Drew Maher Has A Winning Setup for His Team!
Written by Heather Pluard
Photos by Kelly Klemmensen
As a former Minor-League Baseball umpire, Drew Maher knows how to make the right calls. Since launching DM Properties & Associates in 2015, he’s kept his real estate team fully equipped for success. That includes a major expansion to his state-of-the-art office with everything from private phone booths to an in-house real estate school. The new space aligns perfectly with Drew’s commitment to leveraging his resources to maximize his agents’ potential.
“Having a solid home-base where REALTORS® can go in-person and get the support they need is invaluable,” Drew says. “In a world that wants to move to the cloud, relationships will always be the life-blood of our industry. The primary goal with my firm was to find a way to remove mundane tasks off of the agents’ plates and encourage them to focus on client relationships and contracts.”
Located on a major road one-mile south of revitalized Downtown Kannapolis, DM Properties & Associates is uniquely known for not just acquiring listings, but creating them, too. They have an extensive portfolio of renovation homes they’re working on at all times. Approaching 100 flips in his career, Drew knows that renovating and listing homes creates leads for his firm’s agents.
“I bought my first home weeks after graduating college and renovated it as I went,” Drew says. “I experienced first-hand the benefits of creating equity through home improvements. During the recession of 2008, I umpired in Minor League Baseball, waited tables, and did construction work on the side with a close friend and now business partner. In 2013, I seriously started flipping homes and decided to get my real estate license. I listed my flips and was amazed at the number of leads I was able to generate when properly marketing the listing.”
Leaving the baseball field behind him, Drew joined a firm in Kannapolis, where he grew up. Three years later, he decided to go out on his own. “I structured my firm around setting up agents for success,” Drew says. “We have an in-house marketing director and transaction coordinator exclusively for our agents. In January, we’ll launch the real estate school.”
The school will be open to anyone looking for real estate training, continuing education, and career development. Conveniently, agents at DM Properties & Associates can walk down the hall for MLS classes and additional professional training opportunities. “I get so much satisfaction from succeeding with others,” Drew says. “I love surrounding myself with good people who have a strong character and a work ethic to match. The most important thing to me is not bringing on the most people, but the right people, and letting them be good at what they do. Our success is without a doubt because of a collective group effort from my team, both within the office and at our job sites.”
Drew’s team includes everyone from REALTORS®, to construction crews, to his lawn care business, and he is proud that there has been very little turnover among the group. Part of that is due to Drew’s team-first approach. “Sports have always been a big part of my life,” he says. “My coaches were highly influential on me. They instilled some of the values and skills that I still use today, and I enjoy implementing those behaviors in my business. Be mentally tough, have perseverance and patience, and trust your teammates. At DM Properties & Associates, we are a tight-knit group with a wide range of backgrounds, but we all have the same goal of winning for our clients.”
DM Properties & Associates also has a winning effect on the community, one flip at a time. “We can buy two or three houses on a block and fix them up to sell at a price point first-time homebuyers can afford,” Drew explains. “Together, we can slowly transform a community. It’s rewarding to take distressed houses on the same streets I used to ride my bike as a kid and turn them into beautiful homes that families can enjoy for years.”
Outside of work, Drew loves spending time with his family. He and his wife, Danielle, have two children. Caleb is five and enjoys sports and the outdoors. Ivy is two, has a big personality, and loves doing anything her brother is doing. The family loves to spend time with friends, take boat rides, and travel together.
“I’m excited to offer an incredible new workspace to my team to help them grow their business and build strong, lasting relationships,” Drew says. “No matter how virtual our industry becomes, brick-and-mortar will always be part of our game.”