What's going on MLE Fam! We're sitting here today with the ultimate tag team, a real “dynamic” duo... and they're going to talk about what it means to be professional, progressive entrepreneurs... that just happen to be Husband & Wife.

MLE: Thanks Mr. Steven & Mrs. Jo Payton for taking time to sit down with MLE. It's really awesome to see such a beautiful couple, doing what you do. I mean it's a real story within a story. First of all how long have you guys been together & how did you meet?

Steven Payton: “WOW, where do we start? We have been in the real estate business longer than we have been a couple. We’ve been together for about 17 years now. We met in College; an engineering class to be exact. Jo and I were classmates. One day while we were waiting on class to start, I started talking to a friend of mine. He was talking about he wanted to take out the pretty girl over there (pointing at Jo). I told him, not if I ask her first. My friend did not know that I had tickets and backstage passes to a play. At that moment, I said, “Hey, I got these tickets to the play and backstage passes”! Well, Jo overheard me saying that, and she said, “I wanna go?!” Needless to say that, after the play and a cup of coffee, that was the beginning to our story.

MLE: So, you guys have more than “one deal” going on. (laughing) I mean besides being married, you guys are also business owners. You guys own, operate and manage Benchmark Bartlett. First, have to ask this. Who's the President and who's the Vice President? Just kidding! Don't answer that question. Really though, what is it that you guys do at Benchmark Bartlett?

Steven: It’s A NEW VISON, a new concept, setting the trend to a well respected profession. We are passionate about having fun and keeping things real and genuine. Buying a home should not be a terrifying event! As one of Memphis’ leading real estate teams—fun and real approach—combined with extensive business expertise—this makes for being so effective. We know how much is at steak when investing, buying or selling a home, custom built or resale, of land or even commercial property. That’s why we carefully listen to our clients to attain a crystal clear understanding of their goals. We then craft a personalized game plan and focus all of our drive towards making each move a complete success. That’s what “a real approach” in real estate is all about--- a genuine concern for your needs and a focused game plan to reach your goals---with plenty of laughs along the way. LOL. We are “Keeping it Real” with a Genuine Approach to Life and Business.

MLE: From what I can see and tell, it seems to be going very well for you. Is it as good as it appears to be for you?

Jo Payton: “OMGoodness. LOL. It has never been about us or how many magazine covers we’ve been on. Never about, our realtors’ production numbers, being “Number 1 or MultiMillion dollar producers”, or never about Benchmark Bartlett Realtors. It’s about our Customer Service and being a true source of information. People could care less about our accolades. What they do want to know is how much we care about them, the well being of their family, how we can help them in everything from how to save money to send their children to college, to how to retire comfortably, and how to become financially independent. It’s about educating people and making our society, our city, our world better for everyone, by investing, buying and selling real estate. We are here to make our clients’ life easier, not more difficult.

MLE: I've been reading up on your literature and looking at some of your promotional material. It say's 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEED! It's rather alarming and interesting to see that anywhere nowadays and especially in real estate. I mean, come on... is that real? How does it work?

Jo Payton: Very simply, we are guaranteeing our clients an unconditional satisfaction with our service. Better question is why it works. The Satisfaction Guaranteed service tells our clients that we at Benchmark Bartlett REALTORS believe in our service so completely, so unquestionably, that we are willing to put our money behind our service. This in turn makes the client believe in us and the promises we make, CUSTOMER SERVICE.”

MLE: We all know, there's nothing perfect and you can't please everyone. So with that being said, has that guarantee ever been challenged by a client?

Steven Payton: “Not even once. The quality of service most agents provide is not consistent. They do not have a plan to ensure each client receives a level of service that exceeds his or her expectations. The bottom line is, despite those agents’ great intentions, most agents don’t return phone calls promptly, don’t send out update letters or emails, and don’t keep in touch with their clients or do the other mundane thing that make the consumer feel good about their service. Knowing this, most agents are unwilling to offer a Satisfaction Guaranteed program on their service because they know a good number of their clients would have a legitimate reason to ask for a refund. To provide great service you must have a strong belief in the value of each individual. The vast majority of people will treat you fairly if you have treated them fairly. Check this out, Nordstrom’s “no hassle, no questions” return policy should have convinced you of that by now. They show that less than one-tenth of one percent of the public takes advantage of their policy.

MLE: Your marketing ideas are very catchy. I really like the one talking about “walking on water”? Do you guys use an ad agency for those ideas or is this developed in-house?

Steven Payton: We do employ assistance from time to time, but the best advertising that we use is “WORD OF MOUTH”, or what some call referrals or even repeat business. We are at a point in our careers that some of our best cheerleaders are our past clients. Some of them are working on buying or selling house or property number 3 or 4, now. People are moving into our city from other states and countries; they are retiring to and from other areas. We have even assisted clients with international moves strictly on “word of mouth” advertising and customer service!

 MLE: Besides the 100% SATISFACTION GUARANTEE, what else is it that you feel, separates you from others in the real estate business? The 100% SATISFACTION I'm sure says a lot, but what about those subtle things...

Jo Payton: Ever heard of ePros, ecoBrokers, or eTransactions? We promote GREEN technology; our realtors are paperless and completely mobile. We can operate from any where in the world via technology. Of course, we can always do the old skool real estate, but why fight progress? Our virtual doors are always open and our phones are always ON. Time is precious to our clients, so we strive to make every transaction seamless and don’t waste our clients’ time “running them all around town”.

MLE: Do people seem to be any more knowledgeable now, about buying or selling property? I mean a lot has gone on with the economy and you would think more preparation and more checks and balances are sought in the process, but still... I've heard recent horror stories... The price wasn't what it was said to be, the loan coverage was less and the person needed more money down at the last minute... there's been a lot.

Jo Payton: Do your research before you jump in the car with anyone! We suggest that people interview with no less than 3 realtors before making a choice of which person to hire for the job. Every salesperson or loan officer with a license is not always professional. We enjoy educating and enlightening people about real estate. Soon, we will be posting a series on “How to choose the right realtor”, “29 questions to ask a realtor before you hire one”, and “How to buy without paying too much”. We provide all kinds of information. Most of all, we tell people all the time, it doesn’t cost more to hire the best realtors for the job!

MLE: The economy has been kind of rough on the real estate landscape here lately. What is it that keeps you going, in spite of the housing market ups and downs?

Steven Payton: You kno’, some of the best career realtors in the business are still in business today, while others are “just waiting for the market to get better”. We call them “weekend warriors or just plain ole opportunists. Question for MLE: If you needed to have heart surgery, who would you choose, the one with the experience and stamina to stick to it and has performed many successful operations or would you choose the part time surgeon who has only done one or two operations per year?

MLE: I can tell, you really LOVE what you do, right?

Paytons: We do. This is our way of serving our community. The bottom line is simple—if the customer wins, we can’t lose.

MLE: So there's a lot to what this “power team” offers. So how do potential clients contact you? You got a website, facebook?

Paytons: Yes, Yes, & Yes. Website: www.StevenAndJo.com

Email: info@benchmarkbartlett.com, jop@stevenandjo.com, steven@stevenandjo.com

Office#: 901-384-7197, Toll free: 1-800-818-8925

MLE: Before you go, is there anything you want to share with other aspiring entrepreneurs? WAIT! You 2 seem soo-o-o HAPPY together...also any relationship advice you may want to just throw out there.

Steven Payton: For the entrepreneurs--Service is the lifeblood of any organization. Everything flows from it and is nourished by it. Customer service is not a department—it’s an attitude. Relationship advice--Have OTHER hobbies that both people enjoy doing together, regularly (wink, wink). Jo and I love to ballroom dance and play golf. My favorite dances are Rumba, Cha Cha Cha, and Jo likes to Tango, Swing and Waltz. Some of you guys may have seen us around town dancing, and wondered who are those people and where are they from. LOL.

MLE:1 last thing... we ask ALL of our guests these 3 questions... 1) besides Memphis, what's your favorite city and why? 2) What are you listening to on your iPod or CD player? 3) What's your favorite drink of choice?

1. Nashville, TN- a culturally diverse metropolitan with wonderful scenery, great real estate, great food and shopping.

2. Anything by Boney James and Sade. Really diggin’ the new Sade. It’s Hot!

3. My favorite beverage is Steven’s Kustom Koffee that he makes for us every morning. I call it Steven’s cup-o-love!