Five Minutes with Ron Kalpak, Salesperson of the Year for Reynolds Lake Oconee Properties

Reynolds Lake Oconee Properties is pleased to announce Ron Kalpak as the Salesperson of the Year for 2016 with 22 transactions totaling over $8 million. This is Kalpak’s second year in a row as Salesperson of the Year, following a previous win as part of the Top Sales Team of the Year for Reynolds Lake Oconee Properties in 2015. We sat down to discuss his typical workday and what it’s like to represent such a great community. Q: What brought you to Reynolds and what have you enjoyed most about your Lake Life? A: I originally found out about Reynolds and Lake Oconee in 1989 while visiting friends and enjoying a watersports weekend. I later became the Tennis Pro at Reynolds, and eventually began my real estate career in 1992. There is no single aspect about living here that I enjoy the most. It is the combination of the people and activities in an amazing setting that makes Reynolds so superior. I love golf, tennis, fishing, and making real and lasting friendships; where else can you go to get the best of all of those? Being able to raise my family here is a dream come true. Q: What excites you about the future? A: I truly believe that Reynolds’ best years are still ahead of us. How can a community with the best lake, golf courses, weather, location, hotel, people, and MetLife at the helm do anything but be successful. Being a part of this community and knowing that I am helping others become a part of it is very exciting and rewarding to me. It’s like the perfect storm, but with a happy ending! Q: In your experience, what’s the trick to maintaining your success? A: I believe that there are many reasons, not tricks, which make any sale successful. I really don’t feel like I sell anyone anything, but rather work together with my clients to discover the best property for them. If you don’t listen and understand what your client is trying to accomplish, then you are not helping anyone. Often salespeople try to make their clients conform to their way of thinking. One quote I apply to my career is a derivation of the Golden Rule, which is “do unto others as THEY would like to be done unto,” meaning I am not the focus and one size does not fit all. In the end, it is all about the customer. Q: How has Reynolds impacted your life? A: First of all, I work with a group of amazing people who have taught me a great deal over the years and helped me in my successes. The knowledge and experience I have gleaned from the past 27 years of being here at Reynolds and Lake Oconee has proven to be invaluable. It’s those memories and experiences I recall every time I am with a client. Being here in the early days, surviving the tough times, and continuing to be involved in the evolution of the most unbelievable community in the world has been priceless, and not many folks can say that. From land development to spec homes, new construction to remodeling projects, Tennis Pro to Sales Executive, single life to raising a family here, I feel that I am uniquely qualified to assist clients no matter what stage of their journey and what they may be looking for.