Chris Castetter quoted in the Hendricks County Business Leader... 

Everyone knows how dismal the housing market has been recently. Chris Castetter knows. He is a Realtor. He is also a small business owner and knew he had to do something. "You have to change with the times or fall through the cracks," he says. As the downturn continued, Castetter asked himself, "What is it going to take to set me apart?" He researched successful agents nationwide and interviewed them. "I educated myself (to know) what it means to have a website and how to drive traffic to it" 

Castetter says. He uses his website to educate consumers and keep them informed. "The marketing for sales is mostly web-based now," he adds.  Castetter also reassessed how he worked. As a result, he hired another agent to concentrate on homebuyers, so he could concentrate on sellers. He established a partnership with Home Matters, LLC, a professional home staging company and added a consultation for all of his listing clients. Administratively, he hired an assistant. Now he spends most of his time working with clients and building his business. 

"I determined what I had to do to survive, and thrive in this economic climate. The foundation of my past clients was and is my saving grace (in the beginning), and now I am meeting new people I may never have had contact with (through my website)." He credits the strategic changes made in his business for making 2009 his strongest sales year to date. Score one for small business. He can be contacted through www.chriscastetter.com or at (317)414-1117.