AS PRESIDENT OF one of Baton Rouge’s most prominent real estate firms, Paul Burns is constantly looking for ways to keep his agents at the top of their game in an ever-evolving industry.

In the 25 years since he founded Burns & Co., Inc., much has changed. Real estate has become an increasingly global enterprise, and technology has revolutionized the way listings are promoted. And the ups and downs of the market always are a factor in this business.

What has stayed constant is Burns’ commitment to helping agents excel in their work. In fact, that is what drove Burns, a 40-year veteran of the real estate industry, to start his own agency.

“I had a vision to cultivate a brokerage environment that supported agent growth and development to lead them to providing exceptional service to buyers and sellers,” he says.

Burns & Co., Inc., today has more than 50 agents. They frequently work with corporations that are transferring employees in and out of the Baton Rouge area.

Regardless of who the client is, buying or selling a home is a major—and emotional—life event. It’s exciting for some and stressful for others.

“I see our jobs as managing expectations and eliminating risk,” Burns says. “We work to help remove the anxiety in the buying and selling process. Because of our professional skills and resources, we’re able to do that.”

He says his company has one of the highest per agent productivity rates among real estate firms in the Baton Rouge market. He attributes that partly to being a member of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^©, a referral network and broker support system made up of 565 carefully chosen firms in 65 countries. It gives agents a way to network and promote listings globally while offering them training on key topics in their field.

Burns & Co., Inc., is unique because it’s “global yet local,” Burns says. A client was recently referred to a broker in Poland that he knows through Leading Real Estate Companies of the World^©.

“There’s more global movement than ever before,” he says. “It’s broadened our perspective.”

Back at home in Baton Rouge, Burns says providing world-class service is just as important—whether it means serving clients or serving the local community. He and his agents are heavily involved in charitable activities and civic organizations.

“The community has given so much to us,” Burns comments. “We love rolling up our sleeves and giving back to the community.”

Similarly, he tries to instill an environment of gratitude at the company. Every staff meeting begins with a few moments of silence, during which Burns encourages agents to think about things for which they are grateful.

He also helps them learn more about the community they serve. Since 2004, he has periodically led his staff to various local attractions—museums, historic sites and places of cultural significance—to go on tours. 

Burns calls the initiative Discover Baton Rouge. His goal is to make his agents as knowledgeable of the city as possible.

“For the agents to be able to sell our community,” he says, “they need to be aware of all its assets.”