A childhood in Southern California, a stint in Vietnam compliments of the U.S. Navy, 12 years teaching high school English, and pretty soon you have the makings of Bill Pickford, one of this company's top performers.

Bill's a soft sell: he doesn't push. He'll talk to you, ask questions, and find things you have in common. He'll get you laughing and pretty soon - and you'll hardly notice it - you've told him all he needs to know. He'll coax out the clues, and pretty soon you've got your house.

"I don't drive people around and show them a whole bunch of properties. I like to zero in on just the one they want. I dont know that it's a listening skill so much as you have to know what to do with what you hear. How to translate it into a house that works for them."

He's enthusiastic, fun to be with and knowledgeable. "You need to know the long-range implications of buying real estate and what your clients' goals are. You look at the whole picture and then help them make decisions. It's great if you can come up with something they haven't thought of. This is a major decision, buying a house, and I know enough about the process to help people get the best deal they possibly can."

Bill moved to the midcoast area after college. "I'd just gotten married. I drove up the coast, saw Camden, stayed in Belfast and said, Wow, what a great place to raise a family." And thats exactly what he did.
Now, years later, he and his wife, Annie, live on a hilltop farm in Freedom, complete with flower gardens, a dog and a cat - and a manicured 3-hole golf course.

Bill's casual style comes from his years of experience in the business. Since becoming a licensed broker in 1986, he has been president of the Mid-Coast Board of Realtors, director of the Maine Association of Realtors and chairman of the statewide groups Professional Standards Committee. That experience and commitment to his clients is demonstrated by the numerous referrals he receives from statisfied homeowners.