<p><a href="http://stlouis.blockshopper.com/agents/4337" target="_blank" title="gerard">Damian Gerard</a> has been in and out of the real estate business for nearly three decades. <span style="color: #000000;">But as impressive as his history in the business has been for the past 27 years, he's just as focused on the future of real estate and how new technology continues to make finding the perfect home even easier for his clients.</span><br /><br />Gerard &mdash; an expert for <a href="http://stlouis.blockshopper.com/cities/clayton" target="_blank" title="clayton">Clayton</a>, <a href="http://stlouis.blockshopper.com/cities/chesterfield" target="_blank" title="Chesterfield">Chesterfield</a>, <a href="http://stlouis.blockshopper.com/cities/webster_groves" target="_blank" title="Webster">Webster Groves</a> and <a href="http://stlouis.blockshopper.com/cities/wildwood" target="_blank" title="wwood">Wildwood</a> &mdash; spoke with BlockShopper.com about the changes he's seen, what first brought him to the business and how a wider variety helps clients find what they need even if they didn't know it.<br /><br /><strong>BS: What makes you a real estate expert in St. Louis?</strong><br /><br />DG: I've been in and out of real estate since 1982. I've owned other companies and been in different industries &mdash; always in sales and sales management in one area or another&mdash; but real estate was always the first choice. I also know St. Louis even though I was born in Kansas City. I grew up in Webster Groves after my family moved here when I was five, so I have a complete knowledge of St. Louis.<br /><br /><strong>BS: What originally drew you to real estate?</strong><br /><br />DG: I went to the University of Missouri&ndash;St. Louis and majored in business administration. I came out of that looking to get started at making a living and real estate and housing were something I'd always been interested in. That just made real estate my first choice for building a career. Then, a few years ago, I just felt like it was time to get back into real estate and stay in it.<br /><br /><strong>BS: How has the business changed since you got started?</strong><br /><br />DG: The biggest change has been the technology and the ability it gives clients to do most of their own research. That means realtors need to have a higher level of competence and a broader scope than in the old days. Back then, you'd show six or seven houses a day because you had to drive around to each sales office and get a key, show the house, then take the key back. Now, I've shown as many as 42 houses a day. My clients will pick the houses now after they find them on the Internet rather than showing them listings that came in a book that came out once a week.<br /><br /><strong>BS: How do you set yourself apart in today's market?</strong><br /><br />DG: About six out of 10 of my clients are people relocating to the area. I spend a lot of time showing them all of the different areas of town, and I show people property in several places based on price range, which determines what they can get in each market. The key is how much they want to spend because there are houses in lots of markets at their price range. You just get something different for the price in the city versus out west. My clients are thankful for seeing a broader selection to make their decisions.<br /><strong><br />BS: What seems to be most important in making their decision?</strong><br /><br />DG: The No. 1 reason is the school district. That matters more than anything else. No. 2 is driving patterns. Most people move to an area because it has a school district that they perceive to be better than others and they balance that with how far they have to drive to work.</p> <p><input id="gwProxy" type="hidden" /><input id="jsProxy" onclick="jsCall();" type="hidden" /></p> Have a real estate-related question? Send Damian Gerard an email !