ALBUQUERQUE WESTSIDE AND RIO RANCHO SPECIALIST (505)263-5664 or (505)891-5627 Property Search | Return to Home John Long Voted "Best Real Estate Agent" on Albuquerque's Westside An article from the Observer Westsider Frank Sinatra once sang about being "a puppet, a poet, a pirate, a pauper... a prince and a king." The Readers' Choice for Best Real Estate Agent, 40-year-old John Long, has been a bunny, a leprechaun, a pilgrim, Frankenstein, Santa and the Easter Bunny. And although he may not boast the late crooner's millions, he's been quite successful at his trade. As in more than $11 million in sales in 2000. He's been in on deals ranging from homes as high-priced as $450,000 and as low as $49,900; the average being $125,900. People have been seeing Long decked out in various garb on promotional fliers for many years, although the affable prankster says he's "gone to a different format" now. "There are people who say they collect this stuff," Long said, recalling seeing some of his flyers posted in a young boy's room while he was at the home on business. "It's a numbers game," he says. He would mail out about 11,000 fliers regularly, knowing that, he says, "10,589 of those get thrown out in the trash." The payoff comes when someone decides it's time to sell their home, or to buy a home, and the name John Long is the first one they think of when they need a Realtor. "Whenever they sell, they'll remember me," he says. He has had the fortune of dealing with three generations of one family along the way. "Realtors are like family doctors. After all the dust clears and the hoopla's done, it boils down to communication. A phone call means a lot," he said, acknowledging, "You really become a slave to your cell phone." A licensed Realtor at Coldwell Banker Legacy since 1986, Long says the technology has undergone drastic changes in those 15 years. Cell phones, fax machines and the use of the Internet are just three examples, he said. The latter gives him access to homebuyers throughout the country. They view listings and see photographs of homes they are interested in, and many times they end up calling Long. His "perseverance, personality and self-promotion," he says, are as important as a piece of property's location. "It's been interesting over here for the past 15 years," Long said. That's about as many more years as he hopes to work in the business. "I want to hang up the 'for sale' sign when I'm 55," he quipped. —Gary Herron JOHN LONG Coldwell Banker Legacy, Realtors® 4000 Southern Blvd • Rio Rancho, NM 87124 Phone (505)263-5664 • Office Phone (505)892-1000 • Toll Free (800)866-8700 Contact me at John@JohnLongRealEstate.com