We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kathleen Booker. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kathleen below.
Alright, Kathleen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
Our mission is to help people buy and sell property and provide experiences that are educational and unique for everyone. With having nursing as my first career, I’ve always valued the equal treatment of my patients, their families, and uphold providing the utmost care to everyone I encounter. My parents instilled in me at a young age to love people, respect others, and give back without expecting anything in return. My passion in real estate isn’t business driven, it’s a hobby for me that I truly find happiness in even if it’s just spending a weekend with my mom looking at upcoming new construction homes. This passion and my love for people transitions into my client relationships. I am not a sales person. I’m a partner with my clients in helping them achieve their goals. There isn’t an end to the relationship once a transaction is complete (ex: closing on a home purchase/sell). I keep in touch with my clients regularly throughout the year, I send small gifts, and even attend their family events when I receive invites. I care about the people I work with…their fears, their hopes, their goals, and their struggles. If I can provide resources for other areas of needs, such as financial management, debt relief, and other type of assistance, I provide it freely. That’s another reason why I’ve not stopped my professional growth with having a real estate license, but I recently obtained my Dave Ramsey certification as a Financial Coach. I want to help people grow in all areas and not just get in a home, but be able to maintain home ownership.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m first a wife, mother, sister, and daughter! I value having a family and spending quality time with those I love. I have a passion for helping people. In my nursing profession, I have over 15+ years of clinical and informatics nursing experience. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, Master of Science degree in Nursing Administration, and a Master in Business Administration. My strengths include providing excellent communication, attention to detail, agility, and relatability given my experience with clients of every ethnicity, religion, and background.
I am also a multi-million dollar selling real estate agent. As a well-versed real estate agent with New Home Construction (NHC) certification, Real Estate Negotiations Expert (RENE), and Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR) designations, I understand the importance of attentively listening to my clients’ needs and desires.
I’ve always had a love for real estate and in my teen years would go house hunting for fun with my mom in our free time. After college, I would I help friends and family on their home purchase journey before I had a real estate license. I went though purchasing and selling properties of my own as well. The pandemic opened by eyes to the idea having dual careers and so I decided to pursue my real estate license to learn more about the industry to be able to help people more closely from start to finish.
I believe that because real estate is a hobby for me and an area that I truly enjoy spending my time in, I’m able to have a different approach when dealing with clients. I’m able to provide transparent feedback throughout the sell/buy process without putting the pressure on anyone to get into deals they don’t feel comfortable in. Therefore, I take the time to educate my clients as much as possible of the process from the very beginning and throughout. I don’t need a sale to survive. My gratification isn’t from the sale itself, but from the satisfaction my clients receive once they reach their goal of buying a home.
My brand is focused on building a network of a lifetime relationship with my clients and not a “one and done” deal with people I encounter. I want to be that friend that my clients call to help their sister, mother, brother, friend, and co-worker find a home to buy or sell their current residence. I want to be the friend my clients think of to call when they want to make their first investment purchase to start residual income through becoming a landlord. Ideally, I want to be like the family mechanic but for their real estate needs.
I want my business to center around referrals and not begging people to work with me just to get the next deal. My drive to obtain success in all areas of my profession is driven by the legacy I want to leave for my children and hopefully a business they can have the option to continue to the next generation.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
I regularly have pop-bys at least every quarter and host multiple webinars to educate my clients on various real estate topics. Some of the pop-bys I’ve done have been sending Nothing Bundt Cakes to former clients, delivering Hurricane Preparedness kits, and sending holiday gifts to my clients. This is to help keep me “Top of Mind” for them and my way of keeping in touch.
My free webinars are open to the public but also sent to former clients to continue to provide education on tips that can help them throughout their real estate journey even if they’re not actively pursuing buying a home that season. Consistent communication whether it’s a gift in the mail, virtual event announcement via email, or social media posts, I maintain staying present along with showing my value. I give free information and tips as much as a can to help those help themselves even if they’re not using someone else as their real estate agent.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
I went through a divorce in 2016 and became a single mom. I made a tough decision at that time to take a job opportunity that would boost my finances substantially but would require me to travel for work Sunday through Thursday. I had to rely heavily on my parents’ support to help me with my son every week while I was out of state for work. It was a hard decision but necessary to make at the time. This sacrifice that continued for a few years allowed me to rebuild my losses financially from the divorce and provide me a new foundation that set a new trajectory for my future. I even moved out of state with just me and my son after traveling for 3 years for a career move that promoted me to a leadership level in my nursing career. This gave me the opportunity to be stationary for my son when he started Kindergarten. I remember a former mentor/leader use the word “resilience” when he described me. I didn’t understand why at the time, but as I reflect on my past and career decisions I’ve made, I can truly say that what could’ve broken down the next person catapulted me into uncharted territories where fear wasn’t in my driver seat. I’ve seized opportunities that took risk but had a positive impact for my family instead of being complacent.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kathleenbooker.com
- Instagram: @kathleenbooker.htx
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kathleenbooker.htx
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleenbooker?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@kathleenbookerhtx?si=3DCJUneVnY15zcub
- Other: https://calendly.com/kathleenbookerrealtor https://linktr.ee/kathleenbooker
Image Credits
Professional photo credit to https://www.126photography.com/