We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cortney Cole-Hall. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cortney below.

Cortney, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When you were first starting out, did you join a firm or start your own?

Since I was 7, I have always had a passion for interior design and real estate. Four years ago, I finally made the difficult decision to leave a Fortune 500 executive position to pursue real estate as my profession. Full transparency – I wish I had made the leap sooner! Yet many times, we are afraid of the unknown – not knowing if we can be successful? Sometimes ourselves are our largest critic! As challenging as it was, I put aside my fears of the unknown, attained my real estate license, interviewed with multiple brokerages, and found my real estate “home” at Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty. I love the culture, my team (The Cole-Hall Group), and especially our clients. I’m so blessed to have taken this “risk,” and it is exactly where God needed me to be.

As The Cole-Hall Group continues to grow, we only become more well-rounded and evolve with our clients. Understanding reasons behind residential home design, builder materials, upcoming home technology, and opportunities for energy efficiency are only a handful of ways in which I love to add value to both our client builders and clients. In my profession, a real estate agent is not just a part of a transaction of buying or selling a home. We are a part of our client’s lives providing a lighted path to their next chapter for which can be emotional, overwhelming, and yet an exciting moment in time. I’m honored to travel this journey with them, and cannot wait for our team’s continued success!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Having renovated, purchased, and sold numerous homes over the years, my experience and knowledge of the Houston real estate market provides a rooted foundation for our builder clients and clients. I’m a giver by nature, and I strive to ensure each negotiation is met with complete satisfaction and an on-going client partnership for years to come. I believe this approach is what provides our team, the Cole-Hall Group, to stand out in the Houston community!

For each client, I’m fairly hands-on from contract to closing with every deal brokered. I consistently stay current with market trends, thus understanding the importance of being knowledgeable in all Houston neighborhoods. With each transaction, I strive for a “win-win” outcome for all parties – something that is truly important for the growth of business and in working with the other fantastic agents in our communities.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Referrals, referrals, referrals! We receive quite a few referrals, and so blessed to do so. To receive a referral tells me first hand that we are doing it right!! Real estate is hard work – it’s more than negotiations. There are multiple deadlines incorporated into each stage of the transaction that require attention to detail. If you know of anyone buying or selling a home, please refer us! We would love to work with them!

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

In my previous executive role in corporate America, I managed 16 direct reports. It was challenging by far with 16 different personalities requiring 16 different approvals for 16 different proposals/contracts/etc. daily. Time management, leadership and empathy are attributes that took primary roles in working with my team. At that time, my team retained 99% of $65M+ in contracts. Amazing, and so incredibly proud!! When I made the decision to pursue real estate, I took these same three attributes and pivoted into real estate. I believe Richard Branson’s quote sums up my management style and maintaining high morale – I apply it to my team: “Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so that don’t want to.”

Contact Info:

• Website: www.colehallgroup.com

Image Credits
Heather Purvis Photography (For my headshot)