Real Estate Perspectives
January 12, 2024 | Robert Warde | Contributor

Featured in the Journal Sentinel | Suzanne Powers

Suzanne Powers said that after 15 years at the top of the sales profession as a representative for Johnson & Johnson selling medical devices, she took some time to raise her children.

Featured in the Journal Sentinel | Suzanne Powers | Local Real Estate Agent Opens up her own Shop

Suzanne Powers said that after 15 years at the top of the sales profession as a representative for Johnson & Johnson selling medical devices, she took some time to raise her children. She began selling real estate part-time to bring in some extra money. Since going full time, she said she has become No.1 agent on the North Shore, Milwaukee County and Now in Wisconsin, according to the Multiple Listing Service. After working for two of the largest real estate brokerages in the area Powers said, she has opened her own firm specializing in the North Shore, Powers Realty Group.

"Its been an awesome experience. I waned to have a different business model then what existed in the market place. I'm a big believer in agent development and one of the key things for me was to take agents who felt they weren't getting enough support or development in their previous realty firm and develop a company that specialized in the North Shore and help to build agents 'careers," she said, powers discusses her career and why she opened her own brokerage in the following sedated interview .

Tell me about your career path and how you got into real estate

I was a medical equipment representative selling medical devices. I took a stop out to be a mom for a while. I thought i would try real estate part-time to help make ends meet and it just blossomed into what it is today.

Why did you open your own brokerage?

I opened my own brokerage to help develop agents and create and agency that would create an environment for success. For example, I took two agents who worked for one of the big companies. One agent had sold $0 and the other had produces about $2 million in sales and in a year's time, i helped each of them reach more than $5 million in sales. That is pretty consistent with our whole team. Our average agent does $5 million or more in annual sales, which is about four times greater than the average agent. 

What do you enjoy about selling real estate?

All the risk and all the rewards are mine. There is a lot of value added in taking what i have learned over the past 11 years and now giving back to the realty community. 

What do you consider to be your biggest challenge? 

We are growing very rapidly and we are considering expansion, so it is the challenges of planning and ultimately running more than one office, which is a big goal for the next 12 months. I am going to have to provide good management to agents who need support and guidance. Right now I have seven agents , myself and adding more. 

What role should an agent play for a client?

They should be experts. We only hire college graduates who have a proven sales background. those agents are a reflection of myself. When those agents show up with a client, it is as good as my being with that buyer or seller.

How do your agents stay current with technology?

We are good at that. Many companies use propriety software, and we communicate with clients the way they are used to with Microsoft Office suite so we can communicate in a professional manner. We have video conferencing with a  large screen for meeting with clients and can pull market date on that screen right in front of the client.

What area do you focus on?

We are the North Shore experts. Out next office will also be on the North Shore. We are one of the fastest-growing real estate companies in Milwaukee, which is important because we are a small team of people and yet we are beating offices with 70 agents. in Shorewood and Whitefish Bay, looking at 132 homes for sales, we sold houses for $40 per square foot more the the next closet competitor. 

What qualities make for a good realtor?

A good listener makes for a good realtor. We have a core set of values at Powers Realty Group. They have to be honest, determined, forthright and deal with integrity.

What do you do for recreation or to relax?

I run a lot. The director of relocation, the associate vice president, and I run marathons now to stay healthy and bust the stress. Everybody on the team works out and spends time at the gym. We all take care of ourselves

What charitable groups are you involved with ?

We contribute to the Herzing Foundation. We have contributed to the Whitefish Bay Civic Foundation, the Shorewood Civi Foundation, Best buddies of Wisconsin and the Next Door Foundation.

Experience a seamless home selling and buying process with Powers Realty, Milwaukee’s trusted local experts for over 2 decades. Our tailored approach ensures optimal results. Contact me today to discuss your home needs.

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Powers Realty Group is a distinctive boutique real estate broker focused on the needs of customers delivering exceptional results. We are the trusted local experts. Call us at 414.870.7175 about buying or selling your home.