John is regional Vice President of Member Development and has been helping to grow the Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate network for more than seven years. John is also the President of the non-profit organization LGBTQ+ REAL ESTATE ALLIANCE.
1. Which of our BHGRE® P.A.I.G.E. (Passion, Authenticity, Inclusion, Growth, Excellence) core values do you identify with most, and why?
I don’t know if I can name just one. All of these values are important to me and one of the things that attracted me to this brand in the first place. Inclusion due to my previous and current work, is the most important. We all learn by others. We were all made differently for a reason.
2. What are your favorite qualities in a customer?
My favorite customers can have a business discussion without ego involved. Ego gets in the way of growing personally and professionally.
3. What is the one characteristic that’s helped you the most in your career?
I say all the time that my biggest skill is “Building Airplanes in flight.” I am not a 9-5 person and I am motivated by building things. “Thought leadership with implementation.”
4. What was the last book you read?
Memorial Drive by Natasha Trethewey.
5. If you were not in real estate, what would you be doing?
Anything with consulting.
6. What was the last song you heard that you couldn’t stop humming?
I’m also a professional DJ, so this an impossible thing for me to answer, lol. I have multiple songs a day that I hum.
7. Who is your real-life hero?
My mom! She was a single mom after my parents got a divorce when I was young. She not only provided for us but was/is a very strong support system to me, even to this day. We talk and pray every day regarding my candidates and travel safety.
8. What is your favorite motto?
This changed last week when I read a quote from Paulo Coelho. “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible: the fear of failure.” Fear is a daily challenge for us all to manage and I am much better at managing my inner saboteur than even a year ago.
9. If you could sell a home in any market in the world, where would it be?
When I sold homes, my favorite was the Marine Corps Base Camp LeJeune, NC. I loved working with the men and women of our nation’s military. It was so rewarding to work with them and for many of my clientele, they were in their early twenties and it was a great feeling to know that I advised them in creating their wealth as such early ages.
10. What advice would you give your younger self starting out in real estate?
When I began real estate, we were in the broker-centric business model and I tried to please my broker all the time. Although I had a focus on the consumer, it was not my top priority. It cost a lot of time and money to keep my sphere engaged in future deals as well. The experience would have been even better for them and for me had the consumer been the top priority.
