I want to start with: I believe everything happens for a reason.
Twenty seventeen-ish. My friend Ollie, who worked at another Vision Center, said, “Let’s get a Real Estate License.” I knew she wanted a study buddy, so I agreed. Then on the test day, we were supposed to meet up. Someone bailed on me, but I still took the test.
Keep in mind I had a great job managing a vision center until I didn’t. A year or two later, real estate became my backup plan. The timing was great because it gave me time to take care of my parents and maintain an income.
My first broker was Gardner. They were the best until they sold out to Latter and Blum. Some time before the merger, Beverly, another Gardner agent, hosted a meeting at her pool house, where we were going to meet with a competing broker. It was very hush-hush; I felt like I was cheating on Gardner. There walks in this blond bombshell. Vickye Vasser, owner of HomeSmart Realty South. She talked about what I call “The Math.” Basically, Vickye pointed out how an agent would benefit by switching brokerages. I wasn’t interested at the time. Little did I know Gardner bent the knee to L&B, and I found myself looking for another brokerage. Beverly went directly from Gardner to HSRealty. I treaded water for a year-ish. I tried holding out while my partner made the switch with me, but that didn’t go as planned. I did what I normally do and decided to make the move to HSRealty. I reached out to Vickye and Bazinga. I was Stephen Honea, a Realtor with Home Smart Realty South.
Danny, Francis, and a few other agents made the move at the same time as me. Finally, I felt comfortable. That year, I made more than I did at L&B. Joining Home Smart was the smartest move I made in years.