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

Hi Desiree, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Freedom! That was my primary thought process behind starting my own business. I was a stay at home mom and I wanted to have more time with my three young children while also building wealth for my family. In addition, my mother was a serial entrepreneur and seeing her navigate multiple businesses was a part of my upbringing that I didn’t realize affected me until I was an adult. Furthermore, to be honest, I had problems with authority. I was known to quit a job at the drop of a hat if something didn’t align with ME. At the age of 16 I quit my first job at McDonald’s because they wouldn’t let me have a night off so that I could go camp out for Prince Purple Rain Tour tickets (this was before the internet). LOL!! Throughout my adulthood, there were other instances, not quite as trivial as a concert, but if I felt like something was unfair (which is common in the workplace), I was out!! It was also hard to call someone my “boss”. I don’t know if it’s because I’m a Leo, or an only child, or a combination of both, but I have a strong desire to be in control of my own destiny. I know that may sound spoiled and entitled, but I accept who and how I am, and decided to build a career around my strengths.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am a Realtor in Metro Atlanta, who provides services to families, individuals and investors looking to buy, sell or invest in real estate…primarily residential real estate. I think one of the things that sets me apart is my vast knowledge and experience in real estate. As stated earlier, my mom was a real estate agent, so I’ve been around the home selling business all of my life. Also, I have a Bachelors Degree in Real Estate from Georgia State University which is a degree that only a few colleges offer. After graduating, I worked as an accountant and bookkeeper for commercial real estate firms. My focus was working with office buildings, shopping centers and retail developments. After I got married and started having children, I became a stay at home mom, and soon started investing in residential real estate. I also taught real estate classes for a while.
I am most proud of having a well rounded career in real estate over the past 4 decades…I have seen and done a lot in the world of real estate…AND for achieving Top Producer status (top 5-10% in sales out all realtors) with the Atlanta Board of Realtors for the past several years! I have gotten to where I am today, business-wise from making a lot of mistakes and being in some tough situations that I had to navigate my way out of. I overcame challenges by just continuing to move forward. I believe in pivoting when needed, and I have done that a lot, because giving up is simply not an option. No matter what, even when I’ve slowed down, I kept moving forward.
Was it easy? Hell no, there were many, many, many times when I wanted to quit real estate. Especially after my marriage ended and I was on my own financially. I sought to find a “regular” 9-5 for more stable income. However, the flexibility and potential for unlimited income kept me pushing to stick with being a Realtor. I began to take more real estate classes and workshops and acted as if I was brand new in the business. I tried to empty my brain of all of the past ways that I did real estate and embraced new ways of doing things. I rebranded and reinvented myself…and I believe that made all of the difference.
Lessons, I’ve learned along the way…1. you have to think of your clients and put their best interests before your own. 2. Hard work does truly pay off. 3. You have to genuinely be a good person to reap the greatest benefits and rewards. 4. True success is not measured by things, but by how you feel inside about yourself.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite spots in the city are mostly places outside. If my best friend were visiting, I would take them on a walk along the Atlanta Beltline and then stop at the various shops and restaurants to grab a bite or a drink. If my friend were visiting in the warm months, we would go to the Dogwood Festival, Jazz Festival or Arts Festival, all at Piedmont Park and enjoy culture, art, music, friendship and food. I like to have a variety of food options, so we would check out some of the food halls around town, such as Krog Street Market, Ponce City Market, The Works and Politan Row. We would go to Your 3rd Spot for fun and games! I like to eat healthy, so we would also have to grab a meal at any of these vegan restaurants: Tassili’s Raw Reality, Healthful Essence or Soul Vegetarian in the West End or Cafe Sunflower in Buckhead. We’d also try to catch an intimate concert at Atlanta City Winery. Go dancing to some House Music at Westside Motor Lounge or attend my favorite house music event in the fall…House in The Park at Grant Park every Labor Day weekend.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have had many different people along my journey encourage and influence my success in real estate. The most influential person, however, was my mother who is now deceased. I like to say that I started my real estate career when I was 12 years old. My mom, Edna Snowden became a real estate agent after we move from NY to Atlanta. I used to spend a lot of time in her office. I remember sitting on the floor next to her desk flipping through huge MLS books looking at black and white photos of homes (this was in the 80’s…way before the internet). I also went on many showings with her, and we were always going to home shows. She always encouraged me to pursue real estate, sent me tons of referrals and was so excited about everything I did. It made me want to keep going even though there were many times I didn’t want to continue in this business..

Website: https://www.mydesiredresults.com

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

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/realtorudesire/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/desiree.d.smith.90

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@desireeasmith

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@desireeasmith0726

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.