By. Tamara Kiehl
I recently had the pleasure of talking with Greater Tampa REALTORS® (GTR), 10-year veteran, Nathaniel Bittman.
Nathaniel is a Regional Manager with Security National Mortgage Company. If you’ve been in the mortgage or real estate industry for any length of time, you may have heard his name. He is a seasoned mortgage professional and his decade long tenor at GTR has allowed him to fine tune his teaching and speaking skills and increased the breath of his bandwidth. Nathaniel is a sought-after instructor within GTR and other organizations in the Bay Area. As if the mortgage industry wasn’t enough to fill his time, he still finds time to host his live show on Facebook, The Local Connection, shoot live 90-second market updates and teach Emotional Intelligence (EI) classes to other professionals.
Me: What is the greatest benefit you’ve experienced from your [Affiliate] membership with GTR?
Nathaniel: Fellowship. It is all about fellowship. Not only with REALTORS®, but with the other Affiliate members. Meeting and talking with other vendor partners have taught me so much. Things I never thought about. Example, depending on what kind of windows a client is ordering, it may take 35 days. Another example is what I’ve learned about garage doors or even from another lender. Something new or a guideline that may have been enhanced by the agency. This kind of fellowship not only lends itself to learning but to relationship and friendships. Being around likeminded individuals brings acceptance and camaraderie.
Me: How do you use technology to your advantage to interact and connect with other GTR members REALTORS®?
Nathaniel: Technology is vital to today’s environment. I use all three outlets: Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. Everyone should be using some sort of social media outlet and doing live videos. I do videos on the market and Emotional Intelligence. The EI piece is focused on sales techniques and how to be engaged with your client. In today’s world, social media is the way people connect. No matter how busy I am, I make time for my videos.
Me: What advice do you have for a new Affiliate member?
Nathaniel: It is important for the new Affiliate member to serve in at least one committee. But, before signing up they need to do an honest assessment of themselves and ask – what is the contribution I want to make. This is a partnership. It is not one sided. Also, to get involved in their community and give back. It is about being involved. Also, to make it a goal to meet with the other Affiliate members and have at least a 10-minute conversation. Get to know them. That will bring rewards not thought of.
Me: In your opinion, what is the most important thing to focus on as an Affiliate member?
Nathaniel: Get to know the other Affiliate members. It is circular and all goes back to fellowship. It will increase your exposure and bandwidth.
Congratulations to our Affiliate of the Month:
April: Dominick Ray – Warped Vision
May: Andrew Hoffman – Tampa Bay Chapter of the National Association of Residential Property Managers
TAMARA KIEHL
Affiliate Director
