Exploring Life & Business with Christie Carroll of Prestige Home Brokers

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christie Carroll.

Hi Christie, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
My career in real estate started in the most accidental way. I graduated from Berry College with a degree in psychology and a biology minor. I decided to take a year off before starting grad school to figure out what I really wanted to do and try to save up some money. One night was talking to my brother’s partner at the time, who was a successful real estate agent in Buckhead, and he mentioned that there was a job opening as a closing processor at the real estate brokerage he worked for. I got the job so fresh out of college, I packed my bags and moved from Rome, GA to Atlanta. I hated it. From the day I started, I hated it. I was stuck in a tiny room with no windows, with two other people, all day. That was in 2004 during the condo boom, and the commission checks I saw coming in were insane. I really didn’t give it much thought. I decided to get my real estate license and started working for another successful agent in Midtown. I did that for a few years until I was selling on my own. Metro Atlanta is fast-paced, and the traffic is awful. When I got to the point that I was ready to start a family, we decided to settle in Cartersville and then back to Rome to be closer to family. I had worked at various brokerages over the years, and each one had its pros and cons. I always had in the back of my mind, though, that I was paying a brokerage and marketing them. There were restrictions on using your own branding, how you could help clients, etc. So, two years into being back in Rome, I decided to scale down and open my own brokerage. We are now in our second full year in business and continuing to grow. I can now be a one-stop shop for anyone needing to buy or sell real estate. We handle anything from luxury homes to bank-owned properties. We have investor partners who can provide a cash offer. We have a licensed appraiser on staff. We provide solutions to avoid foreclosure. We also recently hired a social media manager. Our goal is to help every homeowner who comes our way, regardless of their situation.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not! I went into this knowing how to sell real estate and knew very little about the day-to-day operations of a brokerage, especially accounting. Early on, I was managing the books myself until we grew enough that I couldn’t keep up with it. I’m glad I did it because I know how now, but there were many late nights where I sat with tears in my eyes trying to navigate QuickBooks. Luckily, AI was super helpful. Another challenge I faced was rushing to put systems in place, not yet fully knowing what I needed. I’ve had to go back and move to different systems on a few things, and it has cost me extra time and money.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a solutions-based real estate brokerage. We recognize that selling your home is not a one-size-fits-all process. When we meet with a seller, we listen to their situation. We have a list of questions we ask to find out what their stress points are, what life event is causing a move, and what is important to them. We then provide them with a scenario- often multiple scenarios- so that they can make the decision that is best for them. We don’t shy away from having hard conversations with sellers and buyers, and I feel that that is refreshing in this industry. I know that at the end of the day, I have let a client know what is in their best interest, and they can make an informed decision. While a lot of our business is listings, we also assist buyers. We are known locally for our social media marketing. It’s fun to have strangers come up to you and introduce themselves because they have seen your videos.

Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I like to fish. Both of my kids enjoy it, and it is a way that we can spend quality time together away from screens.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.prestigehomebrokers.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prestigehomebrokers/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FindAHomeInRome
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/findahomeinrome/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PrestigeHomeBrokers
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@findahomeinrome?_r=1&_t=ZT-97WLhUi5Ppt