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Erick Watkins' father always told him, "If you want to be successful in business, find a niche and fill it." Erick has managed to do both.

On Nov. 1, Erick, along with his wife, Holli, and another couple, Kathy and Jason Chircop, opened Alaska 1st Realty at 47255 Princeton Ave., Suite 8 in Soldotna.

Erick, Holli and Kathy all were previous employees of Five Star Realty. But when Five Star moved out of the building, the Watkinses and Kathy decided to stay, forming their own real estate company at the same location.

"We're a full service real estate company, but a discount full service real estate company," Erick said.

Alaska 1st offers several services, including commercial and residential real estate management, vacation rental management and they sell property. They also list for-sale-by-owner properties on the multiple listing service for owners that want to make their properties widely available but still handle the sale privately.

The services offered aren't the only differences that set Alaska First Realty apart from other real estate companies. Inside the office, they have a nursery room for children and a conference room for meetings. The company is also dedicated to part-time realtors and currently have two part-timers on staff, Erick said.

About co-owning the new business, Erick said, "It's rewarding."

Despite the current economic situation in the country, Holli said she wasn't scared about starting a new business.

"You need a good business plan and we've built one," she said.

Erick said he got into the business because he was told real estate was a good investment. Holli followed her husband and acquired her realtor's license so the pair could work as a team -- Holli managing property and Erick as the broker.

"We like forming partnerships," Erick said.

For both the Watkinses and the Chircops, real estate isn't just a business, it's a hobby. Both families buy and sell properties on their own time.

Buying and selling for themselves keeps the company up-to-date on interest rates, said Kathy, who bought and sold her first realty lot at age 19 and has been doing it ever since. Because she's looking for the best deal for herself, Kathy said she knows how to find better deals for clients, too.

"We put our money where our mouth is in real estate," Erick said. "It's our passion."

Mike Nesper can be reached at mike.nesper@peninsulaclarion.com.