After 14 years in the high-tech world that involved extensive travel, Will Cook; owner of the Will Cook Group with Keller Williams Palm Springs; got into real estate in 2002 for three reasons …
He wanted to:
- Immerse himself in his local community.
- Pursue entrepreneurship.
- Discover work-life balance.
His experience managing large, fast-moving corporate projects translated well to real estate. He hit the ground running, but recounts the first seven years in the business was a time of “failing forward.” Several things got in the way of growing as a Realtor: brokerage changes, frequent moves from Massachusetts to Louisiana to Florida (where there was intense hurricane activity), regrouping, and staying afloat during the Great Recession.
When he relocated to Palm Springs, California, about 10 years ago, Cook got serious about treating his business like a business. “I got a business coach, and that really changed my life. I developed systems and processes, learned how to manage a database, and discovered the importance of leverage.” Even with so many of the crucial pieces in place, Cook felt that he had stagnated and ready for change. “I was looking for an environment where team structure was appreciated, where I could continue to develop and refine systems, and where I had access to ongoing education, so I could create repeatable success based on a model that works.”
When Cook explored Keller Williams, he was immediately impressed with the company’s philosophy of plenty. “Keller Williams’ culture of sharing is so unusual. It’s very attractive and it nurtures growth.”
Now in the top 1% of all agents valleywide, Cook and his growing team help clients in the Greater Palm Springs Area “find their very own slice of the California desert.” As one of the first teams to fully migrate to the Command platform, they’re using technology to outpace the competition and “create a service experience that’s second to none.”
His brand centers around “the Will Cook Group Experience,” which is an extremely high level of touch. “We’ve integrated all of our systems into Command, so it’s become an amazing end-to-end solution where we can tailor-fit our marketing message to different segments of our database, and also manage our opportunities throughout every phase. It’s been very, very helpful.”