The History of Roy Wheeler Realty Company (1927)
With a $300 loan in his back pocket, Charlottesville native Roy Wheeler in 1927 decided it was time to follow his dreams and start a real estate company that would bear his name. He opened an office above the Monticello Drug Store, now known as Timberlake’s. Joined by his brother Earnest, the two-man team focused mostly on farms and estates and slowly, but surely, started to build a reputation of trust, unmatched excellence and vision.
90 years later, Roy Wheeler Realty Company continues to be a leader in the farms and estates market, and now residential sales as well. This allows them to serve everyday families and Hollywood stars alike. The company has six offices in Central Virginia and employs nearly 130 agents.
“No guts, no glory.” And Roy Wheeler had plenty of guts when he entered the real estate business in Charlottesville, said current co-owner and broker David S. Callaghan, who took over the business in 1972 with Frank Quayle. “It’s safe to say that both Roy and Earnest were big dreamers. From the start, they wanted to conquer the whole state of Virginia. They spent a lot of money in advertising, especially in Europe. At that time, there were lots of folks thinking of moving to the US, and Virginia in particular.” That move paid off as Roy built a reputation as the company to contact for clients interested in farms and estates. That reputation endures today.
At the time Mr. Callaghan and Mr. Quayle became the owners in 1972, the Roy Wheeler team consisted of about ten agents. Growing the company to the next level required steady leadership and, most importantly, the ability to hire the right people for the right positions. “That has been one of the keys to our success, period,” said Callaghan. “We are a very sociable organization, inside the walls of our building and outside. We learn from each other and help each other. We also have the right educational tools at our disposal to be the best we can be. Being part of an organization like that requires a certain kind of person. With that in mind, the best decision I ever made came in 2005.”
Callaghan hired Michael Guthrie as the new CEO and Managing Broker. “When I came on board, I wanted to accomplish two things,” said Guthrie. “I wanted to include the residential market in our focus and strengthen our commitment to the community. I can safely say we accomplished both those goals. Also, winning the Hovey Dabney Award (2017) for the company that best exhibits corporate citizenship showed our commitment to giving back to the community, and that is something that we are all proud of.”
At the moment, approximately 75 percent of the work of Roy Wheeler agents involves residential properties, the other 25 percent is dedicated to selling and buying farms and estates. On a yearly basis, the company is heavily involved in several charities in Charlottesville.
In the twelve years Guthrie has been with Roy Wheeler, the company has grown from one office to six and is now a leader in the residential market, as well as farms and estates. That is quite the achievement, considering that when Guthrie joined the financial crisis was about to hit. Roy Wheeler was able to survive that crisis, due to a vision Guthrie, Callaghan and Quayle share: “We are a financially healthy company and we don’t owe anyone any money. That has always been our focus. That’s important, because you are in charge of your own destiny,” said Guthrie.
In recent times, Guthrie was able to introduce key innovations in two more areas. “We are a one-stop shop,” he explained. “It means that we have the ability to offer mortgages and we have legal expertise in-house to do all the paperwork regarding buying or selling real estate. Movement Mortgage and Ednam Title are great partners who help our associates serve their clients in a quality way.”
Second, Guthrie is adamant that in today’s fast-paced real estate business, you need to be cutting-edge. “In 90 percent of the cases, people start their search for a new home online,” Guthrie said. “That’s why we’ve made a conscious effort to have an online and social media presence. That’s both a service and a way for us to connect with customers.”
Roy Wheeler is headquartered in Ednam Estate of Albemarle County, just off 250 West. The estate was named a Virginia Historic Landmark in 1981. Other offices are located in downtown Charlottesville, Wintergreen, Crozet, Ruckersville and Zion Crossroads.
Published on 2017-11-27 09:46:54
