Meet Heather Dean of Nest Atlanta Real Estate Group and EXP Realty

Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Dean.

Heather, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My entire adult life I’ve been in the service industry. From dive bars to fine dining, it was in my DNA. It’s what I did. I dropped out of college and worked late into the night for 11 years. I got my real estate license in 2014. I love Atlanta. My family has roots here. My dad went to Bass High School and my Grandmother worked at the cotton mill. The thought of being a part of this city’s growth really intrigued me… But I wasn’t ready. I wasn’t ready to give up being confident in my skill set, the money, the lifestyle… I struggled and decided to put my new career on the back burner, and went back to the bars and restaurants that were so comfortable and easy. In 2016, I got the itch again. I was working in one of Atlanta’s best restaurants and wasn’t feeling fulfilled. I put in my notice to my extremely understanding bosses and dove head first into selling homes… or so I thought. Turns out… no one wants to buy a house from someone who’s never sold one before. So there I was struggling, unsure, uncomfortable, but still hopeful. I spent a solid 5 months learning everything I possibly could from my team leader, Kerry Lucasse, and the other amazing agents and brokers on my team. I sold my first house in September 2016 and never looked back. This whole thing is still new and still hard. But I’m so grateful for my team, my family, my friends, my boyfriend for pushing me and believing in me when I wanted to quit again. What’s the saying? Nothing worth doing is ever easy?

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Self Confidence, I would say, has been my biggest hurdle. I think that’s true for everyone at some point in our lives.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Nest Atlanta Real Estate Group with EXP Realty story. Tell us more about the business.
EXP Realty is a cloud-based, agent owned brokerage and the Nest team is under that umbrella. It’s the future!! All of our meetings and classes are held in the cloud. I’m usually attending in my yoga pants on the couch. EXP is so special because it has allowed me to have a career on my own terms. I don’t have to put on a blazer or a name tag. I think authenticity is a huge part of my success. I’d much rather cultivate lifelong clients and friends than make a quick sale and line my pockets. It’s what attracted me to the Nest team, to begin with. The authenticity. Nest is a small team with an intown focus. Every single agent is different, but we all have a common goal… to be great at our jobs and good to our clients. We just recently received an accolade for being the 2nd highest producing team with EXP in the United States and Canada in 2017! That’s huge for little ole us. We are hard workers yes, but I think it says more about the way we do business. How our clients trust us enough to refer us to their coworkers, their sisters, and their neighbors.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
None whatsoever. Some new agents can sell a house the first week they are in business. That was not the case for me. I don’t see that as being unlucky though. I think it helped me understand that this business isn’t easy. You don’t deserve that commission just because you show up. You have to earn it.

Contact Info:

• Address: 508 Flat Shoals Ave SE Atlanta Ga 30316
• Website: www.atlantacraftsmanhomes.com
• Phone: (404)625-6860
• Email: heather@nestatlanta.com
• Instagram: @heatherdeannest
• Facebook: facebook.com/heatherdeannest
• Other: www.atlhomesearch.com

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