Keller Williams agent and The High End advertiser Michele Brown was recently recognized by Keller Williams International for being ranked in the top 3% nationwide, and qualified for the Real Trends list of top 1000 agents in the United States. The California-based Realtor®, who has 25 years of experience in the real estate industry, will be speaking in the South Bay Business Leaders Summit in 2017. Unique Homes spoke with Brown, who provided insight on everything from how she got her start in the Real Estate business to her plans for the future.
UH: What inspired you to get into Real Estate?
MB: I was originally a nurse and my husband and I were looking to buy our first home. We found we did not have enough information to process the purchase and selection, and I could not get my questions answered. This evolved into my developing a fascination for real estate and I ended up changing careers and studying real estate. My goal was to deliver a higher level of service in this industry.
UH: Can you tell me a bit about your background?
MB: I grew up with parents who had also been encouraging and entrepreneurial. I was always told that you could do anything as long as you were living with integrity and incorporated that into your work. My father said “find your passion and do it not for money”. I believe you should select your passion and do that for your life and your living.
UH: Have you ever faced a setback or challenge in your career? If so, how did you overcome it?
MB: I use a quote by Gary Keller “Fail forward” in relation to this question. I was working in a real estate commercial firm and lost my position after eight years for political reasons. I also went through a divorce at the time and an economic crisis. I discovered through that experience I was not aware about foreclosures and what was entailed in relation to this. Due to a house being foreclosed, I learned about timelines and what was involved. I became a Certified Foreclosure Expert and learned how to hold a client’s hand during a difficult time and how to go through the process. We are here in this business to put their mind at ease and smooth steps and legalities, not add to or have them live in fear.
UH: What makes your team stand out among others?
MB: Integrity and relationships with our client and community make us stand out among others. We never pressure people to buy or sell. It’s what they want and their choice. We can direct them on choices but without hassle and with no pressure. We feel we are there to educate and consult and do the right thing by our client.
UH: What is your personal favorite aspect of being a real estate agent?
MB: Friendships are my personal favorite aspect of being a real estate agent. The people we meet and the friends that we make. The great aspect is making lifetime relationships.
UH: You were recently recognized by Keller Williams International for being ranked in the top 3%, can you tell me a bit about that?
MB: It feels pretty amazing actually to be recognized internationally. I thought I would be in the top 10% but was excited to find it was actually in the top 3%. We can measure our production in months however we typically keep working and our service comes from the heart and not for money. Our organization, Keller Williams, was recently named #1 Training Organization in the world and my original KW MAPS Coaching CEO, Dianna Kokoszka always states “Training fuels all of our success”. When I received the call from Dianna about being recognized in the top 3% producers worldwide it was a huge honor and validation for myself and our team.
UH: Can you tell me about your experiences with the South Bay Women’s Council of Realtors?
MB: My experience with the Women’s Council of Realtors is very satisfying and it is gratifying to be involved with a network of peers who understand we are not each other’s competition. We are all partners in transition to provide a great outcome for our clients.
UH: Do you have any exciting plans or projects in the near future?
MB: We have many exciting plans and projects for the near future. Professionally, it is our expansion and taking our team and methods into other areas and then the exciting outcome is that people want to work with us again. For instance, we have clients with a $2 million property in El Segundo (they are musicians) and now, 4 years later, they want to sell this home and move to Nashville. We have put a property team in Nashville and are currently building our business there. Following our clients and forging relationships that follow us allow us to drive into expansion mode. When a client calls us, wherever they are, we are responsive and go there to provide excellent service and we consider travel no limit or issue to our team. Personally, my husband and I are building a Southern-style farm in Louisiana at this time and working on designing and completing that project. We have a 25-acre family compound for large family celebrations and our plans include two houses, a pool, yoga studio, vegetable garden and a pond for our family to enjoy over the years.