James Altene

UNCOVERING AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW IN EVERY EXPERIENCE

By Robbyn Moore

Photos by Sasha Marceta with Skyview Experts

Photos taken at Cranbrook Custom Homes — The Heights in Rochester

While at the top of his game — and after more than 30 years in the retail profession — James Altene decided it was time for a change: He wanted to run his own business and be his own boss. He knew he would find great success in the real estate world if he listened to his intuition and followed his heart, and his instinct to venture out on his own proved to be a smart choice. In less than six years, James earned Rookie of the Year and achieved an elite status as a top 1% producer among real estate agents in the country. He also has a career volume totaling over $50 million and a lengthy list of clients, mostly established through referrals. Much of James’s inspiration comes from personal experiences, reading motivational books and the belief that anyone can be successful.

While he was growing up, James said his family lived modestly. They struggled in many ways, and when James was 18 years old, his parents divorced. Determined to create his own success story from nothing, James left home and never looked back. With an inner drive that was motivated by his goals in life, he set his sights on building relationships, honing his sales skills and discovering limitless opportunities within himself.

Today, James is leading his Altene Team as an associate broker at Keller Williams Premier. However, prior to launching his real estate career, James worked at Thom McAn in Flint, Michigan. There, he was an assistant manager, a store manager and eventually a district manager overseeing 14 stores. He later became a regional sales manager, managing more than 250 stores in the Midwest. When the company closed its doors, James joined Circuit City as a store director until he was promoted to district manager. Years later, he was heavily recruited into the Best Buy chain and took on the role of general manager, where he was responsible for running a $60-million store.

While James successfully kept his Best Buy stores in the top 10% of the company for many years, he slowly watched the corporation diminish with some of its internal support; therefore, despite his high-achieving performance, he knew it was time to take matters into his own hands and build a business that would allow him to work on his own terms.

With a vision to be retired by 65 and living on a catamaran that he could sail around the world, James’s goal parallels that of his clients: making dreams come true. “I know it sounds corny, but making dreams come true is a real passion of mine,” he said. “After years in retail sales, a career in real estate made perfect sense for me to reach my life goals, and it also gives me the opportunity to work with my friends and clients, helping them through one of their most important investments.”

One of the more rewarding aspects of James’s business is seeing his clients get to the finish line of either selling or buying a home. “The feeling of accomplishment is just amazing to me,” he shared. “I have had people so thrilled with excitement that they’ve cried on my shoulder — that’s something that can’t be measured.”

To James, what can be measured is success through learned experiences. “Whether I had a good or bad outcome, it’s what I learned and grew from that makes life successful,” he said. “There is something to be learned in every experience — the important part is finding the value of the lesson and allowing it to enrich your life. The amount of money I’ve earned is not the success; rather, it’s the result of the experiences I’ve created.”

After launching his real estate career, it didn’t take long before James realized that the profession often required long hours, sometimes seven days a week, and was filled with many ups and downs. “While I welcome having my own schedule, it does come with its challenges,” James said. “There are weeks where I’m working around the clock, and then other times it’s so slow I feel like I’m missing out on something. It could be my short experience in the industry, but I would rather be busy all the time; it keeps me level.”

When James does have some downtime, he enjoys vacationing, being outdoors and out on the water, watching science fiction movies, gaming online and going to the rifle range. He has two amazing daughters — Sarah, an architect who lives in Colorado with her husband and recently welcomed their first child, and Jessica, who lives in Troy and is a highly successful field rep, managing over 100 accounts for Jamison Products.

Given James’s sales expertise and background, his advice for up-and-coming real estate professionals is to put together a solid database along with a manageable CRM. “Above everything else, build lasting relationships,” he suggested. “And always ask for referrals!”

“I’ve built my business by working by referral,” James explained. “If you focus on your clients and treat them as close friends, call them on a consistent basis, send them personal notes and show them how much you appreciate them, you will reap the rewards of growing your business.”

According to James, real estate is about giving back to your clients. “If you focus on your people — their needs and dreams — everything will fall into place.”

James Altene - AGENT ON THE RISE