We were lucky to catch up with Tanya Lechner recently and have shared our conversation below.
Tanya, appreciate you joining us today. Your ability to build a team is often a key determinant of your success as a business owner and so we’d love to get a conversation going with successful entrepreneurs like yourself around what your recruiting process was like -especially early on. How did you build your team?
When I first became a realtor, I actually started with a team. I didn’t feel aligned with that team so I ended up going on my own six months later. After that experience, I had a dream to build my own team with a new perspective for others to join. It felt like a distant goal but was something I knew I had to do. Fast forward four years to 2021—an unexpected opportunity landed in my lap when a new broker encouraged me to start my own team. I was doing well as an agent, so I decided to take the leap, even though I had no idea what I was getting into!
My first hire felt like fate—a young girl called me randomly looking for a job. It felt like a clear sign I was on the right track. But bringing her on wasn’t without its challenges. I quickly realized that hiring was the easy part; teaching her everything, building systems, and figuring out how to delegate effectively was a whole different ballgame.
Not long after, I reconnected with an agent I had met previously, and she expressed interest in joining my team. She turned out to be the perfect fit, and I was thrilled to bring her on board. Still, I learned quickly how crucial systems and processes are for success. Back then, I didn’t have a training program in place—I was figuring it all out as I went.
Since those early days, I’ve refined our team’s operations and developed a much better database, but it’s still a work in progress. Looking back, if I were starting today, I’d prioritize finding a mentor to help guide me through the process. It would have saved me three years of trial and error and helped me avoid so many growing pains.
Stepping into leadership isn’t always easy, but those challenges helped me grow into the leader I am today—and I wouldn’t trade that journey for anything.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Before I decided to sell homes, I was busy climbing the corporate ladder. Growing up, it was important in my family to go to school and get a corporate job. It took me 7 years to realize that life wasn’t for me and I needed something different. I knew real estate was a path to financial freedom and started off by buying my first investment property which quickly turned to me getting my license and starting to help others do the same.
Fast forward another 7 (almost 8!) years and now I lead the Sunshine Real Estate Team. We have a mission to bring positivity and education to the industry. I’ve seen firsthand the a gaps in the industry and developed a passion to change that. It’s a big undertaking since realtors don’t have the best reputation, but I am confident my team members are the best in the business – and they are proving every day that things can be done differently.
I named by business the Sunshine real estate team because our goal is to be a light in the industry. We want to transform the home selling process from something stressful and overwhelming to something enjoyable and positive. To us, it’s not just about selling houses, it’s about creating an experience that clients will remember for all the right reasons.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Recently, I made the difficult decision to shift my focus from handling most transactions myself to prioritizing the growth of my team. Letting go of that control wasn’t easy, but I knew that for my team to thrive, I had to trust my agents to deliver the same exceptional service I prided myself on. I realized the key to making this work was investing in thorough training upfront to ensure my team could meet and exceed client expectations.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Real estate is all about relationships so continuing to nurture existing relationships has been the best strategy for me. My biggest lead source is referrals and last year I doubled down on marketing directly to past clients and friends and have already gotten great response from them. Maintaining meaningful relationships can truly drive business growth.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://movetoboerne.com/
- Instagram: @tanyasellssunshine
- Facebook: @tanyasellssunshine
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanyasellssunshine
- Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC-eIZCVWWKbGidF5vQCKMBQ