Ambitious Woman Profile: Trenesha Harrison
Ten years into her real estate journey, local broker Trenesha Harrison has seen a lot. Her hunger for learning, glass-half-full perspective and genuine excitement for helping her clients meet their goals has set Trenesha apart and helped her build a dedicated team. We checked in with Trenesha to learn more about her journey so far and what she’s seeing in local real estate right now.
How long have you been in real estate and what were you doing before that?
This is my 10th year in the real estate industry. I started this journey in 2013. I spent several years working for the State of Oklahoma. I saw so many co-workers of mine who expressed being unhappy, and they were always in poor health. I didn’t want this to happen to me. I knew this was not my future and I had to take my time to find out what path God had for me. Once I discovered what that looked like for me, I was able to tap into my gifts.
What are the biggest changes you’ve seen in your industry in the last five years?
One of the biggest changes was the increase in housing costs and the change in interest rates. We can thank COVID for the interest rates being the lowest we had seen, which caused a 53 percent increase in the price of homes in Oklahoma. We saw the market go from 0 to 100 then back to 0 in a matter of two years. People were literally seeing an abundance of wealth from their equity position during that time. Being a real estate agent was very challenging for everyone. I think most of us were exhausted because we had a dynamic increase in business from both buyers and sellers. We would list a home and have a dozen or more offers during the first 24 hours. But as a buyers agent, we were competing with dozens of offers well above asking price and that made it challenging for my buyers to find homes. I’m also seeing more influencer-style promotion from real estate agents. This also gives people wanting to get into real estate a false look into what full-time agents have to deal with on a day-to-day.
What do you believe is the biggest personal asset you bring to your work?
My tenacity is something for sure that I would consider as my biggest personal asset. My tenacity for my own goals and my tenacity for my client’s goals and helping them achieve them. If you tell me that you don’t think you can qualify for a home, afford a home, get enough money for your home's down payment, say less. If you don’t want to accomplish your goals, then don’t have me as a friend and realtor, ‘cause we are making this happen!
What do you find yourself wanting more: more free time or more money?
That’s such a hard question, because I need more money for more free time. But I’ll quote my favorite line: “Time is Expensive.” I can have more money but never more time. We have the time God gives us. We don’t know how much time that is and the time we’ve spent is gone. We have to treat every minute like it’s precious. We also have to work and invest in ourselves in ways that allow us more free time. So, give me more free time.
Tell us about the team you’ve grown. How many people are you working with now? What are some of your hiring philosophies?
I have an amazing team. I have nine agents with my company and they are like family. We work hard, we have fun together, we strategize and discuss how to grow our businesses. On top of that we leverage each other's strengths and talents to help each other grow. I love coaching and mentoring my team, but what’s great is I don’t feel like I’m so much in the lead that I can’t learn from my agents.
Some things that help me hire the right people are talking about their value system. I feel when we have similar beliefs and values, then we honor the same ethics when it comes to doing the right thing for our clients and among our colleagues. I also feed off people’s energy. I’m a positive person and have an upbeat and sunny disposition, and I like working with people who also have good positive energy. Those are the people who don’t complain, but find solutions when things get tough.
I also like to know people’s “why.” I ask this and try to go deeper each time so I can understand their motivation. If their motivation revolves solely around money, then they may not be the best fit for iLove Realty. It’s what that money will afford them, that’s most important.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned about leading others?
I’ve learned that everyone is motivated by different things. Once you understand what motivates them, you can speak to them in a way where they will be open to receive. I lead from a place of positive reinforcement and motivation, and I never want anyone to feel demeaned by anything I say.
What trends do you see on the horizon for your industry?
I see more people starting to figure out how to sell real estate in different countries. I think we will start seeing more and more people look for housing opportunities in other countries with the flexibility of working remotely. We will have to learn how to shift our business mindsets to encompass different strategies and knowledge to not be left behind in this industry.
What’s next for Trenesha?
I’m excited to start tapping into my own God-given gifts and start approaching different ways to connect with my audience through relationship building and teaching opportunities. I’m working on being more vulnerable and open so I can help people who have similar life challenges.