Suzanne Powers - A Milwaukee Broker Spotlight | Milwaukee Real Estate

Suzanne Powers Bio:

Position: CEO and Founder

Company: Powers Realty Group, Inc.

What we do: We are Wisconsin’s #1 Boutique Real Estate Firm located in Milwaukee, WI with the highest average sale price of the top 20 Companies in the Milwaukee Metro MLS.

Career:

Suzanne Powers started her real estate career in 2003 as a REALTOR® with a local real estate company, after a 10-year career in Big Pharma, and today is the sole proprietor and broker owner of Powers Realty Group, the North Shore Staging Company and a holding company that serves Powers Realty Group offices in Shorewood, Mequon, Port Washington, and Naples Florida. Powers Realty Group celebrates their 11^th Anniversary in Business September 29^th, 2022, and has produced 4000 transactions and sold nearly $1.5 Billion in sales in less than 11 years.

The Challenge:

When you are an independent minority business owner in a world of male dominated national franchised competitors, you can expect rough waters. Wage disparity and discrimination in real estate are ongoing issues for woman, according to the National Association of Realtors. All of this was true in starting Powers Realty Group. It was all uphill and I underestimated the challenges I would face as a woman competing in the world of male dominated national brokerages. Real Estate is a tough and sometimes ruthless business. I thought I understood that well having been in the industry 8 years prior to opening the company, but nothing could prepare me for the challenges I would face in starting and running a brokerage. As of this writing, 11 years later, I am still the only female sole broker owner of the top 25 Milwaukee Brokerages and only one of three independent firms.  It is a painful statistic, and as a mother of two young daughters, I am concerned that we are losing the equality battle for woman in business. Honestly, I was naïve, and it was probably my saving grace next to my amazing client’s faith in me. This is no million-dollar listing show, it is a lot rougher than that. Want to own your own brokerage? Be prepared; you will need a lot of money, time, and grit for this challenge.

https://www.realestateexpress.com/career-hub/grow-your-real-estate-career/women-in-real-estate-dominating-the-industry-still-facing-pay-inequality/

• 65% of REALTORs® are female
• Only 12% of females make up CEOs or Broker Owners
• Only 7% of female brokers lead companies of 100 or more
• Less than 1% of developers are female

Stepping Out:

If you dare step out and are good, be prepared for your indoctrination. They focused on me, so I focused on the clients. Looking back on those moments of brutal competitiveness they were a gift I can only see now. All the talk about me coupled with our amazing results fast forwarded Powers Realty Group to be a highly regarded and recognized brand. I am sure that was not the goal of my competitors, but they all truly helped me, and I am grateful for all that “talk” now.  I was surprised for years by all the attention my brokerage drew, but you can’t be left alone when you are doing something no one else has been brave enough to do. I did not buy a business from someone else, I did not buy into a franchise, I started Powers from the ground up believing I could do it better. It took guts and a little bit of “you are doing what?” Oh boy!

I was born with a can-do attitude and a bit of a chip on my shoulder. When told “no, you can’t do that” that’s been my green light to go. I was told no so many times it has become my favorite word. I just never gave up on myself and what I could do for others. Of course, they were saying “who does she think she is”? I get that now.

A Vocation:

Competitors aside, running Powers Realty Group is my calling to help others and the great equalizer. Training salespeople has been a vocation of mine since my early twenties when I was a pharmaceutical sales trainer and national delegate for big pharma. I have served as a guest lecturer for 10 years at my alma mater, Whitewater, and a guest lecturer for Marquette’s School of Real Estate. All these experiences helped me develop a passion for training, career development, and mentorship which follows me through today as the owner and head trainer at Powers Realty Group. Real estate is a sophisticated profession and so many agents do not have the proper one on one training. That’s my driver. My Why!  I am very organized in my execution of training programs. Our entire business model is based on systems, checklists, support, and strong business planning. The resolution to my challenges of inequality in my industry have been to develop better systems and a more inclusive business model where agents’ compensation is equal, the training is equal, and the opportunities are equal. Who better to teach the future business leaders of tomorrow but Wisconsin’s top producer?

The Takeaway:

Hard work and sales cure all ills. You must work hard to get here. Nothing is easy, and for women, it is just a tougher road. Be prepared with resources to fund your dreams and plan like crazy. This month we celebrate 11 years in business, and I am so grateful to the believers my amazing clients, staff, and best friend Gretchen Keating. There are few women like us. Teaching others our craft, an example to our daughters, an example for women startups, and an example of taking it on the chin every day and succeeding despite all the odds. Me and my chip have sold $1.5 billion in sales in less than 11 years in business. I have defied the 90 % failure rate of all startups. Stared it right in the face and said NO not me! The only voice I ever listened to was my own. I am just getting started! I am so compelled now to teach others what I have learned and help women succeed in business. I am here to help foster the careers of our future leaders in Milwaukee Real Estate.