A native of Greensboro, I grew up in a Norman Rockwell neighborhood, where my father was a high school coach and my mother a middle school art teacher. To get my Dad’s attention we played sports, my sisters chose swimming and I played the sport in season.
When it was time for college, I attended Duke University and my younger sister, Ann, went to UNC at Chapel Hill, so you could say we grew up in a broken home. Ironically, here we are working at PSCP, 4 miles away from each campus.
Following a stint in the Navy and a management career in state government, I decided to take the NC real estate exam. After six years as a successful broker, the company I was with asked if I would become a broker-in-charge where I could combine my sales expertise with past management skills.
As a new agent, I based my career on my extensive knowledge of the Wilmington region, learned the local housing inventory, and did whatever it took to please my clients. To establish more credibility, I quickly earned my CRS, GRI and ABR designations.
The first week at work I purchased a laptop and year or two later hired a website designer as my assistant to help create the website AllAboutWilmington.com It was content rich and covered not only real estate, but recreation, education, employment, medical services, climate and a photo gallery of the region.
Because of my background in local and state environmental regulations, I volunteered to serve on the legislative committee of the local Realtors Association. Involvement with the local association helped me appreciate how the Multiple Listing Service works as well as how disputes are resolved between members.
Throughout my real estate career I have made it a point to be a student of the industry. While attending company, state and national conventions, I spent any extra time in the educational sessions learning the systems of the nation’s top instructors like Larry Kendall, Rich Casto, Brian Buffini, Howard Breton, Joe Stumpf, Danielle Kennedy, Dee Gunsten.
I am not a disciple of any particular system, because each has its strengths. The key is not in which system you use, but that you find and work a system that you can identify with.
This is my story. Yours will be different. My goal is to help the associates we hire discover their unique talents and skills so they can excel in this business.
If you are an experienced agent and think you would enjoy working among a group of smart and motivated Realtors who genuinely support one another, yet maintain the freedom to pursue their individual business goals … keep us in mind as the first place to consider should your current ties change.