Pleasanton, CA — January 21, 2020 — NextHome is proud to announce our newest addition to the franchise, NextHome Mission, based in Stafford, Virginia. The brokerage represents the eighth office location opened in Virginia for the NextHome franchise.
Located just 30 miles south of Washington, D.C., the office is owned by Michael and Chris Asmus. Under their leadership, its agents will serve residential buyers and sellers – with a specific passion for serving the area’s military families. NextHome Mission is ready to help clients across northern and central Virginia, with a focus on the counties of Stafford, Prince William, Spotsylvania, and the city of Fredericksburg.
Steeped in rich American history, Stafford and the surrounding area is home to many of the nation’s elite institutions. The Marine Corps Base Quantico, Fort Belvoir, The FBI Academy, and the Joint Military Criminal Investigation Command all operate in the area.
Michael’s career began in the military, giving the Asmus family a unique understanding of the challenges that come with military relocations. However, after 20 years of service in the U.S. Marine Corps followed by 13 years as a technology executive, he decided to refocus his skills in an industry that allowed him more time with his family. Real estate was the perfect fit and in 2016, he got his agent’s license.
Michael’s introduction to real estate started with flipping homes across the Stafford area. Soon, his career began to grow organically as friends and acquaintances sought his expertise.
“Friends started asking me to help them buy and sell their properties,” Michael recalled. “It really was just because they were friends and they trusted me.”
That trust helped Michael build a thriving career with a small independent firm as his reputation for excellence spread.
It wasn’t long before Chris found her own passion for real estate. As Michael’s sales volume continued to increase, Chris started helping him handle the workload.
“I was enjoying working with the clients so much, especially the first-time homebuyers,” Chris said.
She obtained her own real estate license in 2018.
“I’ve been in careers supporting people as a part of the service sector my whole life,” Chris said. “From helping my dad in his dental office as a kid, working in marketing and online retail, to helping people navigate home-buying – all of my careers have been in customer service. All those experiences came together to make real estate the perfect fit for me. Michael and I decided that it made sense for us to both do this together.”
Since the couple started working together, they have found gratifying success. In 2019, they closed 45 transactions and achieved $14 million in sales volume in an area where home prices hover in the $311,000 range.
Not long after Chris obtained her license, the couple started considering ways to reinvest in their own career growth.
“We wanted to take our business to the next level and grow something that was truly our own,” Michael said.
As they started researching options, Michael knew that branding and customer service were his top priorities. Michael also has a master’s degree in Information Technology Management, making him an expert on the benefits top-tier technology can bring a business.
“I sought out franchises that already had the tools and standards I wanted in a brokerage,” Michael said. “From my previous careers, I have a strong understanding of the importance of client service and good technology. I was seeking a franchise that believed those were the pillars of success.”
NextHome had all thing things Michael and Chris were looking for, and more.
“I recognized that the branding that NextHome promoted was really strong,” Michael said. “Much of my career with the Marines was spent with the Recruiting Command. With that background, I appreciate brand standards being held to the highest level. We want to make sure that people know that we carry the NextHome brand seriously.”
Today, Michael and Chris are using NextHome’s suite of tools and unique branding to bring fresh options to Stafford-area buyers and sellers.
“We place the majority of our emphasis on our clients and leveraging great technology to serve their needs,” Michael said. “We wanted to open a brokerage that was different. Where agents can focus on delivering exceptional service to the clients, and technology is leveraged in a way that unifies agents and helps them collaborate.”
Although Michael and Chris enjoy working together in real estate, they also are passionate about health, fitness, and enjoying the great outdoors. When they aren’t working with their clients and building their business, they enjoy spending time with their kids, traveling, working out, kayaking, hiking, and supporting local and national organizations like Canine Companions for Independence.
Michael and Chris have been married for 31 years and are the proud parents of two children: Kristin who is a senior engineer for Tumblr, and John who is enrolled as a pre-dental student at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg.
Please join us in congratulating Michael and Chris on the opening of NextHome Mission in Stafford, Virginia!
Interested in being a part of the NextHome Real Estate Franchise? Contact VP of Sales Charis Moreno at Charis@NextHome.com.
Each office is an independently owned and operated business.