By Je’Don Holloway Talley
For the Birmingham Times
If you check out the online reviews for real estate agent Stephen Wiley, you’ll notice more than a dozen glowing comments dating back to 2016 from satisfied home buyers who have done business with his Hoover-based Wiley Elite Homes Real Estate brokered by EXP Realty.
kimothimitchell wrote: “Stephen is very knowledgeable when it comes to real estate. He asked all the right questions and thought of things my husband and I may have forgotten. He was very communicative and honest. He was AWESOME to work with and we will definitely use his services again.”
maluni86 wrote: “Stephen is very professional and helpful! His patience in times of my indecisiveness was a definite plus. Buying a home is a huge decision and you definitely want a realtor you can trust and one that will listen to your needs and wants while taking your Budget into consideration. Stephen made sure I got the home that met my needs!”
Wiley, 33, said his hands-on approach is what helps make a satisfied customer, and that can come in a number of ways. Sometimes, he said, a brief consultation and sharing the right information is all it takes for potential buyers to find that they are closer to owning their own home than they know.
“I love to educate people on the process of buying and selling,” Wiley said. “People I come in contact with oftentimes don’t think they can buy a house, but once I sit down with them [they find] that they’re perfect candidates to purchase a property.”
As an example, he said, “The qualifying process is what separates me from other realtors. [With some realtors], if a client approaches, doesn’t have certain things lined up, and isn’t ready to go [with a pre-approval], they may not work with them. My approach is to sit down with them and find [out why they’re not pre-approved]. It could be that their credit is not where it needs to be, … [but] I like to help clients get to that point. I may have to pair them with a credit-repair person, so I’ll inquire with them on a monthly basis to see if they are making the strides they need to make. … There’s no better pleasure than seeing people who have worked hard [to get approval and get to closing] sign on the dotted line.”
Big Deal
Wiley, a Miles College graduate, recently brokered a 25-acre land purchase between a seller and national homebuilder D.R. Horton Homes that will become a brand-new, two-phase addition to the McCalla Trace subdivision in McCalla, featuring more than 80 new homes. According to Jefferson County land records, the deal was in the $250,000 range.
“Financially, it was one of the larger deals I’ve done,” said Wiley, who believes the new subdivision could provide housing options for new employees of the coming Amazon fulfillment center in Bessemer, which is slated to open later this year.
“There are 1,500 jobs coming to the area, … [and] people are moving here to fulfill those jobs,” he said.
The land deal with D.R. Horton was a learning experience for Wiley, he said.
“I learned a lot during that process, with some of the things that were required as far as purchasing to build [on the land],” he said. “Even when it comes to the government, there was some kind of [water] well they found on the property, and an archeologist had to come out to see if it was historic. … We had to do a lot of research.
“A lot of hard work and due diligence went into that sale. … It took about a year and a half to complete the paperwork. I tell people all the time, ‘Each transaction is different, and it’s a good learning experience on all parts.’”
That deal may have been Wiley’s most gratifying sales experience thus far.
“I literally sat at a meeting with . . . to figure out how the sewer system was going to be laid out for development. All of that has to be approved and accounted for,” he said. “Learning that entire process was really enlightening, and I grew a lot from it. Financially, it was one of the larger deals I’ve done, but nothing beats the joy I got from the learning experience.”
Wiley has also learned the importance role real estate plays in the growth of the economy.
“Building a house and people buying homes fuel the economy,” he said. “When the real estate market is thriving, the contractor needs wood, so you’re employing people at [home-improvement stores]. That drops down to the wholesalers and then to the manufacturers who are actually cutting down the wood. Then, once a house is built, the [homebuyer is] going to buy TVs, appliances, furniture. That’s retail, … [and] it has a huge effect on the economy and how it thrives.”
Buyers and Sellers
The Inverness resident grew up in Sipsey, Ala., and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in management information systems from Miles College. In 2015, he earned his real estate license from the MY Real Estate School in Birmingham. A year later, he formed his LLC, Wiley Elite Homes, located in Hoover. Wiley specializes in assisting buyers with the purchase of new homes. He also films video content for new buyers to help them become qualified for and obtain the right loans.
“I work with both buyers and sellers, but my area of expertise would be with the buyer’s [market],” he said. “I don’t have a specific price point; I’m open to work with everybody, so I don’t limit myself to certain individuals and price margins. I do a lot of videos to educate not only realtors but also people looking to sell their homes because I think there’s a lack of education in general when it comes to the homebuying process.”
Right now, Birmingham is a seller’s market, Wiley said.
“When you put a house on the market, you can expect that there are going to be multiple offers on that house; it’s almost inevitable,” he said. “People are really noticing [the market competitiveness]… If the home is in a nice area, the price is right, and it’s in decent condition, it’s definitely going to sell fast. I had a listing in Hoover and, literally, the first day I put it on the market, I had 10 showings and three offers.”
The reason homes are selling quickly? Economic growth and coming attractions across the city, Wiley said.
“With the development [the city] has going on, along with the World Games coming in 2021, I’ve sold to people that have never seen houses in the state of Alabama. I’ve sold to people out of California,” he said. “[Birmingham] is just one of those cities that’s full of growth, and it’s definitely a place where I enjoy selling and buying.”
Updated on 3/5/2020 at 12:51 p.m. to add full company name.
To learn more about Stephen Wiley and Wiley Elite Homes, visit www.wileyelitehomes.com or follow on Facebook @wileyelitehomes and Instagram @stephen.realty; his office is located at 2231 Victory Lane Suite 900, Birmingham AL 35216.
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