Photo by Savannah Schmidt
Joe Falconer, a Realty South agent that sells properties around the Homewood area, models the shower in one of his listings on Jan. 22, 2025.
Real estate was not necessarily always “the plan” for Joe Falconer, who initially thought he might attend law school after going to college at UAB.
When plans for law school shifted, Falconer’s dad influenced him to give real estate a chance after Falconer lost a job he was working in the early ’90s.
“I kind of woke up one day and noticed what was going on around me with other agents in the real estate business,” Falconer said. “I thought if they can do this, I can do it, too — and maybe I can do it a bit differently.”
It was that determination and approach to the business that have consistently helped Falconer remain successful throughout the years.
Falconer has been a top agent with RealtySouth for 24 years, helping to lead the Homewood real estate market with nearly $5.7 million in sales volume across 17 units in 2024.
“I think I always kind of try to do what I know, and I don’t really worry about the rest,” Falconer said.
STARTING IN REAL ESTATE
Falconer received his real estate license in 2000 while his wife, Melanie, was expecting their son. At the time, he was serving as a Homewood city councilman and starting a new business venture that he hoped and prayed would be successful.
“I had a lot going on at one time, so I just prayed a lot and hoped it would turn out OK,” Falconer said. “I had another mouth to feed with my son on the way, so it was really important for me to get out there and hustle.”
Falconer’s expertise within Homewood stems partially from the fact that he grew up in the area, which he loves.
He resides in a home he has lived in for the last 50 years and still owns his childhood home, where his son now lives.
A familiar face to many in Homewood, Falconer said people often reach out to him for work with real estate. Some have told him, “I saw you driving around the neighborhood and recognized you.”
GENERATIONAL CONNECTIONS
Graduating from Homewood High School in 1982, Falconer finds himself selling homes now to children of his old high school pals.
“I am now seeing a lot of multi-generational sales where people are calling me up, saying, ‘Hey, can you help my daughter find her home?’ and it is a buddy I went to high school with,” Falconer said. “Or I’m also fielding calls from friends I went to high school with that are maybe wanting to sell their parents’ homes, and we work together that way as well.”
He added, “When I moved into the home I now live in, I was the youngest person on the block, and now I am the third oldest person on the block. Time really flies.”
When Falconer started out in the real estate industry, he was about to throw in the towel until he received a call in late December of his first year from a friend who asked if he could help him sell his mom’s condo.
“It is kind of crazy to think about now, but that person really got me going,” Falconer said. “My first year was in 2000, and it did not necessarily go well, but selling that condo got me on the path. Real estate is one of those things that you pay to stay. They might give you a sign and a stick to put in the yard, but you have to advertise and keep it going or else you won’t. My first and second year I was getting acclimated. Back in that time, you would put people in the car and go drive to see 10 to 12 houses a day. That was when 100 listings were on the market and interest rates were about 6 to 7 percent.”
ADAPTING TO CHANGE
Photo by Savannah Schmidt
A look through the keyhole at Joe Falconer, a Realty South agent based in the Homewood area, stands in the living room of one of his listings on Jan. 22, 2025.
Falconer said the market shifted in 2005 due to a crash, but things began picking back up in 2011.
“Things started exploding in 2013, and then in 2019 and 2020 you had COVID-19 years,” Falconer said. “COVID was my best year ever because people were buying houses left and right and interest rates were good. Then everything kind of changed because interest rates started creeping up. When interest rates are low, it is a different market.”
Falconer admits the changes in technology over the years have been something that requires him to adapt to each client he serves.
“I have some clients that are a certain age, and they just do not electronically sign a document, so you will still have to carry the paperwork to them,” Falconer said. “Sometimes the other agent may be fresh out of college and kind of thinking, ‘Wait, they don’t know how to electronically sign?’ but we have to meet people where they are. Change is the only constant we have, but certain things will not go away.”
CUSTOMER SERVICE
One of those things, Falconer said, is treating people with respect.
“I firmly believe in good customer service,” he said. “I come from the era of knocking on doors and asking for business. I shake hands when I’m meeting people, and I am always the person who wants to go look at a house first so I can know what the client is buying.”
Falconer is often straightforward with his clients and works diligently to make sure the home they are purchasing is something they will end up happy with in the long term.
“There are a lot of people that I have sold houses to on the street where I live,” Falconer said. “It is a pretty big deal to me that they are all happy with where they are living because we are neighbors. I mean, you want the people that know where you sleep every night to be happy with you. I am here to tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.”
Falconer recalled a time when a client asked him what they needed to do to improve the probability of selling their home.
“I said, ‘Sir, you will have to stop smoking your cigars inside because that smell is going to ruin the house,’” Falconer recalled. “Pet smells and smoking are the hardest things to rid of a home. You get out of life what you put into it. The same goes for a home. If you plant flowers and take care of it and want it to flourish, you have to invest in it. If you don’t want to spend any money on it once you are living there and then want to sell it down the road, you may have some issues finding the right buyer.”
ADVICE FOR BUYERS, SELLERS
Falconer said his father always told him to buy a home with the intention to sell it the next day, a piece of advice he shares with many of his clients.
“A lot of people that are buying a home nowadays don’t necessarily like to conform,” Falconer said. “I am all for people living in a home that they like and fits their personality, but maybe your personality is not the same as the person buying your home, and that is always something to keep in mind if you are considering selling your home one day.”
Falconer said he has no plans of slowing down or retiring anytime soon.
“I will work until my phone stops ringing,” he said.
As far as Falconer’s initial plans for law school, his son will be attending the Cumberland School of Law — an accomplishment Falconer and his family are very proud of.
“Real estate is something I have been very blessed in, and I think now looking back it was the best path for me to take,” Falconer said. “With my son, I am just thrilled he is getting to go.”
