Greenridge Realty Marks 30 Years in Lowell

On November 13, 1989, Don and Connie Reedy handed Rick Seese the keys to the Reedy Realty office building on West Main Street. The next day, Greenridge Realty opened in its place.

When the Reedys decided it was time to exit the real estate business, Greenridge was the only company they considered for the sale, according to news reports at the time. “We have a great deal of respect for Rick Seese. He’s a credit to the real estate business,” Don Reedy told a reporter covering the event.

Since then, Seese has spent 30 years at the helm of Greenridge Realty’s Lowell location. It has grown into a regional, full-serve real estate office that lists properties throughout West Michigan. In 2020, Seese will pass the reins to a new manager but will continue to be a presence at the office and in Lowell.

Unexpected Career in Sales

While Seese has been the manager of the Lowell Greenridge Realty office for 30 years, his history in the industry goes back even farther. He was licensed 42 years ago and spent about 5-6 years with another agency before joining Greenridge.

“It’s funny because I never thought I would be in sales,” Seese says. “I just sort of fell into it.”

Instead, the broker originally when to school with the idea he would become a teacher. He started at Grand Rapids Junior College before transferring to Central Michigan University. When it seemed that teaching wasn’t a good fit, he switched to marketing. Although sales is a related field, it wasn’t a job he envisioned for himself.

In the end, real estate put his marketing skills to good use and, ultimately, was a fit for the teacher part of his personality too. That’s particularly true when it comes to helping other agents get started. Seese says teaching the business to new agents and watching them be successful is one of the most rewarding aspects of his job.

Industry Changed for the Better

The real estate industry has changed significantly since Seese started his career. Originally, all brokers were required to work in the best interests of the seller. “Even if I was selling to my mother, I was supposed to get her to pay the highest price for the seller,” he explains.

That changed in 1994 when Michigan law was amended to allow brokers to serve as a seller’s agent, a buyer’s agent or a dual agent. Now, buyers could be assured a broker was working to get them the best deal.

“I wasn’t crazy about how the industry was run back then,” Seese notes. He says the old system made selling houses feel a little like the stereotype of used car sales, with customer service and transparency taking a backseat to landing the highest price.

However, Greenridge Realty was different. Seese said the company’s commitment to quality service is what led him to join the firm and never look back.

Customer Service a Priority

When Seese joined Greenridge, the company had four offices and 100 agents. Today, it maintains 22 offices and approximately 500 agents. While the internet has made it seem easy for people to list and sell their own home, Seese says there is a safeness is using a realtor who can negotiate the best deal, pinpoint potential problems and ensure all the legal matters are in order.

“This is not a house business,” Seese says. “This is a people business.” Real estate is about more than transferring properties between owners. It’s about being accessible and responsive to client needs.

Greenridge stands apart from many other local real estate agencies in that it provides a full-range of services in-house. Seese says the firm has a title company, has a lender it works with closely and has enough room at its Lowell office to hold closings in a convenient location.

Between its professional workers and comprehensive services, Greenridge seeks to make buying and selling a home a seamless process. “We try to outshine with great customer service,” Seese explains.

New Management for the New Decade

The year 2020 will bring changes to the Lowell Greenridge Realty office. Not only is it entering its third decade of service to the community, but it will do so under new leadership.

Although Seese isn’t ready to retire, he does think it is time for the office to have a new manager. And there’s no doubt in his mind that Joshua McCracken is the man for the job. “I pretty much knew when I interviewed Josh five or six years ago [that] he was the perfect guy to carry forward all the ideals of this office,” Seese says.

McCracken is currently an associate broker at Greenridge Realty and has distinguished himself as one of the top agents not only in Lowell but across the entire company. He will take over as office manager in January, and Seese is confident the firm will be in good hands.

It’s a new decade and a new manager for Greenridge Realty in Lowell, but buyers and sellers will continue to receive the same great service they’ve come to know for the past 30 years.

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