Linda Fox-Jarvis never imagined that one of her children would want to join her real estate business. “It is a rewarding career, but it is also a 24/7 job and takes a toll on your family life,” says Fox-Jarvis who has sold real estate since 1982, regularly placing in the top 1% of realtors across the nation.
Working with her daughter, Stephanie Jarvis Caskill, has been a dream come true for Fox-Jarvis, saying she loves their collaboration and receives great joy from the association. Fox-Jarvis also says she is proud of what her daughter has accomplished – Caskill is now Team Leader of The Linda Fox-Jarvis Team.
Caskill says she learned to sell real estate from her mother, first starting on the administrative side and then growing into the role of lead agent. “I can attribute all my knowledge to her.”
Linda Fox-Jarvis
The Linda Fox-Jarvis Team, BHHS RW Towne Realty
Residential Real Estate
Jewish News: How do you collaborate professionally with each other?
Linda Fox-Jarvis: We talk multiple times a day about the day-to-day business, challenges, etc. We sit down and meet physically at least once a month to go over our year-to- date sales goals vs. actual sales, as well as to discuss our marketing and advertising, technology opportunities, client appreciation events, team building activities, etc.
JN: Do you find generational differences in your approach to real estate? If so, what are they?
LFJ: Yes. Stephanie is more geared toward technology, online software/resources and social media than I am in terms of our marketing and services. I tend to like “snail mail” and print advertising. I think both perspectives give our clients the best of both worlds in terms of marketing their home, communications, and other real estate services we provide. We always take our clients’ lead in terms of communication – i.e. some are big on texting, others emailing, and many prefer communicating by phone. It often is a generational thing.
JN: What have you learned from each other?
LFJ: I’ve learned a lot from Stephanie. I admire her confidence, patience, and team orientation. She really cares about our clients and our team members, and it shows. I am also so impressed at how she serves all of our clients – no matter their age – no matter their price range. And they share that they love and respect her knowledge, professionalism, and caring approach.
JN: What advice would you give to other family members who work together?
LFJ:
•Don’t micromanage each other.
•Respect each other’s perspective and ideas – get out of judgment and into curiosity.
•Communicate – talk often.
•When you do have a disagreement and maybe didn’t say or do the right thing, say you are sorry. Don’t let your pride get in the way.
JN: Do you have any advice that pertains to real estate as the end of the year approaches?
LFJ: If you are thinking of selling a home at the end of 2024, NOW is definitely a good time! It’s more of a seller’s market right now. Waiting until next year and the spring, there will most likely be a lot more homes on the market and more competition.
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Stephanie Jarvis Caskill
The Linda Fox-Jarvis Team, BHHS RW Towne Realty
Residential Real Estate
Jewish News: How do you collaborate professionally with each other?
Stephanie Caskill: We work exceptionally well together, especially as a mother-
daughter team! Each of us has distinct roles within the business, yet we maintain constant communication throughout every transaction. We typically align on business decisions and have a deep trust in one another, which makes our professional relationship incredibly strong.
JN: Do you find generational differences in your approach to real estate? If so, what are they?
SC: Somewhat, but overall we share the same core values and foundation for our business, which makes our approach to transactions and negotiations very similar. When it comes to marketing, we bring the best of both worlds. I focus on social media, photography, and video, while Linda handles the fundamentals and knows what consistently works. This combination has proven to be highly successful.
JN: What advice would you give to other family members who work together?
SC: Maintaining open communication is key! It’s a learning process to figure out what works and what doesn’t. It’s very important for both parties to feel like they are “winning” in this situation and I do feel that we have that.
JN: Is the end of the year a good time to sell a home?
SC: Absolutely! Many clients ask me whether they should list their home during the holidays or wait until later. I typically recommend getting it on the market now. As we approach spring, competition increases significantly, with a surge of homes hitting the market in March and April. Additionally, the holiday season often brings increased listing activity. Buyers tend to have more time off work to view homes, and we frequently see new buyers entering the market as they visit family during the holidays and decide to relocate to the area.