practice facility is the top-ranked amenity within the golf operation; 46% of buyers indicate a preference to live outside the gates of golf communities, a 4% uptick since 2018; and women value the private club investment aspect as five times more important than the men surveyed.
Based in South Florida with an active presence across the U.S., GLN showcases “best-matched” potential members with golf and country club options in Florida, Arizona, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, California, Texas and Georgia. GLN’s real estate experts, Golf Life Properties, identify primary and secondary residences in golf and non-golf communities.
GLN’s next generation of its marketplace provides unprecedented flexibility and access to its platform for clubs seeking exposure and connection with highly qualified prospective members. The updated GLN marketplace now features three levels of participation to provide clubs with an experience tailored to their membership recruitment needs: Marketplace Entry and Marketplace Link. Marketplace Pro will be GLN’s premier level offering clubs a series of data and analytics programming.
Its proprietary Membership Sales Solutions program assists private clubs in automating their existing sales systems, improving salesperson performance, as well as devising and systemizing personally tailored visits for prospective members. The unique and forward-looking program is a sales system with many aspects that, if desired, can be implemented, customized and fully functional within 24 hours.
Other prominent features of the Membership Sales Solutions Program include social media and digital marketing, website evaluation and recommendations, as well as executive candidate searches and prospect experience audits. The unique “Prospect Experience Audits” act as a “secret shopper” highlighting aspects where clubs both thrive and need improvement in turning tours into members.
About Golf Life Navigators
Based in South Florida with active presence across the U.S., Golf Life Navigators efficiently eases the process of determining the precise golf and country club membership choices for golfers looking to retire, relocate or engage in the “snowbird” life. Created in 2014 by grass-root PGA Professionals, club managers and membership directors, GLN guides discerning golfers, club seekers and property buyers through an in-depth analysis and insights befitting their unique lifestyle desires and budgets. The company has two complementary organizations: Golf Life Properties, the in-house real-estate brokerage specializing in golf course homes and real estate communities, and Golf Life Analytics, owner of an immense catalog of golf club and community data. More information: www.golflifenavigators.com 800.447.8707.
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David Wood
Buffalo.Agency
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