We recently connected with Niki McClain and have shared our conversation below.
Niki, appreciate you joining us today. Any thoughts around creating more inclusive workplaces?
When I started in real estate, I had to seek people to help me. I always felt bad asking more than a couple of times to the same person because I knew they had their own business to run and wouldn’t get any financial benefit out of helping me. So when we started C7, a strong community was the driving force behind the company. A place where people would be seen, heard, and valued. To ensure agents could ask as many questions and brainstorm as many times as they needed without feeling guilty or like they were bothering someone. This inclusive community has grown into a family feel where agents are friends. Where we talk about family, life, struggles, and more. Real estate isn’t the only focus. I’ve seen our brokerage step up and help our agents out time and time again without blinking an eye. I’m still blown away at the love C7 gives shares each and every day to everyone at our office. Its rare and special.
Niki, 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?
I got my real estate license 9 years ago. I was a part time dental hygienist and thought it would be a great way to make a little “extra” money while my kids were in school. Fast forward 9 mos later and my business was booming, allowing me to leave dental hygiene. I worked on growing my business for a couple years before I decided to start a team. A couple years after that, I opened my open brokerage. Never in a million years did I see myself owning my own company. Now I can’t see me doing anything else. I wanted to see a different kind of brokerage. One that was God-centered and people-focused. Where agents felt valued, seen, and heard. I wanted to build a community within that felt like family. Where we focus on the whole person, not how many houses they sell. It’s been a pleasure watching this unfold. I’m still blown away at the community of agents we have who are so FOR each and every person there. We share any and all ideas. We wish each other’s kids happy birthday. We pick each other up when we are down and celebrate big when we are winning. No competition. No secrets. No exclusion. We know that we can cheer loudly for each other all while we are building our own business. This type of community flows over to every client our agent helps. It’s the trickle effect that makes life good. I know this because I continue to sell real estate through referrals. I see it first hand with my clients as well as our our agent’s clients. As long as this remains our focus, we have so much to look forward to.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I think I’ve built my reputation by being honest about who I am. I’m me. The good, the bad, and the ugly. We love to see people’s success but we connect through our struggles and failures. That motto has helped me get to know so many great people. I want people to know me and be able to follow along on my life journey. I want to see people in the grocery store and they ask about my kids or thank me for being real about mom guilt. The more open you are the more connections you have. It gives people permission to ask hard questions or be vulnerable. It’s not always easy but it’s always been rewarding.
How do you keep your team’s morale high?
I consider managing a team a privilege. Their wellbeing is under our care. So lead by example. Serve first and serve well. It’s important to always have a pulse on the atmosphere around the office. Be intuitive and take action swiftly. If things are hard, call for a time out and focus on something positive. Be present. I send weekly videos to our agents talking about different hurdles and encouraging them to lean in. Establish times for them to work with different people within the office so they can meet and connect with people they may not know as well. Be social. People crave community. Make sure there are events spread out throughout the year to breath and have fun. Ask questions. People have a hard time opening up and asking for help. Love big. Empathize more. Lead with generosity.
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