Meet Adam Sloat of Westwater Realty

Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Sloat.

Hi Adam, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born in Boulder, but also lived in Littleton and Lafayette before attending college at Tulane in New Orleans. My Pre-Law career path was left behind when I discovered my connection to New Orleans music and it’s creators. I spent 25 years in the music and entertainment business, managing some famous names (David Hasselhoff, The Memphis Horns, actor Sam Lloyd) I also acted as agent and talent buyer for some major universities, non-profits and corporations, along with a ton of performers, actors, comedians, and influential speakers. I wrapped up that career putting on luxury events around the country and in England and Europe and got into some real estate investing. Which soon led me to a career in residential real estate. It was a natural transition since I spent those 25 years negotiating contracts, navigating emotions and expectations, learning to see around corners and to solve any problem or address any challenge, no matter how big or small. I was MUCH happier working with people on buying, selling and investing over music and entertainment. After 3 years of fulltime work, I started my own boutique brokerage to serve the Front Range, Westwater Realty, named after Westwater Canyon of the Colorado River, where I spent my teenage summers as a professional whitewater river rafting guide. I launched with a goal of training and guiding agents to provide improved service, skill and care to the public, something I often felt was lacking in many areas of the real estate industry. Not to mention creating a brokerage with character and based on quality over quantity, along with helping agents to keep more of their hard-earned income.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The struggles and challenges in the music and entertainment business I learned to overcome would make a good book! But when it comes to real estate, while homes and the transactions themselves can provide plenty of obstacles, there are usually solutions to all of them. The real challenge is in the people. And unfortunately, it’s often agents who don’t prepare their clients well, nor create realistic expectations. Agents that sometimes put their ego and their preferences before their client’s, making negotiations tougher than they need to be. Most transactions (not involving corporate owners/buyers) work best when they are cooperative, which is the nature of the business anyway. Agents sometimes forget that. It’s also challenging for me to bring in new agents. I have extremely high standards, but often often agents feel “stuck” at their current brokerage, even if I offer a better split, more leads, and more access when they need a thought partner or an assist solving a problem. Or a pep talk when their client is struggling or the other agent in a transaction is causing problems!

As you know, we’re big fans of Westwater Realty. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I’m proud that we spend most of our brokerage meetings and lunches discussing how to be better agents, how to understand the nuances and the critical details, and how to provide better service and guidance than other agents/brokerages. We talk to lenders, insurance brokers, title companies and contractors regularly to stay up-to-date on key knowledge areas. These same people don’t often get asked to talk to agents, so it feels good to be adding the extra level of diligence. It often feels in a transaction like the other agent is on an island and not getting guidance or advice. Our agents know I’m always here to help and their clients are the brokerage’s clients, so we work as a team in the background to assist in anything we can. We also believe that a closing is not the end of the agent/client relationship. We stay in touch and we remain a resource for our clients. Not just providing referrals to trade professionals or house advice, but we’ve been known to help a college student move/in when the out-of-town parent is unavailable, pet sit, or just grab a lunch or coffee to catch up. Finally, I feel like we bring an extra level of care for clients selling homes. We keep them clean when vacant listings, including keeping those sink p-traps from drying out (and stinking up a home!), clearing out dead bugs, flushing toilets so there are no rings around the bowl. We also utilize technology in our listings that not all of our peers do. We have a partnership with Zillow and our listings are always showcased on that site.

What does success mean to you?
Great question! I think the definition of success is putting others’ needs first when you work with/for them, because when they win, you win. Earning trust is also a huge part of success. When someone believes in you and trusts you, it means everything and it also levels up the responsibility to continue to earn and increase that trust (which equals more success in life and business!).

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.westwaterrealty.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adamsloatrealtor/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@AdamSloatrealtormusicguy
• Other: https://www.zillow.com/profile/adam%20sloat