Moments That Made Her with Chris Hauck- Realty Executives West Hills

Welcome to this month's edition of our Moments That Made Her blog, where we learn more about the moments that impacted successful women within our brokerage. This month, we get to hear from Chris Hauck, a top agent based out of our West Hills office.

Robert Dawson (Dawson Ford Garby Realtors), my agent in VA who became a dear friend.  We spent so many months looking for the right house. I pushed him, he pushed me. When I made the decision to move back to Knoxville he declared that my next move was real estate.  He persisted. And I am so glad he did! 

 

My idol growing up was my Aunt Lily - she was an amazing woman who took control of her life and made it fabulous.  After a divorce in the 1940s, she moved to LA with two small children and a dream.  She became executive assistant to the president of IBM on the west coast with two assistants of her own and an amazing office overlooking Marina Del Ray. Eventually remarrying, they lived in Bird Land (in the Hollywood Hills) during the week and in Carmel on the weekends. In retirement, she embraced art and became a fabulous painter, teaching special classes at ULCA periodically. I had a front row seat to her curiosity about life, constant growth, and love of all things beautiful

Curious, Change agent, Goal-oriented 

5. Looking back, what is your favorite real estate memory or moment?

I LOVE change and embrace it with enthusiasm while most fear and avoid it.  My favorite real estate moments are when a client has faced a BIG transition and comes out on the other side stronger and more confident.  It is extremely important to me to provide support and resources to help them succeed. That is why I renew my license every two years!

5. What advice would you give other agents in this industry?

a) Build relationships with your clients. Stay in contact with them - really connect to build a business that will sustain you.

b) Resist fads and jumping on every bandwagon out there.  Decide WHO you are and embrace it. Your clients will know you're genuine and will support you!

c) PARTICIPATE - get to know a great circle of agents in the market. Attend company functions, KAAR events, participate in committees, etc. It will make your business so much easier to navigate when you know who is submitting an offer on your listing

d) Be the agent who other agents love to work with! Answer phone calls, emails, texts. Some of my best referral partners are former Realtors!

e) Take time to breathe and enjoy this amazing profession. 

 

Chris Hauck | May 2023 | cbhauck@aol.com | 124 N Winston Road Knoxville, TN 37919

Defining Why with Hank Fennell- Realty Executives Farragut

Welcome to this month's edition of our Defining Why blog, where we peel back the layers of our top agents and learn more about why drives them. This month, we sat down with Hank Fennell, Realtor with REA.

I got my real estate license because I was already doing association (neighborhood) management and figured it would pair well with it. I also knew real estate would be a more fun and fulfilling personal interaction! Real estate is also very flexible and brings along many other opportunities that other careers just provide.  

I really enjoy working with friends and referrals to help navigate through the buying or selling process. I believe in real estate and am passionate about it, and love spreading that passion to others. It's been fun to see clients, friends, and family pursue their own goals in real estate - whether it's because they have become agents themselves or it's because they've started to build their own real estate portfolio to use as an investment vehicle for passive income.

 

I'm a very competitive person, so I always find myself trying to surpass my sales number from the year before, but I don't intentionally or specifically challenge myself other than that. I feel that if you treat people right, you will always have enough business coming your way anyway! 

Intentionally schedule time with friends and family in advance. We all have enough things to do that if we aren't intentional with relationships, they will get pushed to the side more often than not. 

 

Hank Fennell | April 2023 | hank@fennellpm.com | 10255 Kingston Pike

 

Defining Why with Ann Drake- Realty Executives Maryville

Welcome to this month's edition of our Defining Why blog, where we peel back the layers of our top agents and learn more about why drives them. This month, we sat down with Ann Drake, Realtor with REA.

I had been a pharmaceutical sales rep for many years and then took a few years off while my twins--Madison and Taylor-- were in Junior High and High School. As they were making their plans for attending college, I was making plans for the next chapter of my life.    I investigated a few options and decided that being a realtor was the perfect fit for me.  

 

There were many factors motivating me to become a realtor.   I love the thrill of  sales and of being an influencer. I'm a people person and I love to feel like what I am doing makes a difference in someone's life.  As realtors, we are able to make a huge difference in our clients lives and in the community we live in.  I wanted a career where I am my own boss and it's totally up to me whether I succeed or not.  I like the pace. I love that every day is different. 

 

 

My why is simply that I love life.  I am so incredibly blessed and consider every day a true gift from God.   I love to see what each day will bring--both incredible opportunities and complex challenges.  My other "why" is that I want to be the best role model I can for my kids (well, now adults).  I started this career at the age of 56, when many of my peers were looking forward to retirement.  My kids are watching me set goals and achieve dreams.   Madison and Taylor are actually my "why" for everything.

 

I'm my own worst critic and also my own best cheerleader. I am motivated when someone tells me I can't do something. Tell me I can't and I'll say watch me. I'm also very driven by goals. I especially love "stretch" goals. Pushing myself beyond what I thought possible or pushing myself to be better than yesterday, last month, last year.

Embrace your fellow Realtors. We're all in this together working for the common good of our clients. Have fun and let's lift each other up. Friendship with other Realtors is critical in this business.  Also, we are all at different points in our careers and lives- so don't compare yourself to others!

 

Ann Drake | March 2023 | anndrakerealtor@gmail.com | 1213 W Lamar Alexander PKWY

 

Moments That Made Her with Leona Skiles- Realty Executives Farragut

Welcome to this month's edition of our Moments That Made Her blog, where we learn more about the moments that impacted successful women within our brokerage. This month, we get to hear from Leona Skiles, top agent based out of REA Farragut.

June 2019- I was given an ulimatum at my full time catscan job of staying over night or going to get my kids...I of course chose my kids and walked out. I took a leap of faith into real estate the next week. Being a single mom of 2 precious little girls that were 5 and 7 at the time...real estate gave me the freedom to be present for everything for them and I was able to take them with me...I never had to choose what mattered most.

 

I have been on my own since 15 so I have always had at least 2 jobs from restaurants to organ donation and now real estate and entreprenuership...I appreciate all the people that believed in me and helped me believe in myself. 

 

By giving me a chance...I never wanted to let anyone down...showing up and loyalty has always been important to me.

Not a quitter!

5. Looking back, what is your favorite real estate memory or moment?

Oh my goodness there are so many things to be grateful for in real estate. It has brought me my tribe of close friends and connections, it has allowed me to be a mom first, it inspired me to start my own business, it has strengthened my faith by showing me over and over that in being my true authentic self business always comes right when I needed it...whether it be from an old neighbor from childhood to people I worked with at the hospital, all the referrals and now repeat clients. But my favorite moment recently would have to be sitting on St Pete Beach watching the sunset with my ride or die real estate tribe accepting my first million dollar contract... 5 years of climbing and recreating myself after divorce in that moment I could finally breathe, I knew it was all going to be ok and I had made it for me and my girls. 

5. What advice would you give other agents in this industry?

Real estate is all about relationships and connections.

 

Leona Skiles | March 2023 | leonalskiles@gmail.com | 10255 Kingston Pike, Knoxville, TN 37922

Defining Why with Dylan Martin- Realty Executives West Hillls 

Welcome to this month's edition of our Defining Why blog, where we peel back the layers of our top agents and learn more about why drives them. This month, we sat down with Dylan Martin, a team leader and REA top producer.

I have a number of great friends and a couple of family members who are agents - they planted the seed. But, ultimately, I decided to jump into this career after selling my family home. It was a pretty tough decision and a very difficult process for our family at the time, and I realized how important and impactful this work can be. We intersect families just like mine at their highest points (like adding a new family member or getting a promotion at work) and at their lowest points (like a death or divorce), and I felt a calling to be the realtor in the living room during moments like that.

 

The most obvious answer is my family. They really do motivate me to give my best at work, at home, and in the community.

For me, another layer to this question is to make the biggest possible impact on our industry and the people within our industry. I just want to be a part of creating the most kind and people-focused industry in history. I don't say that as if I came up with that idea, there are already so many kind and people-focused realtors who are crushing it - but I'm inspired by those who embody this, and I want to do my part in making sure the public think of us in this way - I think that's more valuable than one's market knowledge and/or production.

 

 

I jump into endeavors that I'm not 100% ready for. Don't get me wrong, I try to be at least 50% ready, maybe a little more, but the temptation for me is to try and forecast the outcome of any endeavor out to 100% certainty, and then I get discouraged before I even start. So, to challenge myself, I just go for it. It's a little bit like turning right at a red light. You have to just commit and GO - you don't have to wait on the green light.  

Set boundaries. Don't let real estate become your most important role in life. It's just one of the roles that you have in life, so don't let it overshadow all the other roles that are arguably way more important. At my dad's funeral, literally no one brought up his career accolades, they all talked about what type of friend and father he was. Make sure you set aggressive and challenging goals in those roles as well - what are you doing to become a better spouse, parent, friend, neighbor, community-member, etc. Your behaviors will follow your values every time, so if you want balance in your life, work on allocating value to all of the roles you play in life, not just your career... Balance will just sort of happen after that. 

 

Dylan Martin | Feb. 2023 | dylan@dylanmartinrealtor.com | 124 N Winston Road Knoxville, TN 37919