Meet Ashlea Longenecker | Realtor & Production Manager

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

Hi Ashlea, what do you attribute your success to?
Real Estate is very complex. On surface level, you can view as a transactional business where you assist with buying, selling or leasing a house. However, to be truly successful, you need to connect with your client(s). Each family has their story as to why they are buying and/or selling. Sometimes its a fun and joyous reason. Getting married or expanding their family or a new job are all great reasons for moving. On the flip side there are also reasons that aren’t as joyous. Death in the family or divorce can make selling a home a little more somber. In these moments, I as an agent and the agents on our team want to be sensitive to those reasons. Make sure the person is seen and not just a paycheck. Its during those times that you are helping someone with what could be the biggest transaction or investment that they will ever make and to be chosen to be that person to help them is a humbling experience. However, it does not stop there. I want to make sure that I continue to follow up with my clients long after we are finished at the closing table. Whether it be supporting their child’s fundraiser or small business or sending little “pop by’s” throughout the year, I want each client to know how much I appreciate them. All of this in turn has accumulated into not only a great source of repeat business but referrals. I love to brag how I have managed to have the best clients in the world and its true! I think a combination of making a transaction more emotional & heartfelt vs transactional and also letting them know continuously how much I will always appreciate them is why I feel I have done so well in this business.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Not only am I a Realtor but I am also the Production Manager of a High Producing Team. What sets me apart is that when I first started in this industry I was glorified Admin Support. I worked on the things that no Realtor has time for. I cleaned up databases, answered phones, followed up to showings on our listings, etc. However, looking back that is what made me into what I am today. I have learned the basics for a strong foundation to a business. Realtors have poured into me what is like to be more Customer Service oriented and to go above and beyond for our clients. When I first started, to be honest, I was looking for a basic 9-5 job to help support my family. I never wanted to be licensed nor have the responsibilities of what it took to be licensed and managing a team. However, as the years came and went I learned more, became more confident in what I knew and started building great relationships. This is what prompted me to get licensed so that I could be fully maximized not only for my team but for myself. The hardest part is that every real estate transaction is unique. There is no template to be followed. Each listing and/or contract brings its own sets of challenges. With that, I am still constantly learning and I always have be “on my toes” to forsee any issues and help educate clients through those issues. The world sees Real Estate as fun with a lot of money to be made. HGTV certainly helps tell that narrative as well. However, I will never forget hearing “Real Estate is the one job where you wake up everyday essentially unemployed”. That saying has stuck with me. Its up to me to keep business and find new business. No one is going to help me but yet everyday I wake up blessed that I have a job that I still love doing after 9 years already put into it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love showing friends the smaller towns and businesses that come along with it. I live in Kaufman so coming to Kaufman I would suggest breakfast at Latham Bakery and doing shopping at Kirby’s or Kindred Market. Lunch we would have to try out the Kaufman Tea Room and have delicious soups and salads with my favorite dessert, The Pink Thing. Afterwards, getting a quick facial from Saving Grace Esthetics would be a must! Dinner could either be a delicious burger from Detour or Wings from Wings Over Kaufman. For a night cap, My Loves After Hours is a must! Kaufman is not far from Cedar Creek Lake which brings its own set of entertainment from either cruising the lake, fishing or dining at Vernons.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to personally think Rod Holland for taking me under his wing and being my mentor along with other respected realtors in this industry who have helped me with questions and situations.

Website: www.RodHolland.com

Instagram: ashlea_longenecker_realtor

Facebook: Ashlea O’Dell Longenecker