Agent Profile: Blackmon Focused on Building Relationships
John Blackmon had been spending his weekends and summers on Topsail Island ever since his grandfather bought property here in 2000. So, when it came time to relocate, he says that he “knew this was the area where I wanted to be.”
Blackmon went to Cape Fear Community College and then to UNC-Wilmington and has now lived in the area since 2009. While pursuing his degree in Recreation and Tourism Management, he worked at the yacht club in Surf City, a job that launched his focus on relationship building that continues into his current work as a real estate agent for Treasure Realty.
John Blackmon
Blackmon emphasizes that he values all of his experience, including that of detailing boats when he went out on his own. That was a fun job, but a lot of hard work, he adds, and he “made a lot of connections that way too.”
By September 2021, he “jumped over to sales full-time,” as that was his ultimate goal when he chose real estate as his career path. Although moving over to sales from property management can be “kind of a tough jump,” Blackmon says those relationships he built with homeowners on the island helped him establish a good name for himself that he carried with him into sales.
In property management, he also had a first-hand look at “how badly people want to be here after vacationing for several years.” In fact, he says, he hasn’t “met anyone who has moved to Topsail Island and regretted it.” Blackmon particularly enjoys “seeing how happy people are when they get established in this area.”
The current real estate market can involve some challenges, so Blackmon advises that buyers understand there may be a time lag between selling their current house and being able to move into their new home. It’s also important to know that the “beach market is completely different than the mainland market.”
That’s where Blackmon’s experience with vacation rentals is key. He says, “If it’s on the island, I can tell you what will be the smarter route. I can quickly tell you what would be the better investment.” For example, he says, “If you’re at a certain distance away from the beach, for investment purposes, you might be better off renting at a monthly rate for the longer term.”
John and his wife Chelsea enjoying the boat
In his spare time, Blackmon enjoys sports, being around water and mountains, and a little bit of fishing. He says, “If there’s a ball involved or any kind of competitive nature, I’m keeping up with it.” He continues to play baseball and basketball, recreationally, and watches European soccer.
Getting his start in real estate involved working at the “lower levels” of a vacation rental program for another firm, after graduating from UNCW. He was managing long-term rentals when Treasure Realty bought out that firm’s property management side. In 2020, he “slid in basically the same role with Treasure Realty.”
Although he and his wife love the beach and soaking in the sun on Topsail Island, they also enjoy traveling. One of their favorite places to visit, St. John in the Virgin Islands, combines their love of water and mountains. Blackmon says he’s “never been to a place that’s literally water everywhere, but also a mountain.”
In the Topsail area, Blackmon says he and his wife “like to take in where we live.” He is “getting into fishing a little bit” and recommends that visitors and residents alike link up with local charter fishermen as there is “a lot of cool inshore fishing” in this area. Among the many reasons Blackmon says that the Topsail area is so great is “because of the friendly dog laws on the beach year round.” He would definitely recommend it for dog lovers who want every member of their family to enjoy the beach. He adds that he thinks Topsail is great because “it’s where I met my wife.”
