"Time flies when you're having fun," said Lucas Edington, owner and broker of Mozark Realty, about the agency's 10 year anniversary of its affiliation with Mossy Oak Properties.
To celebrate the milestone, Edington renewed Mozark's contract with the Mossy Oak Properties franchise for another 10 years.
"I want to express my appreciation to all of our past, present and future customers because they've made this 10 years possible and also rewarding," Edington said. "For being here in Poplar Bluff, we're a nationally recognized company. This has been one of the top offices, if not the top office, in the United States for years."
Edington said it's very important to him to be able to give his customer base "here in the Midwest nationally acclaimed award winning service."
Mozart Realty was named the Mossy Oak Properties Office of the Year for the 2015 sales year and a finalist for the same award in 2016. During the last decade, Edington and his crew have received countless individual and team recognitions and are considered an industry leader across Southeast Missouri.
Edington said since 2007, the agency has grown from a staff of less than five people in a 600 square foot office tacked onto the end of The Executive Plaza, to a 14-agent team stationed prominently on Westwood Blvd. As far as what he did to bring his crew this far, Edington said mainly taking it day by day and intentionally not following a set-in-stone plan has been the key to Mozark's success.
"My entire real estate career was kind of unplanned," he said. "This anniversary even caught me off guard. Thinking back to my original licensor, and becoming a real estate agent, it was something I did as a backup plan and then, of course, it evolved into more than that. I'm very thankful. I thank the Lord I was led in this direction. But every day, I'm kind of just shooting from the hip."
Edington said he finds his job in real estate exciting and enjoys the relationships he builds with his clients. He said he's never sure of who he will meet on a given day, or what he will learn, but a passion for the Ozarks mixes well with his career.
"Though we live in what the rest of the world may consider a fly over area, I love the Ozarks. I love our region. I'm fascinated by our cultural history and our natural history. I jump at the chance to get out and about" he said.
Edington said his goal for the next 10 years is to keep doing what he's done for the last 10, which is "serving our customer base and our community." He said one aspect that makes Mozark Realty different from other real estate agencies is the culture within the office, which he hopes makes shopping for a residence or property anything but daunting.
"We're full time, full service agents," he said. "Culture is a huge deal to me. The atmosphere here is a little more lax than I think you'll find some places. Lots of windows, open doors, music playing. We spend a lot of time with the people here, we're a family and I want the office to be comfortable. Maybe even a little fun."
Edington said as his business has expanded to more than simply real estate, including a media division, he doesn't get the opportunity to be out and about as much as he was in the beginning.
"My role has obviously changed quite a bit over the years. Because of the growth of some of the sister companies under the Mozart brand, I spend a lot of my time in this office, which makes that culture aspect even more important."
Chris Hawley, co-founder and CEO/president of Mossy Oak Properties Inc., commended Edington and the team at Mozark Realty on the recent achievement.
"We take great pride in the many success stories in our network and the success of Mossy Oak Properties - Mozark Realty is one that is near to our heart. The team there embodies the Mossy Oak spirit: family, character, teamwork and a servant's heart."
Mossy Oak Properties - Mozark Realty is located at 947 N. Westwood Blvd. For more information, contact the agency at 573-712-2252.
"Under all is the land and we consider it an honor as well as a privilege to continue to represent the brand as well as our loyal customer base with consistency and enthusiasm," Edington said. "We are very excited for the next decade and beyond."