Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kristen Banner. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Kristen, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

My legacy has changed over the last 10 years. One thing I have come to terms with, is life is always changing & I am totally here for it. Part of building the empire is embracing those changes that take place.

When I was in high school, I knew I did not want to go to college & that I was a workaholic. I wanted to be a phycologist or a writer or a nurse but how could I do any of that without schooling? Luckily, I was in the work program where I left school at lunchtime to go straight to work. I counted down the minutes until school was over, I hated it. Not just because of the education aspect, but I always found myself hanging around the older crowd and now that they were gone, I had to face reality. So, that led me to the obvious question, what do I want to do with my life? I ended up going to community college for a couple years, just wasting time. I had no idea what I wanted to do except make money & not be micro-managed.

Fast forward a couple years to 23 years old.. I was in my own apartment, working a secure job ( that I did not like, but I was good at it ). I was probably partying way too much, living my best life but the bills were always paid, and I was healthy. I felt like I had made it. I felt like I could coast this lifestyle until I couldn’t anymore.
I’ll tell you what, I am thankful for that year because right after that I bought my first house and I got pregnant. Plot twist. Game changer. Mind shift. I had never even thought about having kids. I had done some nannying in college but that was the extent of my knowledge in the kid department. Again, embrace the change.

So, I was staying at home with my newborn & I loved it. That was my calling.. to be his mom. I remember thinking in the middle of the night with him screaming and with no remedy.. ‘ I can handle this, this is my sole job right now on this earth’. Life had shifted & because of that, I had to have a bigger picture. The question came to me again, ‘what do I want to do with my life?’ Now I had this little human to be a role model for & show that anything is possible. I decided to get my Real Estate License, because why not.

We hit some snags along the way. I had to sell my house, get a second job… that whole story that you have heard a million times.

Now, I am 30 years old with a 5 year old son, a dog & a pet snake. I am thriving in Real Estate & I absolutely love it. It’s a lifestyle that grows with me. Being a mom has its challenges, but I would not change it for the world and I still believe that I was meant to be this kids mother. In fact, being a self employed mom is totally empowering and I highly recommend it.

So, what do I hope to be my legacy? I think I have known that for years, it just took me a couple to realize it and put it into motion. Even at 18 years old, I wanted to make money & be free. I want to work with what I am handed but make it just a little bit better. Everyone can and should have goals. I think that is a part of having a healthy mindset. With that said, you have to take into account what happens when you fail.

If I left this earth tomorrow, I would hope that everyone would remember me as a go with the flow, good person who worked really hard. Someone who practiced gratitude and gave when she could. Someone who was a shoulder when needed, and that push when needed. I hope to be ‘that girl’ that everyone can look up to on some level. That girl that never settled. That is something I can continue to work towards as my dreams grow and morph into reality.

Kristen, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Hey! I’m Kristen Banner & I am not your average Realtor in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex. I work with folks selling homes, home buyers, investors and I even help with leasing properties.

There is an overwhelming amount of Realtors out there, so why choose me? I think it’s very important to get along with your agent because you will be best friends by the end of the transaction. I may not be for everyone but if you are in the market, I suggest you find someone who will do these things for you: You need someone who listens to your wants and needs but will be honest and tell you when something is unreasonable. You need someone to guide you or even hold your hand throughout the entire process, and when I say entire process, I mean before it begins and after it ends. You need someone who not only understands the process from a knowledge/experience standpoint, but from an emotional standpoint, as well. You need someone who can be aggressive when appropriate and soft, when appropriate. I am that chameleon that can blend with any personality and always on my toes.

I don’t want to be average, in any corner of my life. I like being the trend setter & being creative. I am so proud of that.

I will be honest, marketing is the hardest part of my job but I do it trusting that I am being myself & that I am very confident in what I do. That shows in my work. Take a look at my IG to get a better picture of who I am & please, feel free to reach out!

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Being myself & being real. I am in an industry where money talks and there are a lot of us. I take a different approach and focus on the emotional side of things, sprinkling in some truth along the way.

People love pretty things. Right? So you have to have a good balance of pretty, raw, educational & fun. On social media, I like to combine my personal life with my business. I find that it makes me more relatable and that is huge when you work in sales. It sounds crazy, but I do not have a target audience. I’ve have first time homebuyers, empty nesters, folks going through probate & everything in between. That makes marketing hard but I just do what I like, and make it legible. The goal is to always stay in the front of their mind, even if its a cute photo of your kid or a funny meme.

During a transaction, I write down the little things like pets names, where the couple got married, or what kind of furniture they have. You cannot be just another name or a paycheck when you are making such a big purchase. I bring that feeling of comfort to my clients and I learned that early on.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I worked in mortgage before I got my Realtor license. I was told by many Loan Officers that I would need at least 6 months reserves to even start my business. They were right. In my mind, I hit the ground running. I had my first sale within a couple months ( still one of my largest to date ) and I thought that was enough. Looking back, I was only working part-time compared to what I do now.

I ended up selling my house and making a decent profit which helped tremendously as a single mom. You have to budget for marketing, taxes, signs, decorations, lock boxes, websites to help with transactions, CRM, closing gifts, office supplies, office fees, association fees and so much more. It is very expensive! My greatest advice would be to pick your avenue and make it your own. For example, if you want to do Open Houses – make your own welcome signs and go to the dollar store & grab some quick plates for cookies. You do not need to go above & beyond in the beginning. Set aside money for taxes and do not spend your check before you get it.

Being self employed, your bank account will fluctuate. You have to spend money to make money, I believe that but you also need to budget like you haven’t had a sale in months. People will work with your because of your personality, not your financial status.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.homekeybykristen.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homekeybykristen/

Image Credits
Miranda Crenshaw Photography Taylor Darnell-Sibal