Meet Megan Myers Smith

Today we’d like to introduce you to Megan Myers Smith. 

Megan, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have done a lot of things and had many jobs or careers throughout the years. I am a firm believer that you are never too old to change your mind on what you want to do with your life or how you want to live it. Life is too short. I have a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Pathology from The University of Tennessee. I think at eighteen years old you do not always know what path you want to be on or what you want to do for the rest of your life. By the time I figured out speech pathology was not really what I wanted to do, I was too far along in school. That is how you create seven-year seniors lol, so I graduated and began a Master’s program for speech pathology at Tennessee State University. I quickly learned no matter how much I wanted it to work that career path was not for me. After that, I tried various jobs. I was a wedding coordinator for about a year, I went to nursing school for one whole day and briefly worked for my father in the financial industry. Finally, I went on to get my Masters at Trevecca Nazarene University in Elementary Education. This was something I felt I excelled in. I am type-A and a crazy organizer by nature. I felt that I had the right drive to make a difference in young lives as well as enjoy my work. Throughout my student teaching process, I was offered several jobs as a teacher. I accepted a job in Middle Tennessee and began a five-year career as a first-grade teacher. I will shout this from the rooftops every day that teachers are not appreciated enough. Not even close. The amount of work and time that teachers put in, not to mention all of the politics, parents, curriculum that teachers have to endure is enough to beat you down. It took some time before I realized I wanted more, something different. My husband, Jason started urging me to find something different to do. My paternal grandmother had been a realtor for 40 years when I approached her about possibly being interested in her profession. You don’t work until you’re eighty years old in a career if you do not absolutely love it. I was terrified to jump into a commission-based job. With this career change, I would have to really bet on myself. There was no safety in a paycheck. I took the leap. I began studying for my license. I was so nervous I told no one except my husband and grandmother I was doing all of this. I passed my test and then I sat on my license for 6 months. What if I changed my mind, what if I was not going to be any good, what if what if what if. It was now or never! I started at Parks and have never looked back. My grandmother was my mentor for the first few years and let’s face it she continues to be my guiding light even after she is no longer active in the business. I had no idea you could love a career so much. I look forward to every day and getting up and going to work. I love the impact I get to make on individuals and families who are making a very big life decision. I walk them through every step. Ultimately their success is my success. In my five years being a Realtor, I have grown as a person and as a professional. Last year I finished in the top 10 out of my office and top 50 in the entire company. Even though I believe one can change careers as many times as they want, I feel that Real Estate is where my passion lies. I know I can help change someone’s circumstances and ultimately be a part of their chapter for that period of time. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Once I decided to completely immerse myself into the profession, I was able to learn and grow quickly. In the beginning, I put myself into every training I could find. I want to be the best and know who and what I am guiding people. It is important not only for me to have hands-on experiences and be in the field, but also to be educated with the complex nature of buying and selling homes. I don’t know that I would say that I have had “struggles” along the way, however, I learn from every transaction whether it ended perfectly or there were some sticky situations along the way. I think that is what a professional is all about. It’s not that there will not be hard times throughout your work, but how will you learn and grow from them to make you better at your job? That to me is how you become the ultimate professional in your career. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
As a Realtor, I specialize in residential properties and help people buy and sell homes within the Nashville market. Along with this specialization, I have taken it a step further to become a certified ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative), SRS (Seller Representative Specialist), PSA (Pricing Strategy Advisor), and LRS (Leading Relocation Specialist). These designations allow me to have more knowledge within the residential markets and to get the best possible outcome for my clients throughout the buying and selling process. I think I am most proud of myself for taking my profession a step further to continually be educated in my field. Real Estate and the market can change quickly and it is important to stay relevant day-to-day. I think a lot of agents get their license and do not bother to stay up on changes or further their education. When I am at my best, my clients will be at their best. In conjunction with my designations and furthering education, my communications skills set me apart from other agents in my profession. I am an “over communicator” with clients, other agents, lenders and title companies, etc. There are so many moving parts to a transaction that everyone needs to be “in the know” throughout the process. When everyone knows what is going on, things just move a lot smoother. Communication allows everyone the comfort and peace during a life-changing event. 

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Yes, everyone wants to move. We saw a big uptick in moving when the pandemic hit. I think our entire profession held their breath for a hot minute to see what Covid was actually going to do to our economy. For Real Estate it proved to be a very busy and successful time. People all of a sudden realized that their home was not conducive for their needs day in and day out while everyone was at home. Now the kids need their own learning space, both Mom and Dad need an office, everyone just needs a different type of space, etc. We also saw a huge jump in second home purchases. For example, people wanted a lake house or a mountain cabin they could escape to on the weekends. I think the biggest takeaway from the Covid crisis is that there can be good to come out of even the bad. Yes, it was scary. Yes, there were a lot of changes. Yes, I had to learn how to work differently from day-to-day. I also had some clients who were very scared of the virus and some who did not have a care in the world. I adapted to each individual and their needs. Again, my goal is to make my clients feel comfortable and confident throughout their home buying or selling process. I adapt and change as my clients need me to. 

Contact Info:

• Email: megansmith.parks@gmail.com
• Website: https://megansmith.parksathome.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/megan.smith.realtor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeganMyersSmith

Image Credits
Kelly Chapman Photography