Brad Martin has had his hands in the do-it-yourself and home improvement industry for decades. Now currently on his fourth house flip, Martin has applied his home improvement expertise to his new position as Residential Sales Advisor at CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana.
“I’ve been flipping houses for my entire adult life,” Martin said. “DIY and flipping houses have been such a big part of my life, all while I accumulate the sales and operational management knowledge and experiences I need in this industry.”
Before starting at CertaPro Painters back in December of 2020, Martin was already in the sales industry, a field that allowed him the flexibility traditional 9-5 jobs don’t always have.
“I’ve never been the person who wanted a traditional cubicle job or to be chained to a desk all day,” he said. “For years, I was in the power sports industry and the electronics industry, so I’ve always sold toys and fun things to customers.”
Martin sees his new position as CertaPro’s Residential Sales Advisor as another addition to his long career in an industry that allows him to be creative every day.
“This job isn’t so different because you’re helping people improve their homes and making their homes a nicer place to live,” Martin said. “It’s always enjoyable when you’re selling a product that everyone wants and once the project is done, you’ve made an improvement.”
“When this opportunity presented itself, I thought that my skillset and being a very customer service-oriented person with sales management experience would be a natural fit,” Martin said. “I would need to learn the paint products, but I knew I could apply my DIY skills as well to communicate effectively with customers.”
As Residential Sales Advisor, Martin talks with clients looking for interior or exterior painting quotes, working closely with them to get an idea of what they’re looking for and if the project is the right fit for both parties.
“We go into a lot of detail to get an idea of what their expectations are for the project,” Martin said. “During their appointment, I’m on sight going around their home to get an estimate and try to meet the needs of what they’re requesting for their home.”
Martin has found his time flipping houses has been vital to how he has connected with customers since day one.
“When you flip houses, you have to be aware of profit margins and want to do a lot of projects on your own,” Martin said. “For me, this included drywall repair, painting, and more, so I had technical knowledge and exposure to these types of projects. This has allowed me to bridge a gap and relate it to customers and consumers since I’ve been on both sides.”
Martin was born and raised in the southern suburbs of Illinois and received his bachelor’s degree from Governors State University. He moved over to Cedar Lake in 2006, where he added ten years to his sales and operational management experience in the power sports industry.
Continuing his passion for power sports, Martin and his wife enjoy boating when the weather allows it. They also rescue dogs and have so for the past fifteen years, most recently rescuing a dog named Nova.
For more information about CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana, please visit their website at https://certapro.com/nwi/.
