We recently connected with Tara Haynes and have shared our conversation below.

Tara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

I believe that we all have to define what success looks like to each of us. Entrepreneurship allows us to determine what the measurement of success is in our businesses. As a Real Estate Broker, a former owner of a real estate brokerage and a full-time working agent, I have found that the more I connect with other business owners coming from a place of authenticity, service and adding value is truly what has inspired me and pushed me to dig deep.

Alot of people assume most of us think we are local influencers and only in the industry for the money, however success for me is knowing that the military family that moved into a new state has a home in which not only are they thriving in the community based upon their lifestyle, they are making wise financial investments and have trust in the professional that they have hired to look out for their best interests. The first-time home buyer understanding the buying process and not being left with unknowns and no understanding of the reality of home ownership. The seller who is looking to make a return on what has more than likely been the largest financial investment of their lives and educating them on the market, saying the quiet parts out loud and being direct and honest about what to expect and what to do in order to get the best ROI for their specific situation.

Success to me is measured by the service I provide, the trust that has been given, the connection to people and the communities in which I serve. The money is never the focus and becomes a natural byproduct of the actions I take to serve others.

People are my passion. Real Estate is the tool I use to fuel and work in that area.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have always believed that when you add value opportunity will present itself. My background was in litigation, real estate and title. I had taken a couple of years off from Corporate America after a health issue and when I was considering what to do next, I sought out a life coach. She knew I was volunteering several days a week at our church for the local foodbank and had a background in real estate. It was suggested that I offer my time to the owner of a local real estate brokerage and once I took that step it was a natural transition to obtain my license.

I am most proud of the work I have done with new agents, women in particular. When I had my own brokerage, we took a whole person approach to working with others. This included masterminds to work on the mindsets and confidence of individuals moving from a Coporate mindset to a business owner mindset. Providing tools to take action on their business every day, to create habits of self-discipline and to challenge the beliefs that limited their thinking on what they could achieve and what they deserve.

I am proud of the work that I have done with my clients. Most of them have become people I would call friends. We stay connected thru the power of social media and most of my business is referral based because of the relationships and trust that was established. I am proud of the success that I have had because I determined early on it was about the people and that the measurement of my success was not based upon numbers. I work with integrity, I say the hard and quiet parts out loud, and I only work with people I believe are a good fit. I lead with authenticity and believe that I am not for everyone, and everyone is not for me. I refuse to work with landlords and investors who are slum lords, and I take every measure to ensure that I provide the kind of service that I would want my loved ones to have.

I know that I am not the right cup of tea for every person I meet, and I have no interest in forcing a working relationship where we are not good fit. Buying and selling real estate is typically the largest financial investment in most people’s lives and the last thing anyone should be worried about is personality conflicts. Buyers should have fun and feel represented and informed, and Sellers should feel trust, guidance and security.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

Maintaining client relationships is my superpower. When I was first starting out, I was known as the “lead flipping queen” because I could take a Zillow call, make an immediate connection, under promise, over deliver and once I met the potential customer I would most likely be able to call them a client after the initial meeting.

I talked to and still talk to my clients and potential clients as though we are already working together, and we are friends. Most people are looking for a genuine authentic connection and do not want to be “sold” or pressured into anything they are not ready for.

I work on the timeline of my clients; I work within the parameters they set, and I ask lots of questions to get to know them so that we can connect on some level. I have taken quite a few workshops with regards to personality types in an effort to be an effective communicator and to meet the various needs of the clients I am working with.

We stay in contact with thru the power of social media. I make sure to engage with them, to celebrate the joys, from cards of congratulations on the new baby, the new job and to sending love and support thru a cancer diagnosis, loss of loved ones.

Because the connection is genuine and authentic we are able to continue to foster friendship and relationship while maintaining boundaries and of course staying top of mind.

Having authenticity and being yourself is the best form of service you can provide. We think of Real Estate Agents as a one and done type of profession, but I want to be like your doctor or your dentist. I want to have a continued relationship over the years. I have learned so much about people when working together I find myself personally invested in the joys and sorrows that life can bring,

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

When I was in charge of the marketing at the brokerage, I owned I found a local marketing company that was ballsy, unique and different. I was intrigued by the strategy, the message and I found myself looking for posts from them every day. Them being a local small woman owned business was the icing on the cake.

As someone who was alive before social media and after I had an issue with the pretty pictures and illusions of perfection. I knew that when I was growing the presence of our company online that I wanted the voice of the company to be really who we were as people and to show our attitude and sass.

After we became more successful, we hired that marketing company, and they were able to help us find our target market and use our voice in way that was intentional and direct.

The more we grew the more we relied on them for online presence. Value was being added and even though we did have thousands of followers, the followers we did have were the audience we wanted, and we were strategic with how we branded and marketed ourselves.

The best thing was to hear our agents tell us that people would say “those posts are funny” or “you’re the real estate firm that says the wildest things”. The analytics were the proof in the pudding at the time.

I have continued with my own brand and marketing using my authentic voice, vison of empowerment and focusing on the community in which I serve.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://geentreerealty.homes
• Instagram: @tarafearon757
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/tara.d.fearon