Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, Peachtree City, Georgia
How did you get involved with real estate?
When I completed college, I chose retail management for six years and had an outstanding experience at Rich’s Department Store. During that sixth year, I wanted to move to a different store because that’s how you made your money. But there was a broker at my local church who kept saying, “Stephen, you need to consider getting your real estate license,” and I asked, “Okay, so how much can you make in real estate?”
“Oh, you can make as much as you want,” he told me.
I needed to better understand what my income was going to be as a newlywed of three years, so I told him I’d think about it. Long story short, this amazing broker was Bob Disharoon, who was a real estate icon in Georgia.
My wife and I talked and prayed about it, and we decided I would go to class at night while I was working during the day. And then that next holiday season—which is the worst time to leave retail—I said farewell. I was so honored to be asked by Bob to come and join his company, and I had the pleasure of working for him for several years.
How did you learn about the CRS Designation?
One thing of many Bob told me to do was to get involved—be sure to get engaged, be educated and reach out. So, I got involved with RRC. We had meetings every month, and there were seasoned agents there—wonderful leaders who were treating real estate as a career. It wasn’t a hobby; it wasn’t a second job. These were men and women who really wanted to be engaged and be successful in real estate. Seeing them and listening to their experiences, I worked hard to get my designation right off the bat.
How have you stayed active with the Council?
I’m currently the membership coordinator for Georgia RRC. I reach out to people who want to renew their dues, as well as welcome new members and CRS Designees. It has been a great experience, working with over 700 members in the great state of Georgia. And it’s all about networking. The education is wonderful, but the networking is huge. Meeting these types of professionals all across this great country is fantastic. Those relationships are priceless because when it comes to referring your business, I want to refer my client to somebody that I know. Somebody who really knows the business and is going to take care of them and treat them like family.
What is your market?
My market is the Southern Crescent of Atlanta, which includes Fayette, Coweta, Henry, Pike, South Fulton and Spalding counties. Fayette County includes Peachtree City, which is one of the top 10 places to live or retire in the country, and Fayetteville, which has one of the largest film studios in North America. All the Marvel films are made right here in Fayetteville.
How do you promote your services in the community?
I’m a leader in the industry by being the best REALTOR® each and every day. I’ve enjoyed my magazine Home by Design my entire career. And we all use the social media platforms, from Facebook to Twitter to LinkedIn to Instagram. But for me, it’s been a blessing to use my true gift of being an emcee to give back to all the nonprofits in the community, and that gives me exposure when I announce at their events. For instance, one of the organizations that is very big in our community is called Bloom Our Youth, which provides foster care for children. I have been involved with Bloom for over 15 years—it’s truly an amazing organization. Being raised in a southern Christian family, it was always about giving back. My parents taught me to have a good work ethic and how to continually serve others.
Stephen Walker, CRS, achieved the CRS Designation in 2003. He can be reached at stephen.walker@bhhsgeorgia.com or 770-487-8300.
Photo: Fernando Decillis
