Today we’d like to introduce you to Linda Crawford
Hi Linda, tell us the story of how you got started.
My real estate career began when my son was born. I was on maternity leave and trying to think of a way to avoid leaving him to go to work every single day. My husband and I had this crazy dream to both be self employed and build the life we wanted to live. I got my real estate license in April of 2018 and he started his business in June of that same year. We decided to go all in. If you know me, you know my motto “eh, what’s the worst that could happen?” So he worked 2 jobs while I began working in real estate full time. We struggled for a bit, but we were determined to have the flexibility of self employment for our kids sake and thank goodness it ended up working out! I’ve seen all sides of the real estate world… I’ve been a buyer’s specialist on a team, a solo agent struggling to start over, and a top producer in my firm. Now, I’m a real estate coach to other agents in my Keller Williams office- teaching them how to run their businesses LIKE A BUSINESS and a team leader to our newly formed team: Spotlight Homes @ Keller Williams. (give our IG a follow to see the launch unfold) @spotlighthomes_memphis
Coaching and starting a team were not in my plan (let’s be honest, when you’re starting out who has a plan?) But as I spent more time in the office and more time with leadership in my brokerage they pulled a passion out of me that I didn’t know was there. (shout out to Kim Flournoy!) Helping other agents reach their potential and seeing their dreams come true like mine have, is a feeling I could live on forever! Owning a small business can be so tough, but man, when you find your groove and go after it, it’s the most satisfying feeling.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Whew, no! Since that first child I’ve had 2 more. That means that out of my 6 year career, 3 of them were spent pregnant or on maternity leave. Balancing motherhood and business ownership has not been easy. There were years that I had huge goals that were never reached because I basically worked 6 months of the year. Going solo meant finding a new groove on my own and having to basically start over in how I was going to go about getting business. In the real estate world they say mindset is everything, and when I tell you it is… it is! It’s so easy to get into a slump and when you’re on your own there’s no-one there to pull you out. You have to do it yourself! Pulling out of those times of self doubt are the toughest part of this business. When I went out on my own (a few months into doing… not much) my husband said “so, are you going to be a real estate agent or are you going to get a job?” and that’s pretty much when I knew he was right. No-one was going to do it for me. I couldn’t wait for someone to give me business. I had to figure out how I was going to get it. Going to Keller Williams Family Reunion (real estate conference) changed my whole mindset around this business. I was making the mistake most agents made which was “I’ll sell some houses whenever I can and I can do whatever I want the rest of the time”. That’s WHY you get into real estate, right? What they don’t tell you is you’re not just “selling houses”, you’re starting a small business. And you’re now the CEO, salesman, marketer, accountant, and any other title a business has all rolled into one. The people who “make it” treat it as a business, so I had to, too. But it was NOT an easy shift. It was one of the toughest changes I’ve ever had to make.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am now the Team Lead/owner of Spotlight Homes @ Keller Williams. At Spotlight Homes we’ve built a team around serving the client at the highest level. Each person’s roll on my team plays into their strengths. We are all mommas so it’s extremely important that we all play our part in taking care of the client and handle the duties in which we thrive, which gives us back precious time with our families. Be it marketing, promotion, relationship and networking, or negotiations you get each of us every step of the way. My strong suit is the relationships and looking out for my clients best interest over EVERYTHING. We guide you not only on your move but on making the Memphis area your home. We dig deeper into your lifestyle and point you in the right direction to fit the life you want to build when you move to our little corner of TN. We like to say we are proving service, not selling. Anyone can sell you a home, not everyone is going to go out of their way to find out what’s truly important to your family as a whole. Sara is our director of marketing and operations. With an extensive background in business and marketing you can be sure that when you hire Spotlight Homes to SELL YOUR HOUSE you will be getting the best of the best. We don’t just throw a sign in your yard. Each seller gets a custom marketing plan to ensure your home is shown in its best light(see what we did there?). No matter the list price, be it 100k or 1 million you receive the same level of marketing each and every time. We hire the best photographers, videographers, stagers, organizers or cleaners to make sure your listing is market ready. Our processes and communication are systemized so that you’re never left wondering what’s going on with your transaction. That’s where Sara comes in! And finally, our buyer’s specialist is Allie! Allie is there with our clients from the initial consultation to showing you homes and negotiating the best deal for our buyers. She’s a former personal trainer turned real estate agent and she is working behind the scenes for our clients day and night finding the perfect home for you. Something else we have that no other brokerage in town has, is an off market MLS available only to Keller Williams agents. So, if you want to avoid competition, finding a home off market is the way to go! When you hire us to buy you not only get sweet Allie, but Sara and I are always in the mix discussing terms and running the numbers. 3 realtors for the price of one! You really can’t beat it! We trust that when you hire Spotlight Homes you feel how much we not only care about your biggest life’s biggest asset, but you as a person!
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
You can always reach out to us through call/text/email and of course DM. We absolutely love to collaborate with other small businesses in the area and will be regularly rolling out “Small Business Spotlights” on our Instagram page. If there’s a way that our business can support yours, we’d love to be in touch! Of course thinking of us when you want to buy or sell is the number one way to support us, but even sharing our posts/listings/name with friends and family to help our little team grow our brand would be amazing! We are unbelievably grateful for any and all support!
My phone number is 901-451-1908
Email: lindacrealtormemphis@gmail.com
IG: @SPOTLIGHTHOMES_MEMPHIS
Photography Credit: @Madi4kgp | Madi Aldrich for Kelly Ginn Photography
Contact Info:
- Website: https://spotlighthomes.kw.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spotlighthomes_memphis?igsh=MXRhMTlyNnh5dHVpeA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/LeNratYUeD1U2aiY/?mibextid=LQQJ4d
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@lindacrawford-km7pq?si=bA3rhYn3SAotH-hU
