Tamara Fox has called the Huntsville area her home since New Year’s Eve, 2014. After spending more than 18 years in middle Tennessee, she and her husband, a retired Army veteran, moved to the Rocket City and quickly fell in love with the region. Tamara’s experience while her husband was on Active Duty inspired her to become intimately familiar with the special needs of military families. It also prepared her for the diversity and uniqueness of our own local community and all that it has to offer. Tamara’s work in customer service and sales for over the past 25 years has proven to be an invaluable asset to her clients, and she is eager to assist clients in making one of the most important purchases of their lives.
Regina Mitchell
Q: Why should new Realtors get involved with HAAR?
Mitchell: New Members should get involved with HAAR and engage in the Association so that they can be well-informed with what is going on in our area and the many benefits HAAR has to offer. They will meet other Realtors who will motivate and encourage them on ways to take their business to the next level.
Q: What inspired you to get into this business?
Fox: I have been in sales in some capacity for the majority of my working life, and truly enjoy helping people. I was actually recruited into Real Estate while working in advertising sales for a local newspaper. Someone noticed a special quality in me and thought I would excel as a Realtor), and that was when the seed was planted. My aunt had always told me I would make a great Realtor), too, and here I am today, some 12 years later. I love this business because it’s different every day, and I really enjoy problem solving – A tremendous part of what we do day in and day out.
Q: What’s the most important piece of advice you would give about your business?
Fox: Listen more and talk less – We are in a service industry, and people hire you to help them with their needs in Real Estate. When engaging and listening to their thoughts and concerns, you will quickly find a lot of clues on how you can better be of service, simply by paying thoughtful attention.
Q: What inspired you to become a Board Member?
Mitchell: I became a board member to gain knowledge on how the Association works behind the scenes to help the agents become knowledgeable and more efficient in doing our day-to-day jobs. I have learned so much on how the Association works since becoming a board member. It really helps you understand how polices are put in place to benefit the member. I am so proud I serve on the Board.
Q: What do you think is the biggest challenge facing a new agent today?
Mitchell: The biggest challenge I think new agents face today is realizing that being a realtor is just not showing beautiful houses and making lots of money. I hear this in my pre-license courses and I quickly educate them on the importance of educating their seller/buyers of the process of buying or selling a home. Our job as realtors really don’t start until the negotiations start we should help make the transaction go as smoothly as possible putting the needs of out clients first.
Fox: I believe the lack of inventory is the biggest challenge facing new agents today. It’s difficult to learn how to operate in a very competitive market as a new Realtor). Being inexperienced makes it extremely challenging, and with that, I would ensure that I was at a great brokerage and/or team with ongoing training to assist me in learning how best to navigate through it all.