While the mortgage rates have been declining recently, things were drastically different three months ago. In October, the housing prices skyrocketed, putting a question mark on the dreams of aspiring house buyers. Despite the current lower mortgage rates, buying a house remains a dream for many due to its availability and affordability—or lack thereof.
However, it isn’t just a buyer problem. The price fluctuations mean sellers also have a tough time finding prospects. In the long term, it affects the real estate industry as a whole.
In this rollercoaster of an industry, Leaders hold a tremendous responsibility in achieving stability. While men have traditionally dominated the real estate leadership positions, things are evolving rapidly as more women take charge of leadership roles.
Gina Knight is one such leader, making strides and paving the path for future generations for a better real estate future. In her lucrative professional career, Gina wears many hats—she is the owner, broker, and realtor at RE/MAX Finest. As a woman leader in male-dominated sections, Gina’s road was filled with twists and turns, and below is the depiction of her journey.
Playing it Smart
Gina emphasizes that most women naturally possess the qualities of a great leader—multitasking, being supportive of others, being well organized, possessing networking skills, being highly passionate, and more.
However, due to various societal factors, many women are unfortunately raised to be people pleasers. Growing up in such an environment can negatively affect their confidence, as they fear being too abrasive. Gina believes it’s an issue created by society’s double standards. Men get rewarded for being assertive, focused, and successful. On the contrary, women are called names and judged harshly for possessing similar traits.
“To build confidence, you can seek the assistance of a coach or mentor to guide you until you see yourself for who you are- AMAZING!”
Gina believes in walking the walk before talking the talk. She wasn’t willing to ask anyone to do something she hadn’t done or willing to do herself. Putting her nose to the grindstone, she achieved the Hall of Fame award worth 1$ million within two years. It was an incredible feat because it was a small market.
Adding to her accolades, Gina has been in the top 1.5% of the agents nationwide for three consecutive years by transaction sides. Since her debut year as an agent in 2013, Gina has been the top producing agent, which includes her previous company. In more than a decade of professional career, Gina has received many such awards, including a lifetime award by the local MLS. However, the real success for Gina is witnessing the agents she mentored achieve success and go beyond expectations.
Recently, one such agent received the Nations Top 100 award for making it to the top 10 in the nation by transaction sides (119), exceeding Gina’s transaction count. Reaching out to Gina tearfully, the agent shared that she never thought she would make a 6-figure income similar to doctors, lawyers, and even her husband—all with little to no education. For Gina, being able to teach others to generate a lifestyle most never even dreamed possible is an incomparable feeling.
Gina has some words of wisdom for aspiring women entrepreneurs:
“It is simple—help enough other people to get what they want, and you will have what you want. Money is an energy and it is merely a reward for the service you give to others!”
Exceeding the Expectations
As a woman, Gina highlights the importance of not thinking about societal expectations while remaining focused on personal goals is crucial. She began her professional journey in male-dominated industries, where many believed her success was not her own creation but her husband’s or some other sources. It took Gina’s consistent actions to prove her ability.
While many women today inspire Gina, her mother, a retired entrepreneur, remains her pinnacle of inspiration.
Her mother helped Gina learn various business lessons. When Gina was 10, her mother made her listen to Zig Zigler tapes on Phone etiquette before Gina could start making extra money by working at her mother’s front desk. Her mother advised Gina to enter the business field for her growth and not merely for the money. During this time, Gina also learned how buying a building far exceeds the option of leasing. With a lease, your landlord is your business partner. If they decide to double your rent, they could put you out overnight, adds Gina.
“Be aware of the pitfalls, be smarter, and never let them see you sweat! Always have a smile on your face and make it look easy!”
360-degree Real Estate
Situated in Crossville, TN, RE/MAX Finest is a full-service Real Estate Firm serving Middle and East Tennessee. Its specialized agents handle various property types such as residential, commercial, land, industrial, Equestrian, farms, vacation, and lake properties. Its mission is to have the highest educated and service-oriented agents in the business so it can provide an exceptional experience to its clients, ensuring smooth transactions and making a positive difference within its communities.
Steadily building its team of agents, RE/MAX Finest presently has well-aligned professionals who understand that this is their business, not just a job—overcoming various negative preconceived ideas of real estate agents. By hosting many community events and being transparent within its communities, RE/MAX has attracted quality realtors who understand its vision and work diligently to achieve it.
“The only ship that never sails is a partnership. Be BOLD! Get a mentor or a coach, and stand on your own. YOU GOT THIS!”
For RE/MAX Finest, the biggest challenge remains to handle the effects of COVID-19 and the political environments in the surrounding states, leading to an influx of people from across the country to Tennessee, soaring the cost of housing and lowering inventory levels.
The firm understood that most locals cannot compete with this price hike. To remedy this, RE/MAX Finest partnered with a local non-profit, The Assistance Fund, to build affordable housing for the locals to experience the American dream of home ownership.
Culture of Prosperity and Collaboration
Gina Knight credits the success of RE/MAX Finest to the ‘prosperity mindset’ of its agents and their work ethic. The firm’s culture, its desire to serve the community by collaborating with different companies to host educational events, like scam proofing for seniors and first-time home buyers, and sponsoring events for veterans, students, plus non-profits played a vital role in its success.
At RE/MAX Finest, each agent works together like a family, often having their families assist us at events, helping each other, sharing knowledge, and encouraging each other in tackling specific challenges within the real estate field.
A business in a box
RE/MAX is one of the most renowned brands globally, that has undergone every recession in the last 50 years and came out stronger every time. Its leadership, vision, support, education, and technology are the best in the business, enabling its agents to work smarter, not harder.
Leveraging the technology, the CRM they provide for people is coupled with AI, allowing its agents to stay on top of the client’s needs and showcasing them precisely what they are looking at. Going one step further, RE/MAX alerts people when their online behavior indicates that they should contact them immediately and how to do it—via text, e-mail, or phone call.
Everything people need, RE/MAX provides. That includes its personal website, apps, RE/MAX University for those seeking on-demand education, social media marketing, direct mailing, you name. Furthermore, the firm can serve its clients through its incredible referral network that enables people to find quality real estate professionals anywhere in the world.
