Stevie recently celebrated her fourth year as a licensed realtor in the Bold City. She spends her days working for EXIT Real Estate Gallery, where she goes above and beyond to provide her clients with a responsive, stress-free, VIP-style experience. With a daily routine including everything from ‘prospecting,’ administrative work and mentoring, to meetings, showings, listing appointments and touring communities, she’s breaking the mold and proving to her clients, colleagues and mentees that being a realtor means so much more than simply “getting the sale.”

The Basics:

Hometown: Melbourne, Florida
Current city: Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida
Alma mater: N/A
Degree: N/A
Hustle: Realtor, EXIT Real Estate Gallery

The Interests:

Babe you admire and why?
Rachel Hollis, because she is relatable. She has a thriving business as a motivational speaker, podcaster and social media influencer. I love this quote of hers: “You, and only you, are ultimately responsible for how happy you are.” She is about bringing women together, to uplift each other and believe in yourself.

How do you spend your free time?
I’m obsessed with using my cycle bike and the Peloton app, reading personal development books, playing with Goldie and Jaguars games.

Go-to coffee order and/or adult beverage?
Latte with soy; Hahn wine (Cabernet Sauvignon).

The Hustle:

Tell us about your hustle.
I am a realtor with EXIT Real Estate Gallery, and I serve the Jacksonville area. It’s important to epitomize integrity, energy, hard work and creative service in every detail of a customer’s real estate transaction. I never thought mentoring agents would ever be something I would be passionate about, yet alone capable of. That’s one of the things I love most about being in this business—having the opportunity to mentor other women, encourage them and be their wing-woman in this cutthroat business.

What does your typical workday look like?
The best thing about this career is, truly most days are different. (Although what I would consider a “typical” day is getting to the office early and making calls.) I spend strictly the first hour or two prospecting, which means finding new business. Then I respond to emails, follow up with customers, check in on my current transactions, touch base with the agents I mentor—mostly admin work. Some days involve training, but typically the afternoons and evenings are for appointments. Sometimes appointments with realtors I mentor, buyer consults, showings for buyers, listing appointments, touring new construction communities, etc. I usually work on weekends hosting open houses and showing properties, as this is when potential buyers have ample time to look at several properties at once.

When did you first get involved with real estate?
Four years ago this month, I became a licensed realtor. My mom was a realtor, so she really had planted the seed in my mind to get my license. I am grateful every day she pushed me to do this; the advice she provided me when I first got started has really helped me. Thankfully, there has been consistent growth in my business since the beginning. I never imagined I would be able to do real estate full-time. It did take a year for me to transition, but I haven’t looked back since.

What is your favorite aspect of your career?
I love many aspects of my career. I enjoy meeting new people every single day, creating new ways to educate buyers on the process, negotiating—the list goes on and on. I [love] giving customers a stress-free, VIP-style experience. I enjoy marketing my listings. Helping other agents I mentor is very rewarding. I never expected, getting into real estate, that I would ever be mentoring agents. But I’m thankful for the opportunity because it truly is one of my favorite things. When customers are so thankful after the transaction (sending me cards, inviting me to their housewarming parties or their kids’ birthday events), there is nothing more rewarding.

How do you develop trust with your clients when helping them buy or sell their home?
I love this question because I love developing trust with my customers. Realtors are compared to car salesmen; when a customer who doesn’t already know me meets me for the first time, they always have their walls up. I love getting to know my customers, providing value to them, educating them on buying or selling their biggest investment, going above and beyond from the beginning to the end of the transaction. Then, these strangers becoming good friends of mine. I never want to be perceived as a sleazy salesperson, so I do everything in my power to show my customers I have their best interest in mind. I’ve had customers who I knew were years away from purchasing or selling real estate, but that doesn’t matter to me. I want customers to reach out to me anytime with their questions, no matter how soon or how far they are from purchasing/selling. Communication is key. I continue to follow up with customers and when we’re under contract on a property, they are in-the-know to every detail and fully educated on what is going on.

Tell us about when you were featured on HGTV.
One of my agents that I mentor—she and her fiance had purchased a beachfront property that needed renovations. She wrote into HGTV, applying to be on the show. They needed someone to “play the realtor part.” I interviewed with the producers of the show and we got accepted. Being on HGTV was and amazing marketing  for me, and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity. It was so much fun!

How collaborative is your team on a day-to-day basis?
I truly believe one of the reasons I have been able to soar in this business is because of my company's culture. It has helped me become a better realtor and mentor. I value that everyone is so willing to help each other, no matter what it is. I’m always collaborating with other realtors. We get together to go over our marketing, give each other advice on our current transactions or simply just meet for lunch or drinks.

What are some common misconceptions about your job?
So many misconceptions. People get into the business thinking it’s easy, that anyone could do it, your schedule is so flexible, realtors make so much money, etc. What they don’t see is all the extensive training you need to go through to be successful. Our schedules are dictated by our customers. It’s easy to work 24/7 if you let yourself; I’ve gone weeks without taking a day off many times. Realtors also have a lot of expenses. You’re going to do a lot of work for free, we face a lot of rejection—the list goes on and on.

How have your past professional and academic experiences prepared you for the work you do today?
All my past professional experiences have led me to where I am. My dad has always been an entrepreneur, owning restaurants, and growing up I saw him working 60-plus hours a week. I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset. When I was helping him open his last restaurant, I really saw the dedication it takes to run your own business. I then worked for an insurance company doing recruiting, interviews, marketing and training, and I was a bartender for several years. That job really taught me patience and customer service skills.

Career and/or life advice for other babes?
Babes in the industry: My best advice is to find mentors. Find like-minded people. Also, when you’re first starting in real estate, come up with a plan for each way you want to generate leads. Stick to that plan for six months. If you’re consistent with your plan, you will have more business and you will make yourself proud.

Connect with Stevie:

Instagram / Website / Email

This interview has been condensed and edited.
All photos property of Southern Still Photography.

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