Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate Legacy owner Steffany Farmer has reached the pinnacle of real estate success – with over twenty years in the industry, and a standard minimum of 100 listings a year. Built with a strong passion and unmatched diligence, her career is impressive in every sense of the word. Launching her career in the pre-digital age meant she needed to be resourceful to build her clientele, her team, and eventually her business. Creating such success required a keen eye and a knack for connecting with other ambitious, successful people. I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Steffany and discuss her story.
We all know real estate is a business of people. Making connections and holding meetings are prime opportunities for career expansion. You could say Steffany took this idea to heart. From the very beginning, she followed the law of attraction and sought out top producers, constantly looking for people who could influence her success. She observed the professionals she admired most, noted their practices, and worked hard to mirror such success. After receiving her real estate license in 1993, Steffany did what she could to get ahead and build a solid career.
Steffany took a long hiatus from 2005 to 2010 to work as an office manager with another brand. But after five years and a change in the market, her boss knew it was time to for Steffany to sell again and told her: “You were one of our top producers, I need you to get back in the business!” Though her absence from the market presented many challenges, she relied heavily on her past connections. Steffany began reaching out and following up with clients from years before. Her new growth path was reminiscent of the very beginning of her real estate experience.
“Get creative!”
In her effort to forge a solid career path, Steffany took opportunities left and right. Determined to meet her goal of 40 listings, she started doing Cash for Keys transactions. Though this was not a glamorous launch back into real estate, Steffany was able to gather inventory and the numbers that would later propel her to bigger opportunities. It was a non-traditional method that worked.
Steffany had found a formula that worked for her. She believed in taking listings that had even the slightest chance of selling, with the intention of building inventory and acquiring listings. As business became busier, Steffany realized she needed a support system. She hired a full-time licensed assistant and worked with him to continue growing the business. At 70 units, Steffany sought an administrative assistant to manage transactions. At 120 units, she hired a listing coordinator, and the rest is history.
“It’s not hard to be better, it just takes extra effort.”
Looking back on Steffany’s career, it’s clear many of her person-to-person encounters supported and even led to her next professional moves. Steffany stresses the need for in-person meetings and a strong team behind her. As an owner of her own franchise now, Steffany knows that her success was built on a solid foundation of professional support, a strong diligence, and a willingness to work.
