contributed by Network Catering to Athletes and Entertainers
After a successful career of pitching wins for the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago White Sox, retired MLB player Evan Crawford now serves as the director of baseball for Next Move. Based in Washington, D.C., but with an international presence throughout the United States and Canada, Next Move provides athletes, high profile executives and entertainers with a single resource for buying, selling, renting and investing in real estate.
Founded by Keller Williams Realtor Jordan Stuart in 2018, the firm has licensed realtors in more than 80 U.S. and Canadian markets, collaborating to manage acquisitions and sales as a collective known as “The Next Move Network”. The network’s realtors gross, on average, a combined $1 billion dollars in sales volume each calendar year.
CEO Jordan Stuart said he sought Crawford out directly because of his strong ties throughout the current and retired baseball community at the Major League, Minor League and collegiate levels.
“Evan is an excellent fit for our brand and to service our client base,” Stuart said. “We value culture and real estate experience first, and Evan checks both those boxes as one of the premier personalities in the real estate industry. We feel fortunate to have Evan onboard.”
When asked why Next Move was an attractive opportunity, Crawford responded, “I decided to join Next Move because I see true value for the athletes — having a trusted and well-trained network of agents that understand the lifestyles and availability of the athlete. These attributes certainly minimize the client’s chance of being taken advantage of in a luxury market with a less experienced agent.
“Due to the nature of a traveling business, many athletes are at the mercy of the agent’s experience, and trustworthiness and this network minimize that risk. They can find comfort for themselves and their families that they are being taken care of by experts that have a genuine interest in their real estate needs.”
There is no substitute for personal experience in a niche industry. Crawford recounted his frustration of finding a home prior to retirement from pro baseball.
“For me as a player, finding a place to live for the season or in the offseason always proved to be a logistical nightmare,” he said. “Having a team, you can trust to have your best interest in mind, gives you the ability to focus on your job of winning games.”
Crawford runs the C/W Group in Auburn, Alabama, a real estate team within eXp Realty, and works closely with people in his community on reaching their homestead dreams. While representing clients in their search for a place to call home, Crawford enjoys getting to know his clients personally to find them a home that is the perfect fit for them.