Q&A
Stephen Cooley
talks Success Photos by Clayton Brannon
Where are you from? What brought you here? There is a town called Cooley Springs between Gaffney and Asheville. My people come from that area. I grew up near there in a no red light town called Mayo, SC. I came to the area for Winthrop University. I was 17 years old and paid my own way through college. I worked full time and still graduated on time in 4 years. I didn’t have the money to take extra time. What was your field of study at Winthrop? I have a BA in Political Science with a double minor in Economics and Sociology. I thought I wanted to be a city manager when I was in college. When did you decide to become a Realtor/ Broker? I have always loved residential homes. When I was little, if I was being good, as a reward, my mom would ride me down the streets of the wealthy neighborhood in my home town so I could look at the homes. I have visited the Biltmore house twenty times. When I go on vacations, I go see the houses of that area. I became an agent when I was 21 years old. I think I choose the right career.
What sets you apart from others in this industry? I have always been the first one to work and the last one to leave. I use my time wisely. I entered real estate with less than $500 in my bank account. I was number one in the local MLS system by the time I was 26. Currently, I have the largest real estate team in the Carolinas. We are ranked #1 for Keller Williams (the second largest real estate franchise in the nation) in both Carolinas, ranked in the top 50 for Keller Williams (out of 100,000) in the nation, and ranked in the top 250 Realtors in the nation (out of 1 million agents). How did your TV program start? I started the show before homes were available on the internet. I saw a need for people to be able to home shop from their living rooms. Comporium (CN2) shared that vision. It has been a great relationship for 12 years. We filmed our first show on September 11, 2001. The filming took all morning. The film crew and I were glued to the TV watching the World Trade Centers burn and the other awful events of that day. I was trying to call a friend of mine who worked in one of the towers. It was a very
hard day to film. I still have the tape of that show. The stress was on all of our faces. I wish I had another date to call my first day on the job for the TV show.
What do you like most about your career? I love the day to day interaction with the public. Selling someone’s home ranks in the top 5 most stressful events in someone’s life. It is an honor to make that event go smoothly. If you had a “do over,” what would you change? Nothing! I am pleased. I have an amazing family which includes a 20 year old daughter. I am a happy person. I do things correctly the first time. I try not to make many mistakes. When I do, I learn from them. My goal is to offer incredible real estate services. I meet my goal 99% of the time. How do you juggle a successful home life while running a business? I time block, time manage, and categorize my life. Every business and personal appointment goes on the same paper calendar which I keep with me 24 hours a day. What are your other interests? When I leave work, I always go to the gym. Physical health is important to mental health. I am also a parent. Do parents get any other hobbies? I am also deeply involved with my 2 nonprofit interests, health care and animal rescue. I serve as Chair of the board for Catawba Care and do various things for animals throughout the year. Also, I designed a candle for people selling their houses. It is being marketed across the nation. What’s your advise for agents or entrepreneurs looking for success? First, find the most successful agent in your office and follow them around. They are doing something right. Second, look your best. I dress up for church and work. It’s how my parents raised me. Next, hire good people, train them and then let them do their jobs. Hold employees accountable and reward them verbally and financially for their hard work. Lastly, love people, not things because people will love you back. For more on Stephen Cooley go to stephencooley.com. Special thanks to Hair and Makup Artist Sara Egri. Contact Sara at saraegri.com.
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