Page 4 - Jim Seabold

I think that combination is pretty rare.”
Whether it was his youthful outlook or his natural gi
for nding creative solutions, Seabold found it both ex- citing and rewarding to always look for unexpected, even unusual ways to achieve his goal. at goal is to put his clients interests above all else.
INNOVATIVE INGENUITY
“I’m always trying to think outside the box, looking for ways to add value for my clients. For instance, long before the industry was providing pictures of properties, I was out there taking my own,” he says. “I would put them in a portfolio so that at my open houses buyers could see what was for sale. You have to remember, this was back when we were still using those huge MLS books. ere was no internet, and no one had pictures. So, this was pretty in- novative.”
Seabold has proved to be creative and ahead of the pack in other ways too. Back when he rst got involved in real estate, there was no such thing as a true buyer’s agent. As Seabold explains it, everyone was technically a sub-agent of the seller. is means, buyers were basically le to fend
for themselves. Seabold didn’t think this was fair and therefore got around this issue in a very clever way.
“We never represented buyers,” he says, “we were all sub- agents of the sellers. To get around this, I always claimed every buyer was a friend because that was the only way you could represent buyers. Of course, a few years later, the entire industry transformed. Everyone thought they had representation, they just didn’t know that wasn’t the case.”
anks to the analytical in uence of his father, Seabold was always one step ahead, anticipating the next market change and then, utilizing his fertile imagination, would address any obstacle or potential downturn with his own unique approach.
“I was in uenced by my father,” he says. “A 3M engineer is a unique breed of analytical personality, so growing up in that household and then going into sales, I’ve always focused on trends and continuously analyzing where I feel the market is headed.”
For example, in 1996 Seabold began working in new construction. “I was able to work with a developer who was building urban- ll condominiums, which in the late-
THINKING OUTSIDE
THE BOX THE BOX
Seabold’s capacity for combining creative solu- tions with analytical reasoning impacts virtually every aspect of his life. A true football fan, Seabold wanted to be on hand for the sport’s biggest day – Super Bowl LII, so he devised a way to acquire these tickets for himself and a friend at an incred- ible price.
“Of course, we were disappointed that the Vi- kings weren’t playing,” he says, “but we still want- ed to see the game. Two months in advance, we devised a plan to buy tickets after the game had started during the rst quarter. Most people want to be there before the kickoff.
“We knew if we waited until after the game had started, the value of those tickets would decline,” he continues. “We also had some things working in our favor. By 5:45 in the afternoon the temperature had dropped to around two degrees. Ultimately, we were able to negotiate tickets for $1,000 apiece and ended up sitting in the 13th row of the lower level on the 40-yard line.”
Normally, these tickets required a VIP connec- tion and a hefty pricetag of around $7,500 a piece. Their winning strategy resulted in dream seats for one of the biggest events of the year.
“Did we feel exceptionally lucky?” Seabold says. “Absolutely! It was such an incredible purchase and we got into the game when the score was 3-3.”