Exploring Life & Business with Keena Bass of Making Moves Group of eXp Realty

Today we’d like to introduce you to Keena Bass.

Hi Keena, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My name is Keena Bass and my story started long before real estate. It started with desire for more purpose and to build something of my own.

Before real estate, I was working in a corporate office in Washington, DC as an auditor for Laborers’ International Union of North America, just one block away from the White House. On paper, I had a stable career, but I was struggling with the feeling that I was meant to do something more. I looked at my supervisor and realized I could see my future if I stayed on that path, and honestly, it wasn’t the future I wanted for myself.

At the same time, I was thinking about the kind of environment I wanted to create for my children. My daughters were 4, 8, and 14 years old, and my oldest was preparing to enter high school while my youngest was starting pre-K. I wanted a different pace of life, experiences and a safe place where I could raise my children.

In 2014, I made the decision to resign, pack up my family, and move to Pensacola, Florida, a place where I had previously lived and where I had met my husband. It was a big risk, but I knew I needed to make a change.

When I arrived in Florida, I accepted a temporary front desk receptionist position at a real estate company. I had always been interested in real estate. In fact, when I was 19 years old, I used to drive past a real estate school on my way to work and tell myself, “One day I’m going to become a real estate agent.”

I had the choice to take a safer route and accept a medical billing position at a hospital with steady income and benefits, or take a chance and stay at the real estate office to immerse myself in the industry and see where it could lead. Something in me knew that if I didn’t take the opportunity, I would always wonder what could have happened.

That decision changed the direction of my life.

While working in the office, I was offered a full-time positions as the front desk resceptionist. Then later, took another position there as the contract compliance auditor, where I was able to see the business from a different perspective. I learned real estate contracts, legal compliance, and the behind-the-scenes side of real estate before I ever became an agent. Eventually, I got my license and stepped into the business part-time.

One of the moments that really pushed me was watching another agent in the office start her career. She came in as a brand-new agent and didn’t even know how to turn on a computer. Before real estate, she had spent 20 years working as a waitress. After her husband passed away, she needed a way to create more income and protect the home she had worked for. Watching her grow into one of the top agents in the office showed me what was possible.

I remember thinking, “If she can do this, I can too.”

Not long after that, I was given an ultimatum: continue as a full-time employee and put my real estate dream on hold, or step away and fully commit to becoming an agent. At the time, I was frustrated because I felt like I was being pushed before I was ready, but looking back, that was the push I needed. I didn’t have time to overthink it. It was a sink or swim moment.

As I grew in my career, I realized that one of my favorite parts of real estate wasn’t just helping clients, it was helping other agents. People would come to me with questions, and I genuinely enjoyed helping them find solutions. That started when I worked in the contracts compliance department, where agents relied on me for contract guidance, and it continued after I became an agent.

Eventually, I began teaching classes at my brokerage, including a class on working with internet leads, and I realized how much I enjoyed encouraging and guiding others. Over time, I recognized that leadership and helping people grow was not just something I was good at, it was something I was called to do.

Today, I am the founder and team leader of Making Moves Group of eXp Realty, the Chair of the Georgia Agent Advisory Council, a relocation and investment-focused real estate professional, and a consultant to agents looking to build sustainable businesses. But my journey to this point was not a straight path. It was built through a series of moves, risks, and moments where I had to create opportunities instead of waiting for them.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
No, the road has definitely not been smooth. Looking back, I think every major season of my career has required me to adapt, learn, and figure things out in ways I never expected.

Early in my real estate career, one of my biggest challenges was being underestimated. As a new agent, I was hungry to learn, but I quickly realized that many people in the industry were hesitant to share what they knew because they viewed other agents as competition. I found myself having to seek out education, mentors, and resources outside of my own office because I was determined to understand the business at a deeper level.

That experience is a big part of why I became passionate about helping other agents. I know what it feels like to be new, have questions, and not know where to turn. I never wanted other agents to feel like they had to struggle alone or figure everything out the hard way.

Another challenge was learning how to create my own path in the business. As the market shifted, I became curious about areas of real estate beyond traditional buying and selling. I started learning how to work with investors, auction properties, REO properties, and sellers who were facing difficult situations, including those who needed options to avoid foreclosure. Instead of focusing only on transactions, I learned how to become a problem solver.

That shift allowed me to create my own niche and stop chasing business. I learned that when you can provide value and solve problems, people recognize your expertise.

In 2020, I was actually at one of the strongest points in my real estate career. I had gone from closing 8 transactions my first year to consistently closing 20-25 transactions annually, and I was on track for my biggest year yet. But that same year, I experienced a personal loss that changed my perspective.

My aunt, who was like a mother to me and my family, passed away. She had moved to Pensacola to be closer to us, and having her nearby was one of the reasons I stayed in Florida. Losing her made me realize how important it was for me to be closer to my other family members. My husband and I decided to move to Atlanta, which felt like the best middle ground between Washington, DC, where I am from, and Pensacola, where he is from.

The move was the right decision for our family, but it was also a major business transition. I had built a successful business in Florida, and moving meant rebuilding relationships, learning a new market, obtaining my Georgia license, and getting my family settled. My oldest daughter was beginning her adult life, my middle daughter was in high school, and my youngest was entering middle school. There were a lot of changes happening at once.

I also had to make a strategic business decision and move brokerages because I wanted to continue growing across multiple states without being tied to separate companies. That was one of the reasons I chose eXp Realty. I came for the ability to have one brokerage while expanding my business, but I stayed because of the culture. I found experienced agents who were willing to share their knowledge, systems, and strategies, and that was something that really stood out to me.

The transition was harder than I expected, and rebuilding my business took longer than I anticipated. Like many entrepreneurs, I had to make some difficult financial decisions and restructure. It taught me an important lesson about entrepreneurship: having the skills to create business is just as important as having the passion to build one.

That lesson became even more important as the market shifted again. Higher interest rates, changing inventory, and changes in the investment market forced many professionals to rethink their strategies. But I don’t believe there is ever a bad market. I believe there are markets that require different skills.

That is the message I teach today. You cannot build a business that depends only on things you cannot control—whether that is lead companies, referral sources, relocation programs, or a market that happens to be favorable. Those things can change.

The most valuable thing you can build is your ability to create opportunities. No one can take away the knowledge, skills, relationships, and experience you develop.

That is why I am passionate about helping real estate professionals build businesses they truly own—businesses that allow them to adapt, create income, and continue moving forward no matter what changes around them.

We’ve been impressed with Making Moves Group of eXp Realty, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Making Moves Group was created around a simple belief: every move matters.

Whether someone is moving across the street, across the country, or making a major financial decision, real estate is rarely just about a property. It is connected to people’s families, careers, finances, and the next chapter of their lives.

At Making Moves Group, we help clients navigate those transitions with strategy and confidence. We specialize in military and corporate relocation, residential buying and selling, new construction, real estate investments, off-market opportunities, and helping sellers who may be facing unique challenges find the right solutions.

What sets us apart is our ability to look beyond the transaction and focus on the bigger picture. Many clients do not simply need someone to put a sign in their yard or unlock a door. They need someone who can help them understand their options, solve problems, and create a plan.

My background has given me experience in many areas of real estate, from helping military families transition to new duty stations to working with investors and sellers who need creative solutions. Those experiences have taught me that the best real estate professionals are not just salespeople—they are problem solvers, educators, and trusted advisors.

I am most proud that Making Moves Group represents more than a real estate company. It represents resilience, growth, and the ability to make strategic moves even when circumstances change.

The name comes from the belief that life requires us to make moves. Sometimes those moves are exciting, and sometimes they come during challenging seasons, but having the right guidance can make all the difference.

Beyond serving clients, I am passionate about helping other real estate professionals build businesses they truly own. The real estate industry changes constantly, and I believe agents need more than access to leads, they need the knowledge, systems, and confidence to create opportunities regardless of market conditions.

Through Making Moves Group, the Georgia Agent Advisory Council, and with my partners, the Agent Builders, The Wealthy Group, #teamgogo and the Honey Badgers, we are building a community centered around collaboration, education, and growth. My goal is to help people, whether they are clients making important life transitions or professionals building their careers and making moves that create a better future.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Something that may surprise people who know me professionally is that my journey has not always looked like the person they see today.

Long before I became a real estate professional, a team leader, or a mentor, I was a young woman trying to figure out life and create a different future for myself.

I grew up with a lot of challenges. My childhood was not easy, and I had to learn independence and resilience at a very young age. I became a mother as a teenager and experienced seasons where I had to fight to create stability for myself and my daughter. There was a point where I was living in a shelter with my oldest daughter while I worked to get back on my feet.

Those experiences shaped me. They taught me that circumstances do not have to determine your future. They also gave me a deep desire to create a different life for my children and to become the kind of person I wanted them to look up to.

At 19 years old, I experienced major loss when my mother became a victim of domestic violence and lost her life. She left behind seven children, and that moment impacted the direction I wanted my own life to take. I became even more determined to build a life centered around strength, stability, and creating opportunities for my family.

For many years, my identity was built around being a mother, a wife, and a professional. Those roles are incredibly important to me, but I realized recently that I never really took the time to discover who I was outside of those responsibilities.

This year, I decided to intentionally make space for myself. I have always loved art, so I started teaching myself how to sketch with the hope of becoming an artist one day. I am also learning Spanish because I love to travel and want to be able to connect with people and cultures in a deeper way.

I think the surprising thing people may not know about me is that underneath the business owner and leader they see today is someone who is still learning, growing, and discovering new parts of herself.

Real estate taught me how to build a business, but life taught me how to build myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://keenabass.exprealty.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realtorkeena/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KeenaRealtor/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/realtorkeena/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/RealtorKeena