There's No Place like Home

Ron Folkerth has a dream, but it might not be the one you expect. As a realtor and Senior Associate Partner with Keller Williams Advantage in Bellbrook, his dream is to help employees, friends, and clients to succeed in realizing their own dreams. Born in Dayton, Ron grew up in Beavercreek and graduated from Beavercreek High School in 1967.

He continued his education at Sinclair Community College and Wright State University. Eventually, Ron went into the manufacturing industry where he spent years as a globe-trotting manager. He always had a dream of returning to his Miami Valley roots to earn a living and give back to the community he loved growing up.

Today, he has done just that. With his three children grown, Folkerth settled down on nine acres in Sugarcreek Township. With the support of his wife of 11 years, Lyric Rillera, Folkerth embarked on a new vocation in real estate thanks, in part to some familial advice. "My Uncle Frank Lang was a builder in Beavercreek and told me I should invest my time and efforts in the real estate business," he remembered.

Starting out at a small a small family-owned company in Beavercreek, he learned that real estate can be a difficult line yet rewarding of work. "This is hard work and one of the most challenging jobs I've ever had," said Folkerth who "You must have a passion for it in order to be successful."

During his transition into the world of real estate, Folkerth wanted to find ways to give back to his community. "I like working with people and enjoy giving back to the community and that makes it a win-win for everyone."

His business and personal philosophies are simple, to expand and grow and help those around you to grow and achieve their goals so that everyone is stronger. One way he does makes that happen is by working with area service clubs and service organizations by donations and time.

"I believe strongly in helping people by working with outreach programs," Ron said. Over the years he has done everything possible to support the Bellbrook Family Resource Center, Beavercreek Rotary, Toward Independence and local chambers of commerce organizations.

Instead of cutting back, as so many other companies are doing these days, Folkerth chose to expand his business. "The real estate market is going to stay strong," he said. "I believe that we need to be ready for the growth that will hit in 2010 as Wright-Patterson Air Force Base expands with BRAC." Folkerth said, "The only way to be properly prepared for the future is to grow now."

To help better prepare for the coming changes, Folkerth partnered with The Rockwell Team in April of 2008. Folkerth and his partners, Bruce and Sherry Rockwell, are now known as "The Rockwell & Folkerth Group," and still based at the Keller Williams Advantage Real Estate office in Bellbrook.

"This partnership is good for everyone involved," said Folkerth. "I believe that it will give us more opportunities to better serve our clients and support the community." As the buyers representative for the organization, Sharon Mostaed is an important part of that commitment to service.

"Sharon is well versed working with clients from out of town or within the local area," he said. "Her specialty is seeing a home through her clients' eyes and finding the one that best suits their requirements."

With the mortgage crisis hitting so many Miami Valley families and adding to a softer real estate market, Folkerth suggests that realistic pricing and presentation are key elements in selling a home today. "Realistic pricing of the property is key, as well as doing everything you can to make the house look as appealing as possible," he said.

"Today's buyers want the perfect home and want to buy it for the lowest price having nothing to do but move in." Many real estate and related companies are making drastic changes in order to survive in some struggling markets.

Folkerth is an example of the kind of people that help to support the area communities in the Miami Valley. "There's no place like home," said Folkerth, "just like Dorothy discovered only after being away from Kansas, you don't realize it until you've been away from it for a while."

"My clients and the community come first," he added. "Anything we can do to make ourselves stronger so we can better support those in the community who need us will benefit everyone."