Tuesday, May 27, 2008

5/23/08 Houston Real Estate TODAY! with Steve Levine


We go into the studio with Richard Elkwitz, "The Bow Tie Realtor" of Westside Realtors and Coach Dan Hart of Taxpayers for Equal Appraisals.

Are you missing this show? No fear, you can listen on-line, watch our in studio videos, and see pre-show and after show photo album on-line. Want to be a part of the show? Call us.

"Houston Real Estate TODAY!" airs every Friday at 1PM CST on CNN 650 AM and on-line at this website.

To listen to the archive audio stream (click): <radio active>

If you are interested in being a guest on the show, please contact Andy Valadez at 713.560.3348 or e-mail: info@HoustonRealEstateTODAY.com

Please sign-up for our newsletter and visit our Flickr photo blog. We welcome your comments and feedback.

Show Sponsors:
urbanFINANCIAL
Lasting Impressions Home Management
Marketing Dynamics
Homes and Land Magazine
Nuestra Casa

Our show producer Steven Kay Media

Part 1: An Interview with Richard Elkowitz, "The Bow Tie Realtor"

Part 2: An Interview with Coach Dan Hart

Part 3: A Continuation with Richard Elkwitz

Show Conclusion

Read More......

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Mary e. Parker—Century 21 Premier Gold Properties


A True Leader with a Solid-Gold Heart
By Woodie Stephenson


Mary E. Parker of Century 21 Premier Gold Properties doesn’t need a gold coat to let her friends and associates know she has a heart of solid gold, but the veteran agent, manager, trainer, and real estate instructor doesn’t mind wearing one; after all, she is once again back for the third time where she started with a Century 21 franchise. This time, however, Mary, who has served in top ranking positions for many real estate offices and the Women’s Council of Realtors, finds herself in the ideal situation working beside longtime friend Dory Gordon and wearing the gold coat just in time for her golden wedding anniversary of 50 years.

Whether she is fielding calls from her Sugarland office, patiently walking new agents through their everyday struggles, or representing her office as manager, Mary exhibits the calm collected demeanor of a true leader by nature. Throughout her storied career of nearly 40 years in the Houston real estate industry, Mary has exemplified herself as a leader in every sense of the word, as she has dedicating her time to furthering her profession.

Born just outside of Houston in Beaumont, Mary and her family moved into Houston when she was 3 years old to live on a small farm on Calhoun Road. The farm, where Mary was the proud owner of her own Shetland pony “Dot”, is now paved over as a parking lot for the University of Houston’s Main Campus. At the time, however, the area was still underdeveloped and U of H was a small burgeoning university. One of Mary’s wildest memories from growing up on the Calhoun farm involves and unexpected visitor, making a good point of just how rural the area still was at the time.

“My mother was hanging out the wash one day when she screamed and told me to go inside the house immediately,” Mary recalls, “She called the sheriff right away to report a large black panther that was roaming on our property. Someone made a joke that it was probably just Shasta, the Houston Cougar’s mascot, but we knew what we saw.”

The oldest child of her family, Mary was joined by two younger brothers from her hard-working parents, a homemaker mother and an oilman father. Mary’s father, who ran away from home in Kansas at the age of 12 with dreams of riches in the Texas oil industry, never took anything for granted and worked his way up all the way from waterboy to manager. Life for Mary’s family while she grew up was picturesque. Her father, a bird hunter by hobby, would often bring a duck or goose home for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, and would cut down his own pine tree to display and decorate with his family every Christmas.

“We would always have plenty of holly and mistletoe, too,” Mary shares, “Dad would just shoot them out of the trees.”

Mary has fond memories of the farmhouse where her pony gave birth to twins and she would play in the creek, but eventually her family moved to a proper “citified” home. Although her parents only had a third grade and eighth grade education, they worked hard all their lives and never undermined the importance of education in their children’s lives. Mary, from a young age, began a tradition that would become the theme of her life work as being an active student and volunteer. She worked hard to make exemplary grades and dedicated her time to leading school sports teams as a captain and mentoring girl scouts as a Brownie. Mary remembers her father for his kindness, encouragement, and work ethic.

“I learned my work ethic from my parents,” Mary says, “My father was a great honest, hard-working man. His word was his bond, and it was his goal to give us what he didn’t have growing up—a strong education.”

While still in high school, Mary would meet her life-long partner in marriage, Kenneth Parker. The two young sweethearts met at a church fellowship, shared their first date at U of H’s Frontier Fiesta celebration, and after a two-year courtship were married.

Happily married and the mother to three boys—Donny, Kenny Jr., and John Richard Clay Parker—Mary spent the next several years serving as what she refers to as a “professional volunteer”, dedicating her time as a Den Mother in the Cub Scouts and Eagle Scouts. It wasn’t long before Mary was filling high-ranking positions as the Trainer for the Sam Houston Council of Den Mothers and as President of the HISD City-Wide Council of PTAs, where she served above 326 schools. It was during this time that Mary was chosen by Superintendent Billy Reagan for a special committee asking for her recommendation on the proposal of a Houston Community College. Mary was of course in favor of the positive impact that a community college could have, and would even one day study real estate at the campus.

“My parents always taught me from a young age to give back to the community,” says Mary, who has been a volunteer to countless organizations throughout her life, “I’ve been truly blessed, and when you’re so blessed, I believe it’s your obligation to give back. I was taught that to whom much is given, much is expected.”

Having accumulated much experience as an avid volunteer and community leader, surprisingly Mary didn’t have her first “real” job until her sons were busy enough with school. She experienced her first paying position working in advertising for a few months, but felt she hadn’t found a home for her strong leadership and service skills just yet. One day, while talking to a good friend, the subject of real estate came up, and Mary’s professional fate was sealed.

“I was wondering what to do with myself, and one day a friend of mine suggested that I go into real estate since I knew Houston so well, and practically everybody that lived here,” Mary says, “It seemed like a good enough idea, so I went for it.”

Mary quickly found a Broker to sponsor her—a formality in the old-fashioned days—and began studying for her real estate license exam, a task she found challenging, and feared she just might fail; however, after waiting several agonizing weeks for her results, Mary was informed she passed.

Mary quickly joined her first office, an ERA franchise, and was directed into commercial real estate, an area she eventually discovered didn’t quite suit her. Though Mary has always considered herself graceful at failing, her strong will and determination would not allow her to give up easily. Eager to find success on her own terms, Mary parted with her commercial office and began taking classes at Houston Community College in an attempt to learn the business and meet other Realtors she could learn from.

“I knew if I was going to ever make it that I needed to learn something about this business, and that’s what I did,” Mary shares.

Recharged and ready for the challenge, Mary joined Gene Edwards Real Estate near Shepherd and 34th and found in her new broker the mentorship and encouragement she needed to get her new career rolling.

“Gene was a very good man,” Mary says, “He was honest, ethical, and he ran a tight ship. He taught me a lot through his actions and the examples he set. I learned that when you take on a job—whether a listing or a buyer—that you give it 110%.”

Mary’s next stop, a bigger office and one of her most memorable, was Bill Hartman’s Century 21. Her new brokers, Bill and son Bill Jr., set a true example of planning ahead and taught Mary how to set goals and establish her own 5 and 10-year business plan. Representing a good mix of both buyers and sellers, Mary turned out impressive numbers while establishing herself as a strong Realtor worthy of referral.

“Bill taught me how to plan,” Mary shares, “He taught me not to work harder, but to work smarter.”

After investing in her education and working hard, Mary was experiencing success in a late-1970s Houston market, but hard times would be arriving soon with the recession of the 1980s. Mary remembers having no choice but to succeed after her husband Kenneth’s career became a casualty of the recession.

“It wasn’t hard to sell houses in the 1980s foreclosure era, but it was extremely hard to get transactions closed and financed,” Mary recalls, “It was the best of time and the worst of times as they say. Many people had the opportunity to buy into great neighborhoods, but other folk literally lost their houses. Every day was a different day; some closings were happy, and others were heartbreaking. It was a hard time for my husband as well; his career became tough, and it was up to me to bring in the income some of those years.”

Although Mary has always been partial to Century 21, she eventually left her office to explore management opportunities at Coldwell Banker, a company that pioneered the way in allowing women the opportunity to manage real estate. It was around this time that Coldwell Broker Betty Pardue introduced Mary to an organization that would help shape her career, The Women’s Council of Realtors (WCR). Over the next 15 years, Mary would serve as a member working her way up the ranks to Houston Chapter President to State Chapter President. Along the way, Mary was able to gain valuable leadership experience and meet some of the classiest ladies imaginable.

“WCR has added so much to my life,” Mary says, “I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. I was able to meet so many amazing people that I have worked with since.”

Mary was able to learn from many strong lady managers at Colwell and WCR, and at last, in 1991, her goal was realized as she came on as a manager for Handcock & Nickels Coldwell Banker franchise.

Mary continued to gain management experience and work her way up at Coldwell and Gary Greene’s Better Homes and Gardens, Mary’s next big challenge was serving as a Regional Trainer back with Century 21.

Serving over South Houston and South Texas, Mary was able to share her knowledge of the business and implement programs beneficial to agents; however, the opportunity was unfortunately short-lived due to a HMS buy-out that disbanded the training programs. Disappointed, but not deterred, Mary found a new home working alongside longtime friend and colleague, Ann Walker at Keller Williams-Northwest. Mary worked with Ann for the next 10 years serving as an agent and Team Leader. Ann remembers Mary’s sincerity and generosity making her office a wonderful place.

“I love Mary Parker!” Ann says, “She truly cares about everyone. It doesn’t matter if the work day is over; she’s always there to help. Whether it’s a volunteer situation or a leadership role, she genuinely cares for the people she works with. She has given so much; many agents have benefited from her teaching.”

Judy Hopkins, who served as Mary’s Broker at Keller Williams, also remembers Mary for her generosity.

“Mary is so knowledgeable,” Judy says, “The agents always loved and appreciated the direction she gave them as she helped them with contract problems or training. She has always been so generous with her time and knowledge. Not only has she been active in the real estate community, but she has always been a huge volunteer in the community at large.”

After nearly a decade working with Walker and Hopkins, Mary found herself with the opportunity to rejoin Century 21, this time to work with Houston real estate icon Dory Gordon, whom Mary had known from her fellow service in WCR. Mary remembers being ecstatic when Dory asked for her to join Century 21 Premier Gold Properties management ranks.

“I already knew that the office was staffed by incredible people,” Mary says, “Dory has amazing plans, and she wanted for me to be a part of them. I had actually been mulling over separate offers from two different companies when Dory approached me and asked that I consider working with her instead.”

Mary and many of her and Dory’s Century 21 associates believe her calm and logical demeanor are a perfect match for Dory’s hurricane dynamo of energy, charisma, and enthusiasm.

“Dory and I are very different but we really connect and work great together,” Mary shares, “We function like an action and a calm. I love working with her helping agents, training, mentoring, and solving everyday problems. It’s been my job to help the new agents find their place.”

Dory Gordon has been ecstatic to have Mary on her team.

“Mary is a matriarch of Texas real estate,” Dory says, “She has always had a high degree of ethics and integrity and she is such a caring and helpful person to have on your team. She has stable values with a wealth of knowledge and a heart of gold. Her commitment to the agents and the organization is impressive. She has leadership, tenure and a caring heart to aide the agents to succeed.”

Mary, who had dedicated her life’s work to her father’s message about education, brings a vast array of experience and credentials to her positions as Trainer and General Manager. The holder of ABR, GRI, CRS, and SRES licenses, Mary has worked hard to help aspiring Realtors understand the importance of investing in their education. As she walks her rookie agents through the day-to-day trials and tribulations that come with their new profession, it’s not uncommon to find Mary calmly seated at her desk taking call after call from panicking agents.

“That’s what I’m here for,” Mary says, “I take agent calls 24-7, literally, whenever they need guidance or advice.”
Timothy D. Reed, a rookie with Century 21 who has been practicing real estate for under a year, believes God has truly blessed him with such a great mentor and teacher.
“Mary has a vast knowledge of the industry plus all of her tips are the best,” Tim says, “Her approach to teaching is great. She is very soft spoken, but she is always heard. Everyone should have a mentor like her, but I believe God has broken the mold after Mary was born.”
Besides assisting and educating Century 21’s agents, Mary also serves as a Trainer to Century 21 Premier Gold Properties Leadership Team.

When Mary is not fielding calls from her office’s agents, she dedicates her spare time to serving as a Certified Instructor at Houston’s prestigious Champions School of Real Estate. Mary and Champion’s president Rita Santamaria have a longstanding relationship. Rita knows that Mary’s experience and positive attitude offer her students the finest instruction around.

“Mary is a true professional,” Rita says, “She is very loyal to the Realtor industry. She is a wonderful trainer for new agents. She has taught more new people than most people can imagine meeting in a lifetime. I’ve known Mary for 20-plus years, and she never has a bad day; she is always positive and upbeat.”

When she is not busy managing, instructing, or assisting, Mary and husband Kenneth enjoy going to the movies and vacationing in timeshares they have in Orlando and Piney Shores, although she admits they don’t often get away for long.

2008 is a special year for Mary and Kenneth who will celebrate their “Golden Year”— their 50th wedding anniversary. The couple is most proud of their three sons, who have all worked hard to educate and establish themselves in their respective careers; however, their sons have also been working hard to bring Mary and Ken an overabundance of wonderful grandchildren: 13 in all, with one more on the way!

Family, for Mary, only comes second to her faith in God, and the passionate family woman is looking forward to having her children and grandchildren come together in a grand celebration of her and Kenneth’s Golden anniversary.

“We have children and grandchildren in Seattle, California, Denver, and Fort Worth,” Mary shares, “My faith in God and my family have always come right before business.”

For any aspiring agents looking for a quick road to riches and success in the real estate business, Mary will be the first to tell them that there is no easy way; education, patience, ethics, and good, honest hard work are the only path.

“I always advise agents to go to a company with honest and ethical ownership,” Mary says, “Schools don’t prepare you enough for the challenges that lay ahead; you must go to an office that will offer you training and support.”

In addition, Mary believes that having the right attitude is essential to achieving success.

“You absolutely have to have a plan, and treat your profession as a business. You can’t make it in real estate if you have a retail attitude; you have to have a business-owner’s attitude because real estate is your own business, and it demands that you treat it that way.”

After nearly 40 years in the business, Mary is showing no sign of slowing down; after all, real estate and the people she encounters everyday are what she loves, and the avid volunteer is never afraid to take on more responsibility. Mary has been chosen to serve as Century 21’s Broker Council President for 2009, where she will work with other office leaders to organize charity events and promote Century 21 programs and training.

“I’m so excited to have been chosen,” Mary says, “It’s an opportunity for me to get together with other leaders and make a difference on a larger scale than just through my office.”

Among the charitable activities Mary and her office have donated their time and efforts to are Century 21’s Easter Seals, The Houston Classic, Toys for Tots, Candlelighters,American Diabetes Association and the annual gold tournament.

In addition to the activities Mary partakes in through her office, the diligent volunteer has worked for the past 20 years as an Election Judge for Houston Precinct 78, where she has worked alongside likes of many affluent politicians such as Gene Green, Dale Gorchinski, David Patronella, and John Whitmire presiding over the democratic process.

“It has been a blessing,” Mary shares, “to have met so many great people. I’m afraid to mention any names here because I can’t possibly list everyone that has been so instrumental to me in my life and career.”

Just as Mary can’t possibly thank all the countless people who have made her life and career such an immense blessing, it would be impossible to even attempt to compile all the countless clients, Realtors, and community members that Mary has touched over her astounding career. Let’s just say Mary is one solid-gold leader, friend, mentor, and icon that no one will be forgetting anytime soon; after all, she is far from finished with her life’s work.

Read More......

5/16/08 Edition of Houston Real Estate TODAY!


We go into the studio with Heidi Allbriton of Keller Williams of Pearland, Shivani and Chuck of Intech (soil testing and engineering), and Corey DeBarardino, VP of urbanFINANCIAL.

Are you missing this show? No fear, you can listen on-line, watch our in studio videos, and see pre-show and after show photo album on-line. Want to be a part of the show? Call us.

"Houston Real Estate TODAY!" airs every Friday at 1PM CST on CNN 650 AM and on-line at this website.

To listen to the archive audio stream (click): <radio active>

If you are interested in being a guest on the show, please contact Andy Valadez at 713.560.3348 or e-mail: info@HoustonRealEstateTODAY.com

Please sign-up for our newsletter and visit our Flickr photo blog. We welcome your comments and feedback.

Show Sponsors:
urbanFINANCIAL
Lasting Impressions Home Management
Marketing Dynamics
Homes and Land Magazine
Nuestra Casa

Our show producer Steven Kay Media

Part 1 an interview with Heidi Allbriton Magnolia Bend and Brazoria

Part 2 an interview with Shivani on Soil Testing

Part 3 an interview with Corey DeBarardino VP of urbanFINANCIAL

Read More......

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

5/9/08 Editiion of Houston Real Estate TODAY!


We go into the studio with top realtors Richard and Tracy Wall of Richard Wall Realtors, Coach Dan Hart of Taxpayers for Equal Appraisals, and Rene Salvatierra, President of urbanFINANCIAL.

Are you missing this show? No fear, you can listen on-line, watch our in studio videos, and see pre-show and after show photo album on-line. Want to be a part of the show? Call us.

"Houston Real Estate TODAY!" airs every Friday at 1PM CST on CNN 650 AM and on-line at this website.

To listen to the archive audio stream (click): <radio active>

If you are interested in being a guest on the show, please contact Andy Valadez at 713.560.3348 or e-mail: info@HoustonRealEstateTODAY.com

Please sign-up for our newsletter and visit our Flickr photo blog. We welcome your comments and feedback.

Show Sponsors:
urbanFINANCIAL
Lasting Impressions Home Management
Marketing Dynamics
Homes and Land Magazine
Nuestra Casa

Our show producer Steven Kay Media

Part 1: An Interview with Richard and Tracy Wall of Richard Wall Realtors

For more information from Coach Dan Hart on Tax Issues, click below to see his appearances on the show.

Part 2 with Coach Dan Hart

Part 3 with Rene Salvatierra of urbanFINANCIAL

Show Conclusion

Read More......

Friday, May 09, 2008

5/2/08 Edition of Houston Real Estate TODAY!



This week we go into the studio with Top Realtor, Patty McCracken, Tom Sanford, Director of Marketing for Centex Homes, and Coach Dan Hart for Taxpayers for Equal Appraisals.

Are you missing this show? No fear, you can listen on-line, watch our in studio videos, and see pre-show and after show photo album on-line. Want to be a part of the show? Call us.

"Houston Real Estate TODAY!" airs every Friday at 1PM CST on CNN 650 AM and on-line at this website.

To listen to the archive audio stream (click): <radio active>

If you are interested in being a guest on the show, please contact Andy Valadez at 713.560.3348 or e-mail: info@HoustonRealEstateTODAY.com

Please sign-up for our newsletter and visit our Flickr photo blog. We welcome your comments and feedback.

Show Sponsors:
urbanFINANCIAL
Lasting Impressions Home Management
Marketing Dynamics
Homes and Land Magazine
Nuestra Casa

Our show producer Steven Kay Media

Part 1: An interview with Patty McCracken

For more information from Coach Dan Hart on Tax Issues, click below to see his appearances on the show.

Part 2: An interview with Tom Sanford, Director of Marketing for Centex Homes

Part 3: An interview with Coach Dan Hart of the Taxpayers for Equal Appraisals

Show Conclusion

Read More......

Friday, May 02, 2008

Stephanie Schley – RE/MAX Northwest, The Gumshoe Realtor



RE/MAX Hall of Fame agent Stephanie Schley really enjoys tying up loose ends in real estate, so much so in fact that maybe she should have been a detective. This top producer and co-owner of RE/MAX Northwest is a huge fan of mystery novels and takes an approach similar to the detectives in her books when matching a buyer to a home. The buyer’s wants and needs are the clues that put her hot on the trail of the perfect property, and just like Sherlock Holmes, her research and keen intuition seldom miss finding a solution for her clients.

“When new buyers come to me, I ask them many, many questions, in an effort to figure out what they are looking for in a home,” Stephanie says, “It’s like a good mystery novel to me—piecing it all together to help my clients find their dream home. It doesn’t take me long to sense which available house would be the perfect match for them.”

Although she can usually match a buyer and a home on the first try, Stephanie knows from experience that their perception is also very important to placement.

“Even when I know which property would be perfect, I’ll still show them lots of different properties that meet their criteria.”

Stephanie’s method might surprise you at times, but for her buyers it always works. They appreciate the extra time she takes in listening, interpreting and ultimately meeting their needs.

One recent buyer wasn’t able to see the house that Stephanie thought would be the perfect match. Stephanie suggested to him—rather than taking the chance of losing it—that he extend an offer on the property. He trusted her knowledge of the market and her sensitivity to his needs and purchased it sight unseen. When he walked in the door for the first time he exclaimed, “Wow, you really nailed it!” You could almost hear Stephanie’s sigh of relief.

While Stephanie may especially enjoy solving her buyers’ mysteries, she also loves working with sellers and handles almost an equal number of each. She feels the secret to being a successful Realtor involves communication, accuracy, reliability and availability; Stephanie’s clients often attest that she consistently delivers in all of these categories.

Born in small-town Burlington, Iowa, the big sister to three younger brothers, Stephanie grew up in several states before her family settled in Dallas where she would fall in love with Texas and make many great friends. Her father, a salesman, and mother a registered nurse, always encouraged Stephanie and her siblings to invest heavily in the two most important things in life: family and education.

A first class student in high school, Stephanie, started her college experience by attending TCU. It did not take long, however for her to follow her dreams and friends to Austin and The University of Texas, where she graduated with a degree in elementary education. After getting married, Stephanie made a short term move to Iowa, then on to Kansas where she taught grades 3-5 for several years. She became a stay-at-home mom after the birth of her first daughter, Emily. Two years later, Emily was joined by her sister Elyse.

Moving to Houston in 1978 and enjoying the life of a homemaker with a two-year-old and a four-year-old, Stephanie thought real estate would be a great job. She could work part time and pick her own hours. “I just wanted to work a little and make enough money to buy my girls a piano and pay for the lessons,” Stephanie shares, laughing, “That was how it started and my plan almost worked perfectly. The girls got their piano and their lessons and I got a fabulous full-time career.”

Stephanie first hung her license at Dave Summers’ Century 21, after being turned down by two other brokers in the area who didn’t sponsor new agents. Although less than ideal, Stephanie’s first office, a “rickety” temporary trailer on FM 1960, would serve as a great jumping-off point with a nice mixture of both buyers and sellers.

Stephanie recalls her first Real Estate mentor, Dave Summers, as being both caring and motivational. “Dave had a great mentoring program that put me with Delilah Birmingham. I quickly learned that there was more to real estate than showing houses and writing contracts. You become a counselor and a friend. Years ago I had a client whose home burned and they moved in with me and my family for 6 months while their home was being rebuilt.”

Taking to heart the advice of her mentors Summers and Birmingham, Stephanie was quickly able to find success with clients and earned the honor of the office’s Rookie of the Year. When Summers decided to move to Austin and sold his company to Donna Mundy, Stephanie found her next mentor. Her real estate career was booming. With that success brought recruiters from many of the top-name offices in the area.

Stephanie was contacted by a recruiter from RE/MAX Champions and they met for lunch. She had neither the expectation nor intention to change offices, but the RE/MAX concept and system impressed her. “I listened objectively to the RE/MAX story,” Stephanie recalls, “and my fears about being a RE/MAX agent began to dissipate.”

“Even though there are several great Real Estate companies out there, I always felt that the best agents with the best work ethic worked for RE/MAX. The recruiter helped me realize that I already possessed all the tools and the right work ethic to be a RE/MAX agent. I decided I was not going to allow fear of the unknown to prevent me from making this step forward. A decision I would never regret.”

Backed by RE/MAX’s impressive training programs and technology systems, Stephanie blossomed in her new environment while embracing her new colleagues and clients. Stephanie was so enamored with her new office and system that she convinced several of her longtime friends in the business to join the RE/MAX ranks. “Once I got into the system, I loved it, and believed in it,” Stephanie says, “RE/MAX of Texas provides so much support, back-up and great training programs.

“I never saw myself owning an office,” Stephanie admits, “but then the previous owner offered us the opportunity to purchase his franchise. Although, the fear of the unknown was rearing its ugly head, Katie and I wanted to preserve the relationships among agents that had made our office so strong. Everyone was delighted that Katie and I would take over the office and also implement many improvements in the transition.”

“RE/MAX Northwest has grown to over 95 well respected agents. I am very proud to be associated with everyone one of them. Their professionalism and strong work ethic sets them ‘Above the Crowd’,” Stephanie says.

Stephanie and Katie, who first met through RE/MAX, share an uncanny origin—both agents were born in the same hospital in the same little town of Burlington, Iowa. Katie jokes that their common origin causes them to be very much alike. Katie says, “There must have been something in the water in Burlington, because Stephanie and I share so many of the same thoughts and attitudes.”

Stephanie and Katie’s approach to running their office has benefited their agents greatly. Not only do they offer their agents great training and technological support, but they allow their RE/MAX team members to have a voice in many of the decisions that are made for the office.

“Our meetings and communications are very open,” Stephanie says, “We encourage our agents to voice their concerns and opinions. For us, it’s all about the agents and their successes.”

A big part of RE/MAX Northwest’s success has been the addition of Peggy Rudolph, an immensely talented veteran of the business, whom they hired to serve as Broker and Sales Manager. “We hired Peggy because of her experience, ethics and professional standards,” Stephanie says, “Under her leadership we have greatly improved our in-office education and continue to add quality agents.”

Katie McMullen, Stephanie’s partner and friend, feels that RE/MAX Northwest is a special place because it has not only a successful track record but also a great community atmosphere

“We’re fortunate to have a talented group of agents who respect one another and also respect their profession,” Katie says, “Our primary goal is to make our office #1 in Houston and maintain that stature. I’m so lucky to have Stephanie as my business partner. She has worked extremely hard to get where she is, and she’s the best kind of Realtor who cares about people, and she puts their needs above all else.”

Broker Peggy Rudolph praises Stephanie’s skills as a leader.

“Stephanie is an incredibly great person to know and work with,” Peggy says, “She is so driven, professional, and intelligent, and she certainly has the proven skills to be in charge of this office. She has been more than just an employer to me; she has been a true friend.”

Over the past 29 years Stephanie has participated in thousands of transactions with buyers and sellers in Spring, Champions, Tomball, Montgomery, The Woodlands, Magnolia, Katy and as far away as San Antonio, Texas. She has a team of four associates to aid in the success of each transaction: personal assistant Tammy Haines, and buyer’s agents Sharon Whitlock, Joye Harris and Itzel Turcios.

Stephanie has earned her broker’s license along with the coveted CRS and ABR designations. She also achieved the accomplishment of being a Graduate of the Real Estate Institute.

“My father was my life mentor,” Stephanie shares, He taught me to take pride in everything I do. He was also big on education. He would stress to me and my three brothers that our education was the key to our futures.” It wasn’t enough to just make passing grades, but that it was important to know the correct answer. Always the salesman, my dad taught us it is not the question you ask that is as is important as how you ask the question: ‘Do you want to go to college?’, or ‘Which college do you want to go to?’ We all went to the college of our choice.”

“I have always loved working with people,” Stephanie says, “and to be a successful Realtor you have to enjoy your clients and put them at ease. Before I was a Realtor, I can remember the stress I felt when I bought my very-first home. Everybody experiences stress because it is such a large commitment for such a very long time. You gain your clients trust by being genuine, because ‘they don’t care what you know until they know that you care.’”

“I am extremely passionate about this business,” Stephanie says, “There is a right way to do things. The key to a smooth transaction is educating your clients. I take each client and explain the process one step at a time.

Stephanie’s diligence and hard work has earned the respect and referrals of many clients. Recent clients Robbie and Theresa Thorn were surprised and extremely pleased when Stephanie was able to list and sell their home which had been on the market for quite some time with another agent.

“We cannot thank Stephanie enough,” the Thorns said, “We could not believe that within one week of listing our home with her we had a contract! It had been on the market over 9 months with another agent.”

“We have been transferred with my husband’s job several times, and have leased sold, and purchased several homes,” said clients Phil and Shannon Roach, “We have had bad, good and okay representation. With Stephanie we had excellent representation. Her knowledge of the area and of finance is outstanding. Stephanie went above and beyond the call of duty.”

“Stephanie used her expertise to help us as we made our way through the unfamiliar process of selling and purchasing homes,” said clients John and Judy King, “We really appreciated her guidance and support.”

When she can pry herself from her responsibilities to her clients, Stephanie enjoys spending time with husband Stephen “Doc” White, a physician who has practiced in Sugarland for over 30 years. The couple enjoys taking the time to travel to exotic beachfront locations, of which Cabo San Lucas has been their favorite. They try to visit Cabo yearly where Doc plays golf and Stephanie converts to her form as a beach bum.

“We can spend two weeks in Cabo and it’s still not long enough,” Stephanie shares, “I’ll lay by the beach and read a new mystery novel every day, and just listen to the waves roll in.”

Although real estate has brought Stephanie much success, the greatest achievements in her life are daughters, Emily and Elyse. Both still live in Texas, have earned college degrees (one’s a Longhorn and one’s an Aggie), and have embraced their grandfather’s message about the importance of education.

The girls recently traveled with Stephanie and Doc on a cruise where they were able to spend some quality time together. “They were trapped with us for seven days,” Stephanie jokes, “but it was such a great experience because it was the first time in years we took a vacation together.

Every March is exciting for Stephanie and her daughters to enjoy Rodeo Houston. The girls all meet up for barbeque, music, and entertainment. For the last 15 years, Stephanie has served on several Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Committees.

Stephanie and several of her friends compete in the annual Redfish Rodeo, a 2 day all women’s charity fishing event benefiting scholarships for women in the sports field. “It’s a fun time,” Stephanie shares, “We only fish once a year, but we take it seriously—every year we go to win. It’s so quiet and peaceful out on the water. I can see why people are so eager to say they’ve ‘gone fishing.’”

Whether she is fishing, volunteering for the rodeo, running her company with partner Katie McMullen, or meeting her client’s needs, Stephanie has a passion for all she does. The agent, owner, broker, RE/MAX Hall-of-Famer, cowgirl, Redfish angler, and beach bum definitely enjoys her life and her work. For Stephanie, each day is beautiful, challenging, and holds an element of mystery and she looks forward to working with the clients that make it so rewarding. She is grateful for her colleagues, clients, friends and family, who continue to make her life so fulfilling.

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A Salute to Moms & Our Publisher’s Advisory Board


As most of you know, when I took over the magazine 6 years ago, I was quite intimidated by the editorial aspect of the magazine. You see, I had been in advertising sales/publishing for several other all advertising based publications (Homes&Land, Apartment Guides, Perfect Wedding Guides, etc) and wasn’t sure if I was qualified to decide what editorial needed to be in the magazine.

I have always believed that if you didn’t have all of the answers and weren’t even sure what the questions were, you needed to surround yourself with people that were more knowledgeable than you are….no problem there. I pride myself on how little I know and seem to get away with it!

In March of 2002, I started gathering the most incredible and knowledgeable people I knew and established the Publishers Advisory Board. The “Founding Members” of the board (still on the board today) are Rita Santamaria, Shad Bogany, Vicki Fisher, Virginia Grace Green, Hedley Karpas, Marilyn Wier, Margo Frederking, John Cruise and Irby Rozelle. These people nominate and vote on the cover honorees, give me feedback on the industry and are my inspiration to continually “better my best” every issue. When you see these individuals and the other current members of the board, please tell them how much you enjoy the magazine and appreciate them being a part of it. I sure do! The 2008-2009 Publisher’s Advisory Board is featured on the adjoining page.

May is the month of two great holidays, Mother’s Day and Memorial Day. Mother’s Day is always bitter sweet for me. My mother was a victim of Breast Cancer that took her life at just 38 years old, oddly enough on Mother’s Day Weekend. Earlier this month, I received an editorial from the Houston Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure® folks that I thought was a perfect fit for this issue. They have a suggestion for Mothers Day, when you are thinking of the perfect gift, give the gift of a reminder to the women in your life about the importance of breast cancer awareness and early detection.

This month’s cover honoree is a Stephanie Schley of RE/MAX Northwest. I have been wanting to honor Stephanie for a long time. There have been quite a few other agents from that office who have made the cover of the magazine and I was glad when the advisory board nominated Stephanie. She is a terrific agent, a great partner to Katie McMullen, a great friend to many, many, many in the industry and (most importantly) a great wife and mom! You will enjoy her story.

As always, good reading, good sales and Happy Mothers Day to all!

Success to You!

Steve Levine

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