Opendoor is excited to officially be live in Jacksonville, Florida, our third market in the Sunshine State. That means the hassle free buying and selling experience Opendoor has come to be known for across the United States is now available in the largest city in the continental United States. That’s right, the city of Jacksonville spans a whopping 840 square miles!
To get the lowdown on our newest neighborhood — from our local team, to our favorite “unique” restaurant — we chatted with our U.S. Navy veteran and Jacksonville General Manager, Greg Hiltz.
Q: Why is Opendoor a great fit for the Jacksonville metro area?
A: Opendoor is a great fit for Jacksonville because it provides our customers an extremely convenient way to buy and sell homes. Not only is this a fast-growing city, but as the largest city by landmass in the US, we have a lot of people that are moving in, out and around the city at any given time.
Jacksonville is also home to one of the largest Navy populations on the east coast, which naturally leads to even more movers each year. Fortunately, Opendoor gives them a very easy way to make these moves happen quickly.
Q: What attracted you to Opendoor and your role as General Manager?
A: After leaving the Navy, I was looking for an organization whose mission I could truly get behind. When I found Opendoor, I was amazed and intrigued by the problem that we are working hard to solve.
Opendoor’s General Manager Greg Hiltz (middle) and his Jacksonville team.
A move is often one of life’s most stressful events, and helping to alleviate that stress is both a challenge and an honor. Also, being part of a fast-paced, growing company that values both customers and employees is really fun – I’m having the most fun I’ve ever had professionally!
Q: What’s the biggest challenge you’re looking forward to solving over the next 6-12 months?
A: Entering a new market like Jacksonville always brings unique challenges. We need to ensure that local homeowners, and prospective buyers, know about our service and our value proposition while simultaneously growing a new team that can work towards common goals. I get excited by the prospect of soon becoming the largest buyer and seller of homes in the Jacksonville area.
Q: What’s your favorite part of being a General Manager at Opendoor?
A: I love working with and growing the team here in Jacksonville. We have grown quite close in these first few months in the market and are learning every day so that we can empower more and more people with the freedom to move in the coming months and years.
Beyond the hard work the entire team is putting in, they’re a great group of people. We’re a fun, great team to work with (and we’re hiring, so come join us)!
Q: What do you personally love about living and working in Jacksonville?
A: I love living out at Jacksonville Beach. I grew up in the Midwest, so I always viewed and experienced Florida as a vacation spot, now I’m able to live where I vacationed growing up! Whether it is reading on my patio or going for a sunrise run in the sand, it’s tough to beat living here in Jacksonville, right next to the ocean.
Q. What is your favorite local restaurant and why?
I think it’s safe to say that I’ve never been to a restaurant quite like Clark’s Fish Camp on Julington Creek. Rare that you can enjoy a great meal while surrounded by animals from all over the world and even a live alligator!
Q. What is your superpower?
A: I am a surprisingly calm and well-balanced person. When things go wrong and tensions run high, I have a unique ability to be a calming and steady presence that helps keep things moving forward in the right direction.
Check out our conversations with General Managers of other Opendoor markets:
- Opendoor expands to Portland, its first market in the Pacific Northwest
- Opendoor welcomes new Phoenix General Manager Rob Reiling
- Opendoor’s Las Vegas General Manager on why she’s ‘all in’ on Sin City
- Opendoor’s Charlotte GM on what it’s like to break ground in a hot real estate market
- Members from the Opendoor team in the Twin Cities talk about their work and favorite local activities
- Talent, tech & time travel: Q&A with General Manager Amit Arora
- Opendoor expands its footprint in Florida by launching in Tampa
Interested in working for Opendoor?
If you’re interested in learning more about Opendoor or joining our team, check out our careers page.
