ORANGE PARK – Residents looking to buy homes in Clay County will now have another resource to aid them in their process. David Herron and his wife Christine have opened Herron Real Estate to help prospective homebuyers in the search for their piece of the American dream.

The Herrons have been in real estate for about six years, working for another brokerage before opening their own company.

They are both listed as rising stars in the industry for the region and are among the top producers.

“After six years of working for another broker, we pretty much said we wanted to give it a shot and try our own thing,” said David Herron. “That’s when we decided to open our own brokerage. We were real excited to go back there [Clay County].”

The Herron’s wanted to create an old-school feel in the real estate office where agents can come and hang out. They have table tennis, arcade basketball, and a ball pit for kids. They also have a large recreation area to create a family feeling.

In an effort to bring in quality agents, the Herrons offer an incentive that few brokerages can match. For every transaction completed, the agent keeps all but $500, which they give to the Herrons as a transaction fee. As such, the agent keeps the lion’s share of the commission earned on the sale.

“We are really trying to attract a lot of talent by doing that, and also grow really quick,” said Herron.

At a recent grand opening celebration, the company had several distinguished guests from the county, including former Orange Park Mayor Connie Thomas and newly-appointed Mayor Alan Watt, among others.

The company has about 15 agents currently under its banner.

They opened about two weeks before the lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, during that time, they were busier than they have ever been, according to David’s wife and partner Christine. They found other ways to carry on business, doing things such as virtual house tours and, of course, practicing as much social distancing as possible. Many of the homes that they showed during the pandemic are in the closing stages now.

Before getting into real estate, Herron was in medical management. He gets a great thrill from real estate that wasn’t there in his previous occupation.

“I love putting deals together. I love working with people,” he said. “When you buy a home, that’s for most families the most exciting time of their life. You know, Christmases, kids walking, you name it. It’s an awesome feeling. The people are so excited that you’re helping them. We are always thinking outside the box. Every time we meet with the customer, we try to figure out what’s best for this customer.”