Ant Stroud, CRS, says it’s the little wins that make all the difference
When it comes to real estate, Ant Stroud, CRS, likes to lead with abundance. It was his positive attitude and outgoing personality that got him involved in real estate back in 2016. After serving nine years active duty for the United States Military, Stroud was looking for a new source of income for him and his family. His REALTOR® at the time, whom he kept in touch with after purchasing his family’s home, saw the way he took care of people and thought he would make an excellent REALTOR®. She suggested he leave the Navy and become a full-time agent.
Nearly seven years later, Stroud is now the CEO of the Ant Stroud Group with Navy to Navy Homes in Jacksonville, Florida and a reservist in the United States Navy serving as a a Hospital Corpsman First Class. Every day, he helps home buyers and sellers achieve their dreams, adopting the slogan, “Always family, never customers.”
Mingle with the best
Early on, Stroud sought out mentors who were well established in the industry. One of his mentors is Kim Knapp, CRS, Managing Broker at Coldwell Banker Vanguard in Fleming Island, Florida. It was Knapp who encouraged him to seek his CRS Designation.
“She was the one who really encouraged me that this is where the professionals hangout,” says Stroud. “And you know what they say—your net worth is your network and I wanted to make sure I was networking with the right-minded people.”
Stroud received his CRS Designation in 2021. Since then, he has been an active instructor for the Florida Realtors® and shares his knowledge and expertise with agents across the country.
Becoming an instructor opened a new passion for Stroud—he realized that his service didn’t have to end when a transaction was over. He continues to serve the industry by sharing his knowledge and experiences with other agents through his courses and speaking engagements. “I can’t help everybody, but if I can help another agent feel empowered to do the right thing, I am also helping the people they serve,” says Stroud.
Positivity perseveres
“When you sit with yourself, this industry can bring a lot of negativities,” says Stroud. Many agents, especially those that are first starting out, can find themselves questioning if they’re good enough, if real estate is the right path for them or when their next commission check will come.
To drown out the negativity, Stroud prefers to put emphasis on the small wins. “You either have experience or you have education—those are the two things that are going to help you be a successful REALTOR®,” says Stroud. He suggests if you find yourself lacking experience, take courses and earn designations to solidify you as an expert. “Those little tangible wins will make you feel good about yourself, that [you’re] still in this industry and here to play until those experiences start rolling in,” adds Stroud.
Leading with abundance is crucial for Stroud, who even started a learning program for REALTORS® titled “Agents from Abundance” whose mission is to empower real estate professionals to thrive in an abundance mindset. What does “leading with abundance” mean? For Stroud, “It’s just trying to figure out how to help each other grow. When you have these moments when you’re down, find an agent who is up. Find those mentors and let them share their experiences with you and then feed off that energy. I think trying to stay in that abundance mindset is where we’re going to survive.”
Always family, never customers
Growing up, Stroud never had a stable home environment and even found himself homeless at the age of 15. These experiences are what helped shape him and his career. “I know what’s it like to not have a pillow to cry on at night,” says Stroud. “Having that pillow and those four walls allows you let life go for the day and start new the next morning, and I didn’t have that for one point in my life.”
Being a REALTOR® allows Stroud to bring that sense of comfort and safety to his clients, “I’m helping people have a place to let their worries down at night.”
When he approaches his work from this angle, it allows him to form a deeper connection with his clients—who he calls his family members. “I always want to come from a place of ‘we’re family’—I’m going to take care of you the way that I would take care of my family,” says Stroud. “This is more than profession. This is a relationship that’s going to last far beyond you getting your keys.”
Stroud’s “family members” includes a variety of people, but his expertise lies with military families. Stroud understands the military lifestyle and provides his knowledge on relocation and VA loan assumption to better assist his family members who are currently going through these processes.
His advice for agents is to find a niche or group and dive into it. “They say that listings last—and that’s true—but when you find your group or your niche, everything falls into place.”
