After a successful 2021 in which she led the largest brokerage in Houston in individual agent sales, Lauren Ashley decided the time had come to start a team. In January, she joined up with two agents and a transaction coordinator along with her administrator. “My primary focus for my team and my personal sales is residential sales through referrals from our sphere and through farming our communities,” she says.
Ashley aims to grow as a leader and mentor while continuing to serve clients at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Gary Greene – Champions. The team has closed over 50 transactions totaling over $20 million in sales through the third quarter.
A self-described extremely driven and passionate personality, Ashley felt unfulfilled in her previous career as a school psychologist. She switched careers and became a real estate agent in December 2017. She has earned the Master Certified Negotiation Expert, Accredited Buyer’s Representative, and Graduate, REALTOR® Institute designations.
A formative experience was the sale of a unique 30-acre property in Tomball. Ashley threw herself into the project, taking extra classes to learn how to market, negotiate, and navigate the deal. It felt like it took everything within her to push the transaction forward.
“Every transaction is a new experience. Each one comes with its own hurdles, experiences, and a uniqueness that you must be willing to tackle,” she says. “Be open to learning and understanding. Be open to the fact that you are on your clients’ path to their next step in life. That’s a big deal and it should never be taken lightly.”
Ashley was honored as one of the Houston Association of REALTORS® 20 Under 40 in 2020. She is active with Young Professionals Network groups. She co-leads and participates in the annual ReBuild It project, which supports families in need of home repair. She also helps lead the brokerage’s annual fundraisers for Operation Snowstorm and Friday Harbor, charities that assist families of cancer patients, as well as the Gary Greene Foundation.
Ashley says she is hard on herself, a trait her husband says both drives her and occasionally tears her down. She is constantly striving to improve in all aspects of her life. She says her greatest challenge has been work/life balance.
“When I finally committed to hiring my assistant and then continuing to grow the team, it was a huge struggle for me,” she says. “I believed at the time this would help with my work/life balance. All it really did was catapult my business more, which has been a blessing! I am constantly striving toward that appropriate balance so that I don’t neglect my why: family success, growth, and happiness.”
“Be open to learning and understanding. Be open to the fact that you are on your clients’ path to their next step in life. That’s a big deal and it should never be taken lightly.”
About the Award:
The REALTORS® to Watch Award is a Texas Young Professionals Network award recognizing excellence in leadership, community involvement, and everything else that makes a well-rounded young professional successful in real estate. Any active REALTOR® member of Texas REALTORS® under the age of 40 can apply for this award. Click here to check out past recipients of this award and to find out more.