Inspiring Conversations with Joel McKay of The Layson Group of Keller Williams Realty

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joel McKay.

Hi Joel, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
When I was around the age of 5, my mom could really see that I had a passion for selling. I was raised in rural Mississippi, so most of my time as a kid was spent outside. We had about 10 blueberry bushes on our land, and one day, my little 5-year-old mind began to wonder if other people liked blueberries as much as I did.

I grew up watching my mom and grandparents give these blueberries to our neighbors and friends, but I couldn’t help but wonder if anyone would actually buy them. I just had to find out for myself. So, I woke up one Saturday morning and picked a few quarts of blueberries.

I bagged them, made a “Blueberries For Sale” sign, and set up my shop at the end of the driveway so passersby could see me. Within 30 minutes, I was completely sold out. My mom encouraged me to pick more blueberries and ask the local convenience store if I could sell them there.

So, I did, and the store owner said yes. Within 1 hour, all of the blueberries were sold. Once I sold out again, I started to really become obsessed with selling things. Looking back on it, I didn’t even know what I was doing, but I knew that I loved making people smile by offering a good that they wanted. As I got older, and once I had the blueberry-selling down pat, I began to sell anything I could get my hands on that was laying around. Blueberries, lemonade, clothes, shoes, junk from my grandma’s attic, you name it. I then started to handcraft wooden picture frames, nightstands, and coffee tables with pieces of wood lying around in my grandfather’s workshop.

I would host garage sales with random items that I would repaint, refinish, or rebuild. Fast forward to age 14 when I got my first cell phone with the internet. I downloaded Facebook and used the Marketplace feature to put myself and my products in front of more potential customers. Boy, was this a game-changer? Once I realized that I could triple my exposure by selling on Marketplace, I essentially created a full-time job for myself and built a business online. Fast forward to the summer before I started college at the University of Mississippi.

I have always had an obsession with houses and different styles of architecture, so when it came time to choose my major, it was clear to me that I could take advantage of my established selling skills by majoring in real estate as this would allow me to continue my passion of selling post-college but instead of selling blueberries and tables, I could sell houses! I thought to myself, “If blueberries and tables make people THIS happy, how happy could I make someone if I could help them buy or sell a house?”

The mission was on. I received my degree in real estate and another degree in managerial finance, and after graduation, I got connected with Sarah Layson with Keller Williams. Sarah really broke things down for me, explained the ins and outs of real estate, and encouraged me to shoot for the stars. The same day that I passed my licensing exam, I signed on as a Realtor with the Layson Group and I have not looked back since.

It is still hard to believe that the same kid who often doubted whether he would ever sell more than blueberries is now a real estate agent. I am so thankful for my clients who trust me, my friends who believe in me, my team who pushes me, and my partner who supports me, encourages me, and loves me more than life itself.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Have you ever driven on a road that has never been resurfaced but instead has had countless potholes halfway patched?

That’s my road. Bumpy is an understatement!

There have been some significant learning curves that I have had to push through. Some of these learning curves consist of: learning real estate contracts, learning how to make cold calls, learning what to say and what not to say to a potential client, learning the steps of the home buying process, learning the ins and outs of the financing side, learning how to write an offer, learning how the real estate market moves, learning about apartments, townhomes, and condos, learning how best to follow up, and learning how to keep me motivated each day.

Some additional obstacles I have faced consist of: figuring out how to establish myself as a real estate expert, teaching myself discipline on those “bad days,” learning how to manage my commission, understanding how to have hard conversations with clients, learning how to set goals and stick to them, and finding alternate ways to look for business when I am not hitting my goals.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The Layson Group is a team of real estate professionals where we all wear many hats but ultimately have one end goal for each transaction: for our clients to look back on the process and say “I wouldn’t have wanted to work with anyone else but you.”

As a buyer’s agent, I am responsible for: Helping buyers figure out their budget and financing, looking for homes that could be a good fit, showing these homes to potential buyers, writing strong offers so my clients can win, closing the transaction, and all the while becoming a friend to my client throughout the process. I like to set myself apart from other Realtors by really becoming an advocate, a resource, and an ally while I am representing a client.

In short, I give my all and then some when I am working with a client because every buyer deserves someone to fight for them in this market. Buying a home right now is no easy task, so it is critical for your agent to shed blood, sweat, and tears to see that client win the home that they envision their future in. As a Realtor, I am blessed that I have the opportunity to help others, to fight for others, to advocate for others.

I will be your Rocky Balboa, and that is my promise to all of my clients.

What do you think about happiness?
It is easier for me to tell you what does not make me happy, and the answer is material things. New Tesla? Nice. Louis Vuitton bag? Fancy. Shop til you drop at Green Hills mall? Fun. That new iPhone or Macbook? Cool. What do all of these things have in common? They can be ripped away from you at any moment. What makes me happy are experiences.

Getting to know my clients on a personal level makes me happy. educating my clients on the market makes me happy. Showing homes to my clients makes me happy. Writing offers at midnight to beat an offer deadline makes me happy. My client’s excitement and happy tears after I call to tell them they won the house make me happy.

Seeing my client’s face light up on closing day makes me happy. Shopping for unique and special closing gifts makes me happy. Being trusted by my clients to advocate for them makes me happy. My clients and the experiences that we share together are my definitions of happiness.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.nashvillehomeviewer.com/
• Instagram: @buynashvilletn