In Vancouver, Wash., where land is in short supply and the roster of practitioners is long, Wollam keeps tabs on county land use plans. When Vancouver’s Clark County expands its boundaries, freeing up new land for developers, he’s one of the first to know. By focusing on development, he earns commission income on land purchases, individual lot sales, and home listings. Last year, he sold $13.5 million worth of real estate. A significant portion of that came from representing the buyer of a 23-lot subdivision. He subsequently listed all of the lots and most of the homes.
Chip off the old block: Wollam’s father, who owns a development and construction company, taught him about construction. “I’m the sounding board in our office on new construction and land,” Wollam says.
Balancing act: Wollam takes his work seriously but values his personal time as well. If he gets too busy, he’ll refer deals to a colleague. “You can’t do everything,” says Wollam, noting that the good deeds are returned in kind.