Candice Rich

Utilizing Financial Prowess as a Compass in Real Estate

By Robbyn Moore

Photos by Sasha Marceta with Skyview Experts

By nature, Candice Rich is a people person and a financially savvy maven. With many years of financial experience, she is an entrepreneur and business owner who has proudly built her business 95% organically from client referrals.

Because of her extensive financial background, Candice’s approach to real estate is a bit different than most agents. “It’s not about sales to me; I am not the sales-y type,” she said. “I prefer to build relationships and help my clients find the lifestyle that they’re after. I’m also a number cruncher, so I look strongly at the current and future market value of a property. I’m not just selling a home; rather, I’m advising my clients on their investment — more than likely one of the largest and most intimate investments in one’s portfolio: their home.”

Candice’s journey into real estate came after 22 years as a private practice accountant and owning her own CPA firm. During that time, she financially consulted with small and midsize corporations as well as provided corporate and individual tax preparation and bookkeeping. Moreover, Candice has been investing in real estate since her early 20s. “It has been said that 90% of all millionaires become so through owning real estate — I have goals!” she said.

After selling her accounting practice, Candice wanted a new career where she could bring together her accounting background, her experience as a real estate investor and her passion for interior design. From there, her real estate career was born.

When Candice entered the real estate industry over five years ago, she studied the market like a stockbroker. Within her first year and a half, Candice surpassed $10 million in sales — not a common feat for most new agents. Her financial prowess and solid past relationships strongly positioned her for success. “I had a book of business — a pretty healthy one — made up of top executives, athletes and investors. I came in as a seasoned professional and hit the ground running. I also believe my drive helped to grow my business quickly.”

Shortly after achieving her inaugural success, Candice joined a top-producing team. Collectively, they grossed roughly $80 million in sales that year. In January 2020, Candice moved to KW Domain Luxury Homes International in Birmingham, which is currently ranked as the #1 luxury agency in Michigan in both sales volume and top-producing agent. Within the next year, Candice plans to sit for her broker’s license and Florida license and develop a small team to begin selling in both states.

Candice was born and raised in Dearborn, Michigan, a tight-knit community known during that time as “the melting pot.” It was a multicultural town of hardworking families striving for the American Dream. Candice attended Fordson High School and later went on to the University of Michigan and Walsh College.

During those years, Candice was strongly influenced by her parents who stressed the importance of education, independence and integrity, as well as by her athletic coaches who encouraged leadership and discipline. “In any sport, it takes hours and hours of practice to become great; it teaches you to set goals and to push through barriers to become the best you can be.”

As an athlete and dancer for most of her life, Candice was fortunate to be a part of championship teams. “I was even more fortunate to be the captain on many of those teams,” she said. “I had to earn the trust from my teammates and coaches on many levels. They trusted me to lead, to perform under pressure and to know when to make tough decisions in order to win. At the same time, it was a great opportunity to learn and accept how to lose with class and grace.”

Candice lives, works and invests in Birmingham. Her self-motivating personality, along with a relentless pursuit to be her best, has put Candice on the leaderboard as a specialist in the luxury market. Since her move to KW last year, and after being furloughed for several months during the COVID-19 shutdown, Candice is still on track to achieve her sales goals.

“Now more than ever — with so much uncertainty — people want to feel comfortable again investing in real estate,” Candice said. “Being able to bring value to people and to advise them on how to navigate this market is crucial.”

Candice’s business approach is twofold: build trusting relationships and have a proven track record of results. “Relationshipsare everything,” she said. “It’s important for me to establish trust with my clients as we are working as a team to reach a common goal.”

Candice advises up-and-coming agents to understand that this is a business and that they are entrepreneurs. “You should build a network of trusted go-to professionals that will help grow your business,” she suggested. “It’s important to show up, stay focused, have a mindset of gratitude and abundance, have clarity and vision of your goals, and hold yourself accountable for attaining them.”

Although Candice has sold many amazing homes throughout the years, she said being a real estate agent in the luxury market is much more than just looking at beautiful million-dollar homes all day. “Working with a high-net-worth clientele in the luxury market involves elevating the client’s experience. They are busy professionals who rely on you to get them to the finish line. It’s important to be a concierge to them on many levels.”

I’m not just selling a home; rather, I’m advising my clients on their investment.

Moreover, Candice stressed the importance of becoming a local expert in your niche market. “Do the research, educate yourself in real estate law, study trends in new development, and know where the market values sit daily in the cities you represent in order to respond quickly, should it affect your clients,” she shared. “Becoming a local expert also positions you to negotiate the best pricing for your clients or to be able to advise them when to walk away from a potential bad investment.”

Above all, Candice believes the most important thing when working with buyers and sellers is to simply listen. “Listen to your clients’ needs and desires. Be compassionate, as it is an emotional journey for some,” she said. “That not only provides top-quality service, but it also shows integrity.”

Candice Rich - Agent Spotlight