We had the good fortune of connecting with Courtney Benson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Courtney, do you disagree with some advice that is more or less universally accepted?
The real estate centered cult movie phenomenon, Glengarry Glen Ross, made famous the phrase, “ABC…Always Be Closing”. This has become a favorite mantra in my profession and while I appreciate the sentiment, I can tell when someone is trying to “Close” me and I will instantly run the other way! Even if their product is great and they are knowledgable, I can’t connect. Instead of trying to force a close or focus on the sale, I take a much more personal approach to my business. I strongly believe when you do the right thing and you treat people the right way, the connection, not the close, happens organically and it happens over time. I never connected with a hard sales approach and I know when a person is full of BS and just trying to make a sale. It took some time, but I found being my quirky, compassionate, up front and honest self has brought my company a referral driven base of clients that connect to me and everyone in my company because our philosophy is simple… No BS and our new take on that old mantra is, “ABC…Always Be Connecting”.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
We are a family business and I am very proud of that. My husband is an amazing Realtor and our kids get out there and work with us. Ask my ten-year-old about closing costs and homestead exemptions, she will tell you! I think one of the things we are most known for is our honesty and tenacity. Buying and selling isn’t always a smooth process, so many variables at all times and when you mix that with large sums of money and high emotions, things can go bad quickly. We have earned trust with our clients because even if a bumpy road is ahead, they know we will see them through to get the outcome they are looking for. We have earned a reputation for being all-in at all times. Helping clients buy and sell a home is a big responsibility and we treat it that way. My husband and I work as a team so we are able to be very hands on, everyone is important and everyone gets our full attention.I don’t believe in luck, I believe in opportunity. I love the saying that most people don’t recognize luck because it comes disguised as hard work. I believe that. I have been given opportunities and I have created my own, either way, you have to take it and run with it! I still look at what my family went through when we lost everything and together we worked hard to be where we are now. I wouldn’t change any of it. Those struggles became an opportunity even though it looked like tragedy at the time, we just didn’t give up. No luck, just opportunity and tenacity.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
If I had to plan a trip to the Dallas area for a week, I would have it packed with cool historic sites, the best shopping and all the good southern food I could get it! Accommodations: Overnight stays is a toss up depending on the vibe I am looking for. A night at Rosewood Mansion is ethereal, sophisticated and peaceful. Right in the heart of the city with high end dining and luxurious accommodations. If I was in the mood for something funky and vibrant, a stay at the Statler Hotel is in order. Art, vibrancy and an offbeat vibe are inspiring and make for the perfect IG shots. After a couple days in the city, I would head up to Downtown McKinney for a more subdued and quieter end to our trip! There’s a host or Airbnb’s and one of my favorite spots is “The Northwestern” just blocks from dining and shopping in the Downtown Square! Entertainment: If we are hanging at The Statler we would definitely make a trip to Bourbon and Banter to start the night with drinks and then take in some onsite bowling at the Scout and maybe a quick trip to the art installation Rainbow Vomit for some collect pics and memories! In the morning after and awesome breakfast, we would head to the West End and see historic Dealy Plaza and take in the historic sites of Dallas, of course shopping at the historic Neiman Marcus Downtown and Favor The Kind and all of the funky Knox / Henderson shops! When it’s time to unwind and relax, we download our www.resortpass.com to visit the best spas and pools at only the most luxurious resorts in town! For the second half of our trip in Historic Downtown McKinney, we would spend our days shopping the historic square for unique finds and then head over to the super cool Tupps Brewery for pints and live music. Where to Nosh: Breakfast is always the most exciting meal of the day and hidden gem Bread Winners Cafe in Uptown will hit the spot with their baked goods and their must have Mexican Chocolate. For a casual bite, Corndog With No Name brings back the best part of the Texas State Fair and fills you up without letting you down. For dinner we would make a reservation at Town Hearth for all the best ambiance and steaks to die for! Up in McKinney, our trip wouldn’t be complete without breakfast from Snug On The Square tied only by HUGS Cafe, lunch at Square Burger or Patina Green and Dinner at Harvest or Sugar Bacon! Ugh, too many good choices! And, you must not forget to grab a slice of pie at Emporium Pies… you’re welcome =)

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I love to shoutout everyone around me that inspires, challenges me and helps drive my success! My husband, Gabriel Benson, Realtor and Team Manager. He works from sun up to sun down from negotiating $20 million dollar warehouses to making sure our clients have dinner for the night when the power outages happened; He transitions between the requests with the same energy and care. It is inspiring to watch. I also find inspiration in my neighbor, Missy Livingston. Missy is the CEO and Founder or Twisted Wares, a one-of-a-kind gift company. Missy’s passion, work ethic and business acumen is mind boggling! When things get hard, she adapts and excels. Missy is the type of friend everyone needs in their corner. And I have to say, I am so lucky to have been raised by a father who was a no nonsense entrepreneur. His work ethic, morals and relaxed know how on how to deal with tough situations was a master class in business. He and my mom have always made a great team and showed me how to deal with business and raising a family at the same time.

Website: www.courtneybensonpropertygroup.com

Instagram: courtney_benson_realtor

Facebook: Courtney Benson Property Group

Other: On FB: Moving From California to Dallas / Ft Worth

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