Today we’d like to introduce you to Mandie Morgan.
Hi Mandie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I originally got my Real Estate license in 2017 while living in my hometown of Jacksonville, FL. After getting licensed I relocated to Saint Cloud, Fl in 2018 to be with my now husband, John, as we had been in a long-distance relationship. Shortly after relocating we got married & started a family. When my son was born in 2019, I knew that I wanted to devote the majority of my time being the best mom to him that I could be and devoting all of my time to him. Knowing the time & dedication it takes to build a real estate business, I knew I wasn’t at a place in my life to do that then. So, I wanted to get a job in the Real Estate industry that I could continue learning and using my license. Luckily, I was able to find the perfect position for that! In March of 2020, I was hired on as a Listing & Transaction Coordinator which transitioned into the Director of Operations, for a top producing team in the Orlando area with Keller Williams Lake Nona! I am eternally grateful for being offered this position, as I gained the knowledge and experience on learning every back-end aspect of the business including successfully closing multiple transactions, marketing, event planning, budgeting, tracking & client retention.
It is also because of this position that led me to where I am today. I met my now business partner, Suzette Berkhalter as she was an agent on the team at the same time. She has since transitioned into a top-producing solo agent in our office. As her business grew, she needed an assistant and reached out to me to partner with her. We have now been working together for a little over a year and it has been the best experience, personally and professionally. I continue to learn something new from her daily and love being a part of her success!
When Keller Williams announced their free real estate school, KSCORE, I took it as a sign that it was time for me to get relicensed! (My license had expired while I was not an active agent) With now being a licensed assistant, I am able to offer Suzette more leverage when it comes to showing homes, negotiating offers, etc. I am also in a better place in my life now that my son is almost three. I have more time to dedicate to being an agent and putting in the effort it takes to building my business. So, we are very much looking forward to our future growth going into next year, as I move into production as well!
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
As with anything, there are always obstacles and/or challenges! I try to always have an open mind and see things as a learning experience. If we aren’t allowed to make mistakes, how are we expected to learn and grow from it? I have worked with incredible and experienced real estate agents that I have been lucky enough to learn from. One of the biggest hurdles when I started, was learning time management and how to prioritize tasks that were given to me. As a new admin in the real estate operations world, this can be extremely challenging. When you are handling multiple transactions for 3-4 agents (or more!) that means multiple tasks that may need to get done right away. When your agent(s) calls you to “put out a fire” you may need to stop what you are doing and only focus on that. With that same scenario, they may also call you to give you another task that isn’t necessarily the same level of priority, so that can be put on your to-do list to work on later in the day. Learning to “control the chaos” was the challenge, haha. I had to determine what was a priority and what could be added to my “to-do list” for later. When new admins come to me now for advice, this is the first thing I talk to them about. Learn how to prioritize your tasks!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am now currently the Executive Assistant to Suzette Berkhalter, Realtor with Keller Williams Advantage III Realty in Lake Nona. We have been working together for a little over a year. I have also taught Admin Masterminds in our office for other admins and even have had new agents come to me about our processes and procedures that have brought us such success in our business. I enjoy being able to help new admins & assistants because I know when I started how overwhelming it can be and the challenges that you are faced with. I am proud of not only the business relationship I have with Suzette but also how much our friendship and personal relationship has grown. It hasn’t always been easy for us either, we definitely have faced our challenges together in the beginning but we have pushed through and celebrate all wins, big or small. I believe what sets us apart from others is our mindset for how our business looks. We focus more on having a “partnership” versus an employee/boss relationship. We’re in this together and even though she pays me a salary, she values my opinions and trust and never treats me as an “employee”.
“If you want to go fast, go alone, if you want to go far, go together”
Contact Info:
- Website: suzettesellshomes.kw.com
- Instagram: @mandiemorgan_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/movewithmandie
Image Credits
Shay Walker Photography
