We sat down with New Town resident Dan Hough. Dan currently operates a local branch of Hommati—a company that provides realtors in the area with innovative marketing and home listing services.
Happenings: Hi Dan, thank you for taking the time to meet with us. Tell us a little about your background and how you came to Hommati.
Dan: Absolutely. I have been living in New Town since 2017. My prior background is in property management and before that I was in the Coast Guard for 15 years.
Happenings: That’s great experience. And, what initially piqued your interest in photography and real estate?
Dan: Well, in high school, I was actually into photography. Back then we didn’t have the go-pros and iphones like we have today, so we used photography to capture us kicking around on our skateboards and snowboarding. That, coupled with my experience after the coast guard as a property manager, created a nice synergy to get into the types of services that Hommati provides.
Happenings: And, as for Hommati, how did you come to manage your own franchise?
Dan: During my experience in property management, including about 150 properties in the St. Louis area, I was in the process of starting my own home inspection service, as well. About three quarters through that process, a friend of mine introduced me to the opportunity to operate a Hommati Franchise.
Happenings: And what initially drew you to pursue that opportunity?
Dan: Speaking with realtors over the years I saw a real need for agents to have a consistent, yet affordable suite of marketing services—as most of them were paying out-of-pocket for those services, along with listing platforms taking a fee on top of that and promoting other realtors beyond the main listing agent. When I met with the folks that run Hommati, I immediately loved their energy and their concept—which was to give back to the agents.
Happenings: Can you describe a bit further how Hommati helps both the agents and home buyers/sellers?
Dan: I help agents generate up to four times more traffic to their listings by adding dynamic visual content, such as 3D tours, aerial/interior video, photography for their clients and much more. If an agent it partnered with Hommati, the home sellers and buyers can rest assured the agent is utilizing that dynamic visual content which can sell homes up to 31 percent faster and increase the selling price by up to 9 percent. This creates a strong value add for agents, home buyers and home sellers.
Happenings: Along with the listings, what other marketing services are involved?
Dan: We also offer a featured agent program in which agents receive discounts on all Hommati packages and services. This program helps agents win more listings and sell more homes. Secondly, our agent advantage program—one of the most powerful closing tools that easily integrates into their current listing presentation—includes a custom branded pre-listing video and innovative agent magazine. The language in the mediums is presented to homeowners and goes over how agents will market their property and get the best sale possible for their homes. It ends up being a one-stop-shop for them and the homeowners.
Happenings: Thank you for telling us a bit more about Hommati and the services that you provide. It seems like a great program and one that has the best interests of realtors and homeowners alike. Final question for today, what do you like about living in the area, especially being in New Town?
Dan: I enjoy the work/life balance here. New Town is an extremely walkable community that has a bit of everything. There is also a strong support of each other in the community and word of mouth goes a long way for local, independent business owners.
Happenings: We appreciate you joining us today, and we wish you all the best in your future with Hommati.
