Meet Charlene Collier | Your FAVORITE Atlanta REALTOR®

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

Hi Charlene, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I always knew that I wanted to transition out of Corporate America and make Real Estate the career that I ride off into the sunset with. I’ve always loved all things real estate and would be the one to make an illegal U-turn in traffic when I saw an open house sign lol. My goal with becoming a licensed real estate agent isn’t just to sell homes, but to educate people, especially people who look like me, on how to build wealth through real estate and that it is something that IS attainable for them. My long-term goal is to eventually have my own Real Estate Brokerage and later on become a Real Estate Developer, as there are not many women or people of color in that area.

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.
A native of Washington DC, I made Atlanta my new home (after an 8yr stint in Los Angeles) because of the wealth of job and entrepreneurial opportunities, rich history and culture, and of course amazing real estate prospects. Prior to becoming a RE Agent, I spent 17years as an HR Professional at world renowned companies such as Netflix, Disney, and Mercedes-Benz. Many times I was the only person of color in a leadership role and I constantly had to influence the perspectives of Executive Leadership when it came to DEI, career opportunities for underrepresented groups, etc… which helped me hone my negotiation skills as well as my ability to influence others. I’ve also been passed up for promotional opportunities and experience micro-aggressions in the workplace that let me know that Corporate America wasn’t for me long term. I wanted to be in charge of my own destiny and know that my success (or lack thereof) is based solely on my own merit and hard work, not based on if I fit a particular workplace culture. I knew real estate would allow me to get out of it as much as I put in it, so I made the decision last year to bet on myself and leave my VERY lucrative job at. Netflix and enter into the wild wild world of Real Estate.

I will tell you don’t believe the hype that you see on tv with shows like Million Dollar Listing and Selling Sunset. Being a Real Estate Agent is HARD. It is a sales job. It can often times be a thankless job. It is a job that you will put in a lot before you reap the fruits of your labor. But when those seeds you plant bear fruit it is SOOO worth it! Not just from a financial standpoint, but the gratification of knowing that you helped to change the trajectory of someone’s life. You helped someone be the first homeowner in their family, or you helped someone obtain an investment property that will allow them to receive passive income to pay for their children to go to college. Many times the feeling of accomplishment you get from that feels just as good as the commission check!

I was a PR major in college and the first thing they teach us is to know your audience. I have mastered the ability to meet people where they are and build geniune relationships, which is why before even getting into real estate, people would always tell me I’d be good at it due to my ability to connect with people in an organic way. I bring a refined viewpoint to the world of real estate. My nearly two decades of studying human behavior, advocating for employees and negotiating on behalf of the business allows me to transfer that same skill set when finding the ideal home for my buyers and negotiating the optimal sales price for my sellers. And most importantly I’m HUGE on being of service to others, so my clients always get handled with care and always have access to me, even after a transaction has closed. Membership has its privileges! 🙂

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First I would make sure we grab Brunch. Atlanta is KNOWN for their brunch spots, but I gotta make sure we get their early so we’re not waiting for 2hrs before we eat. I would take them to either Toast on Lenox, Breakfast at Barney’s or Grits & Eggs. Actually since the bestie will be here for a week, we would hit up all of those spots lol. I’m a huge football fan so if they visited in the Fall I would make sure we hit up a Falcons game. Even if you aren’t an Atlanta Falcons fan, the energy in the stadium is always lit, so you’re sure to have a good time. If the weather is good, I would make sure we hit up Piedmont Park to either go walking or just lay out and people watch.
Being from DC I’m a sucker for live entertainment so I would check out the calendar at City Winery to see if there are any shows their we can catch or hit up St. James for a live show. Also if it is spring/summer there is ALWAYS an outdoor event to get into, like the Atlanta Wine Festival I went to a few weeks ago that was such a vibe!
Also if the weather is good, I’ll make sure we hit up the rooftop pool at Lifetime Fitness in Buckhead since I have a membership. I know it’s part of a gym but the private cabanas, the food, and the DJ will make you forget that people actually workout downstairs lol

For dinner spots gotta hit Apt4b and Pappadeuxs. Two vastly different menu options and vibes and both delicious. And of course I would tour them around the city to get a flavor for the different neighborhoods (which are all so VASTLY different) and try to convince them to move here with me 🙂

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people I thank for where I am in life right now. As far as who I want to shout out for inspriring me to pursue my real estate dreams, it would be all of the amazing RE Agents that I have seen doing EXACTLY what I want to do, being Top Producers, being RE investors, being RE Developers, and doing it at a high level. Once you can visualize something you can achieve it and those who have shared the good, bad and ugly of this industry have helped me tremenously

Website: https://charlenecollier.kw.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlene_collier/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlene-collier-mba-0607224/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=5738263&ref=xav_ig_profile_web

Other: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sl/4RUAvo4/charlenecollier