Mobile Bay Real Producers | November 2023 by mobilebayrealproducers

M O B I L E B AY

C O N N E C T I N G .

E L E VAT I N G .

I N S P I R I N G .

Terryl RE EV ES REAL PRODUCER

RISING STAR Matt Crocker PARTNER SPOTLIGHT Daniel Crigger, Complete Home Inspections BROKER IN CHARGE Melissa McMillan PARTNER SPOTLIGHT Michelle Murrill, Southern View Media

NOVEMBER 2023

2 • November 2023

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TAB LE OF

CONTENTS 16

Rising Star: Matt Crocker

Partner Spotlight: Daniel Crigger, Complete Home Inspections

Real Producer & Broker: Terryl Reeves

Partner Spotlight: Michelle Murrill Southern View Media

One Club Social Event Recap: Sorry if You Missed This Event!

Broker in Charge: Melissa McMillan

If you are interested in contributing or nominating Realtors for certain stories, please email us at Robert.orso@RealProducersMag.com .DISCLAIMER: Any articles included in this publication and/or opinions expressed therein do not necessarily reflect the views of The N2 Company d/b/a Real Producers but remain solely those of the author(s). The paid advertisements contained within the Mobile Bay Real Producers magazine are not endorsed or recommended by The N2 Company or the publisher. Therefore, neither The N2 Company nor the publisher may be held liable or responsible for business practices of these companies.

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M E E T T H E M O B I L E B AY R E A L P R O D U C E R S T E A M

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Robert Orso

Publishing Assistant

Crystal Barley

Chistina Head Ad Strategist

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Ron Sivak

Jon Jeffress

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publisher’s note By Robert Orso

History of the Thanksgiving Holiday

rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks -- for his kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted -- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness onto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord -- To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us -- and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions--to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually -- to render our national government a

Amid all the things we are thankful for, I submit that the number one thing should be God and County. As I mentioned at the beginning, let us talk (and pray) about what we want for our Nation.

Given under my hand at the City of New-York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789. George Washington

Happy Thanksgiving!

A Worthy Read Well, I cannot let November expire without saying something about Thanksgiving because being thankful is a powerful force for the one who is thankful and for those around them. If we could just always remember to talk about what and who we are thankful for instead of what we do not like and about what we want instead of what we do not want, oh how happy we would be! One definition of thanksgiving is, “the expression of gratitude, especially to God.” Most of you know that the holiday season of Thanksgiving had its origin with the Pilgrims in 1621. For many of us, the meaning of Thanksgiving usually includes feasting, four-day weekends, football games, floats, family reunions, or a forerunner to Christmas festivities. The “first Thanksgiving,” however, was neither a feast nor a holiday, but a simple gathering. Having lost forty-six of the 102 original colonists

12 • November 2023

to the bitter winter of 1620, the survivors yielded a bountiful harvest in 1621 and had a threeday celebration to give thanks. The next celebration was not until June of 1676. While researching the true meaning of the holiday we call Thanksgiving, I realized that our Nation has lost and forgotten the true meaning. It is proper that we are thankful for the people, careers, health, prosperity, success as well as the insignificant things we enjoy, but we need to remember that the holiday is rooted in the founding of our country and the adversities they endured to create the great nation we live in. George Washington proclaimed Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1789 and congress finally sanctioned the holiday in 1941, at the speed of Government. Here is a verbatim copy of his proclamation.

By the President of the United States of America: a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor-and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me `to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be -- That we may then all unite in

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FAQ

ABOUT THIS MAGAZINE

Welcome to Real Producers! Some of you may be wondering what this publication is all about, which is why we have created this FAQ page. Here, we will answer the most commonly asked questions from around the country regarding our program. My door is always open to discuss anything regarding this community — this publication is 100% designed to be your voice! Q: WHO RECEIVES THIS MAGAZINE? A: The top 300 agents in the Mobile Bay Area. We

pulled the MLS numbers (by volume) from Jan. 1, 2021, through Dec. 31, 2021, in Mobile and Baldwin Counties. We cut the list off at number 300, and the distribution was born. For this year’s list, the minimum production level for our group is $7 million in 2021. The list will reset at the end of 2022 for next year and will continue to update annually. Q: WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR BEING FEATURED IN THIS MAGAZINE? A: The process is simple. Every feature you see has

first been nominated. You can nominate REALTORS®, agents, affiliates, brokers, owners, or even yourself. Office leaders can also nominate real estate agents. We will consider anyone you bring to our attention because we don’t know everyone’s story, and we need your help to learn more. A nomination currently looks like this: Email us at robert.orso@realproducersmag.com with the subject line “Nomination: (Name of Nominee)” and explain why you are nominating the individual. Maybe the person has an amazing story that we need to tell, or perhaps someone overcame extreme obstacles, is an exceptional leader, has the best customer service, or gives back to the community in a big way. The next step is an interview with us to ensure a good fit, and then we put the wheels in motion for our writer to conduct an interview and for our photographer to schedule a photo shoot.

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Q: WHAT IS THE COST TO FEATURE A REALTOR®, AGENT, OR TEAM ? A: Zero, zilch, zippo, nada, nil. The feature

costs nothing, my friends, so nominate away! We are not a pay-to-play model. We share real stories of Real Producers. Q: WHO ARE THE PREFERRED PARTNERS? A: Anyone listed as a preferred partner in the

front of the magazine is a part of this community and will have an ad in every issue of the magazine, attend our quarterly events, and be a part of our online community. We don’t just find these businesses off the street, nor do we work with all businesses that approach us. One or many of you have recommended every preferred partner you see in this publication. We won’t even meet with a business that you have not vetted and stamped for approval, in a sense. Our goal is to create a powerhouse network for the REALTORS® and agents in the area and for the best affiliates so we can grow stronger together. Q: HOW CAN I RECOMMEND A PREFERRED PARTNER? A: If you have a recommendation for a local

business that works with top real estate agents, please let us know. Send an email to robert.orso@realproducersmag.com.

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Mobile Bay Real Producers • 15

Relentless Pursuit If the fight within you lasts as long as the opportunities in front of you, you will find success for yourself and those around you.

rising star Matt Crocker exemplifies that approach to life and business.

By Dave Danielson Photos by Lew Thomas, Adobe House Media Productions

As a REALTOR® with Coldwell Banker Real Properties, Matt brings a relentless pursuit to everything he does. “I enjoy the process of finding what my clients need. It took me a year to find a couple a house. They came here to start a church,” Matt says. “Finally getting them that they wanted and sitting back and seeing them be excited about it was rewarding.” Deep Local Roots

Matt has enjoyed a look at the industry for a while — even before he earned his real estate license in 2020.

Matt was born and raised in Fairhope, Alabama. His grandparents are from the area, too. “My dad, Randy Crocker, is a builder. He’s been in the business since he was 18. I can remember back to when I was 6 years old … when my older brother and I would go to jobsites with him. He was a framer and trim guy at the time,” Matt remembers. “He always had me working, doing even small things then. I enjoyed hammering. As I got older, I started doing framing and trim. I loved watching the house come up from dirt to being finished. Then my dad got into being a custom home builder.”

MATT CROCKER 16 • November 2023

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Mobile Bay Real Producers • 17

In the meantime, Matt went into the cabinet business when he was in college. Opening New Doors

About 15 years ago, Matt married his wife, Kara, and they started a family. He looked at the next steps in his career. “We had also been flipping houses. I wanted to get into real estate. But, at the time, I was running the cabinet business by myself. I had three little girls and the time wasn’t right,” Matt says. “About five years ago I had a house that I built and I listed it with who my broker is now. I talked with him about the business. He has a great manager named Kathy Statska and that’s what I wanted … someone who could show me and teach me about contracts and fully educate me on doing this the right way. I went straight full-time into real estate.” Gaining Momentum

As Matt got his start in the business, he had already been used to being on the move. For him, he found that the biggest part of his transition was about getting his clientele.

I had a lot of connections and worked at finding people to trust me. It took a while. The first year I did three deals.

“I had a lot of connections and worked at finding people to trust me. It took a while. The first year I did three deals,” Matt remembers. Matt’s efforts have been rewarded all the way around. Today, he has built a solid business based on his work with builders and spec homes. “My dad has been an important part of my success,” he says. “He set me up and helped me by connecting me with his clients,” Matt points out. “My brother is also in the building business and my other brother is an architect.”

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Mobile Bay Real Producers • 19

Matt also has deep gratitude for his wife, Kara. “If it wasn’t for her trusting in me and being by my side, I don’t think I would be in this same position,” he says. Matt and Kara cherish time with their children — Lily, Isla and Elle. In his free time, Matt has enjoyed staying active through time, with favorite pursuits including hunting, fishing and golf. He also has a passion for football and spending time with his family. As Matt reflects on his own start and momentum in the business, he shares advice for others who are looking to take their own steps forward in real estate.

roll up his sleeves and go way above and beyond … in some cases taking on property upgrades for his listings himself.

“It’s important that you find a company that will educate you. If you aren’t educated and don’t have a support staff to help you show you how to grow your business, you aren’t going to last,” Matt says.

Day by day, Matt continues moving forward—discovering his clients’ needs and working relentlessly to help them achieve their goals.

“It takes time to make money. It’s not a six-month or one-year deal … it’s more like three years to really hit your stride.” When you talk with Matt, it’s clear that he puts a straightforward brand of honesty and integrity to work. He also isn’t afraid to

20 • November 2023

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As he says, “If you put the time in, you will be rewarded.” For questions or comments about this article, contact Matt at (251) 751-1799 or mattcrocker3@gmail.com

Mobile Bay Real Producers • 21

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partner spotlight By Dave Danielson Photos by Lew Thomas, Adobe House Media Productions

Daniel Crigger Complete Home Inspections Delivering Through Results If you’re going to set out to do something, you and those around you are best served by giving your all and doing your best. That’s an ideal that perfectly describes the way Daniel Crigger serves the best interests of those around him.

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Mobile Bay Real Producers • 25

his full-time focus allows him to be even more responsive and available to his real estate partners — taking on sometimes multiple inspections each day. Clear and Easy to Understand

Daniel’s partners also appreciate the fact that his reports are very thorough, and yet very easy to read, complete with pictures and clear descriptions. “I’m grateful for when people say that I’m thorough, professional and knowledgeable and the reports are easy to understand,” Daniel says.

As Owner/Inspector of Complete Home Inspections, Daniel delivers thorough results through education. “I’ve been doing this for 20 years, along with working in education,” Daniel says.

In 2003, Daniel ended up entering the home inspection business himself. In turn, he started building strong relationships with local REALTORS® and building a successful business on integrity and committed care.

inspection … in turn, getting home late, writing a report and going to sleep late at night to get ready to do it all over the next day. Through time, after leading the school through transitions and tremendous growth, Daniel made the decision to step down from his role at the school to focus on the home inspection business full-time.

Going Full-TIme

“People like having a fair, thorough inspection report and, that way, if they have issues later on, they are less likely to have surprises.” Two Rewarding Paths

Daniel’s professional life has been punctuated by his meaningful contributions in two remarkable paths in life … as an educator and as a home inspector. He remembers how his professional path began when he and his wife moved to Mobile in 1997. “That’s when we bought a home. We were exposed to the inspection process, which went well,” Daniel remembers. “We ended up having a few issues through time with the house. But that experience of seeing the home inspection process stuck in my head.”

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Around the same time, Daniel’s father retired from his leadership role with a local school.

While Daniel misses his time at the school, he also sees the way

With the encouragement of those around him, Daniel assumed his father’s role at the school … a role that he would continue to cherish for 20 years, serving as Principal and occasionally filling the role of substitute teacher.

“They appreciate that they aren’t 80 pages long and filled with legalese. I think that comes from helping to teach school … writing things in a way that makes sense and doesn’t speak above someone.” It’s clear that Daniel works with passion for the profession. “My favorite is walking people through the house and talking with them about it. I like to refer them to people I know who can give them quality advice on specific elements,” he points out.

“When you love what you do and you feel it’s a calling, it’s not a job. That was the way it was for me doing both roles at the school and as an inspector.” While he had a strong passion for both roles, the days were long. After a full day at school, Daniel would normally leave school and go to conduct a home

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Mobile Bay Real Producers • 27

I’m glad to be a source of advice, counsel and input if someone needs it. “I’m glad to be a source of advice, counsel and input if someone needs it.” Wonderful Life

Away from work, Daniel treasures time with his wife, Jennifer, and their sons — Jackson, Harrison and Wilson. In his free time, Daniel enjoys hiking, bicycle riding and spending time at their condo in Fort Morgan. Another favorite for him is being engaged in his local church, The Homestead, in Mobile, and is a scholarship sponsor of their school, Legacy Academy. You’re also likely to find Daniel and his sons working on one of their vehicles together, as well. Day by day, Daniel takes his dedicated brand of service and love for educating others into the world … delivering thorough results that make a definite impact for those around him. Contact Complete Home Inspections Today! (251) 510-1809 or chi.mobile.llc@gmail.com

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Mobile Bay Real Producers • 29

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Mobile Bay Real Producers • 31

Terryl REEV ES

Spirit of

A BU NDA NC E Terryl Reeves is the qualifying broker for Bellator Expert Real Estate Advisors in Fairhope and is November’s featured Top Agent for Mobile Bay Real Producers. “I grew up in Chickasaw and went to Satsuma High School, graduating in 1985. I was not the best high school student but went to South Alabama and got a degree in history with a minor in philosophy. I did much better over there.” Reeves said. Reeves maintained a high GPA at South, while also paying for college himself, working anywhere from one to three jobs while attending school and illustrating early on a tireless work ethic. “My mother helped me get grants and loans because they couldn’t afford to pay for it. It took about five years to get my bachelor’s degree” Terryl said. Along with his brother, who is now a practicing attorney in Biloxi, Reeves was also a trailblazer due to being among the first in his family to graduate from college. Upon graduation, Terryl made his first foray into the working world after interviewing and getting hired on by a local IT company. “I got a job with CPSI in Mobile, a computer software company geared toward the medical field. We traveled to different rural sites across the country and implemented software systems. After seven years, I transitioned to the same type of job doing consulting with a company out of St. Paul, Minnesota named Lawson Software.” Reeves said.

real producer & broker By Ron Sivak Photos by Kayley Robinson, Deep South Focus Photography

32 • November 2023

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In 2000, Reeves son Will was born and the life event motivated him to find a line of work keeping him closer to home.

situation of trying to get off the road. It took about two years to get into something else. That’s when I moved over into real estate.” Terryl said.

“I was traveling 50 weeks, almost the entire year, and would see my son on the weekends. Sometimes he wouldn’t know me when home, so it was a

The idea behind selecting that field over every other originated from an old high school friend.

Mobile Bay Real Producers • 33

“I grew up with John Brett from Brett/Robinson based in Saraland. He introduced me to the idea of getting a real estate license. In 2004, I earned my license and went to work in the business. Two years later Reeves sat for his broker’s license and worked as an associate broker while contemplating the idea of going out on his own. “I was an associate broker when coming upon a retail location in downtown Fairhope at 11 North Section Street around 2008. I knew it would be a good place to sell real estate because there’s a lot of foot traffic and retail shopping. Many visitors just fall in love with the town” Reeves said. In 2008, Reeves opened Fairhope Realty Group as broker/ owner. Ironically, his new venture opened at the onset of the Great Recession. “It was a bad time in Real Estate and I was still relatively new in the business, but I really believed in the location. It’s probably a blessing that I didn’t know how far south the market was going to go, but jumped in with both feet. The first several years I was working 100 hour weeks and too worried to hire anyone. However, I did increase profits every year after opening.” Terryl said. Reeves had an affinity for technology due to his software background. He was an early adopter in his market on using Google Ads and Zillow. After several years of fine-tuning his marketing strategies, he realized pivoting to a referral/relationship-based model and away from internet leads vastly increased his and his agents’, income per hour. “In 2012 I hired my right-hand assistant and office manager, Kristina Childress, and was able to cut back from working 100 hours a week to 80 hours. I then became more involved with the Baldwin Realtor Association and got on the board to try to effect some positive change.” Terryl said.

I knew it would be a good place to sell real estate because there’s a lot of foot traffic and retail shopping. MANY VISITORS JUST FALL IN LOVE WITH THE TOWN.

34 • November 2023

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Mobile Bay Real Producers • 35

It was while on the Board of Directors at Baldwin Realtors® that he became introduced to Bellator, which precipitated another pivotal move in his professional life.

that their full-time marketing staff, marketing tools and training would take me, and my agents, to the next level in our careers. We completed the transition in 2018.” he added.

“While serving, I met three incredible people from Bellator. They were Troy Wilson, President of Bellator, Frank Malone over Gulf Shores and Jeff McLaurin over Orange Beach. I got to know their characters. I had been approached several times by other franchises to acquire FRG, but had never really considered anyone.” Terryl said.

Today the Reeves household, with wife Sabrina, daughter Sarah, son Will and daughter-in-law Lauren, see a lot more of Terryl with a successfully structured work/life balance. “With my move to Bellator, I’ve gained about 20 hours a week of family time and increased my and my agents’, personal sales and income.” Reeves said.

“However, Bellator’s spirit of gratitude, philosophy of abundance and focus on relationship selling perfectly dovetailed with where I had evolved as an agent and broker. I soon learned

36 • November 2023

selling, producing anywhere between 10 to 15 million in annual volume so my classes are a transparent, realtime, hands-on lesson on how to achieve success in today’s market. I openly share my failures as well as successes”. Terryl said.

He has also been able to fully realize his passion of agent development.

“I truly love helping my agents. Several have gone from never making more than $30,000 per year, to eventually earning as much as $300,000 a year. It is very rewarding to witness that growth for those who are coachable and create positive habits. This is an awesome way to make a living and can be generationally changing in a positive way.” he concluded.

“My agents are like family to me. I do weekly training sessions and my door is always open. I’m also still actively

For questions or comments about this article, contact Terryl at (251) 2097484 or mailto:treeves@goBellator.com

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Mobile Bay Real Producers • 37

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Mobile Bay Real Producers • 39

MICHELLE

partner spotlight By Ron Sivak Photos by Kayley Robinson, Deep South Focus Photography

Murrill

SOUTHERN VIEW MEDIA Southern View Media’s husband and wife duo Michelle Murrill, CEO, and Brad Murrill, VP of Digital Media, are November’s Spotlight Vendor for Mobile Bay Real Producers. Their success is an exceptional endorsement of homegrown hard work, drive and talent. Michelle attended USA where her father, Dr. James Swofford, taught (and still teaches) economics for the Mitchell College of Business.

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“I got my degree in communications with a minor in psychology in three years by going over the summers. My husband Brad and I also got married at the start of my senior year in 2003.” Murrill said. As high school sweethearts Michelle and Brad had their first daughter, Kaitlin, in 2001. They both also worked full-time, with Brad initially attending the University of Alabama and then transferring to Coastal Alabama Community College.

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Michelle had a singular focus on her future at a very young age, wanting to be an entrepreneur before even knowing the term. “I can first remember saying to somebody in fourth grade that I wanted to be a business owner and didn’t know what the word ‘entrepreneur’ meant yet. My dad, who is an economist, would say that the math added up to be a business owner.” Murrill said. The first opportunity for the husband and wife team to realize their dream of business ownership availed itself quickly. “My husband was working for his parents’ glass company that catered to new construction builders. They decided to retire and wanted us to buy it. This happened in our early 20’s and we bought the business from them in 2006 and ran it for two years.” Michelle said. After two years attempting to turn around a struggling company, while learning a lot, the duo decided to dissolve the business and look for opportunities elsewhere. Brad soon found work in the HVAC industry in Charleston and the family moved there in 2009 after the birth of the second child, son Maddux, in late 2008. Murrill initially was a stay-at-home mom after the move, but after three months soon realized that something was missing and started their second business venture; momsofcharleston.com “The website listed all the places where kids could eat free, to have birthday parties, where to take piano lessons, do gymnastics or any other afterschool extracurricular activities. It had a calendar of community events and it had a home school section for those groups, among other services.” Michelle said. The venture was well received and she broke even on profit before the website was even launched. Roughly a year later she sold the business to a larger company in the online publishing space.

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Mobile Bay Real Producers • 43

In 2010 another unexpected obstacle arose when Brad severely injured his back on the job and was unable to work. Not long after, the couple decided to move back to Daphne with their burgeoning family to tap into a larger network of family and friends to find and create more opportunities for themselves.

couldn’t be met by other businesses and so we launched our company in June of 2015. Our logo is a seahorse because we’re a family business. The seahorse means a lot to us. They are monogamous, and the dads carry the babies. Seahorses help their community and we want to protect, build and grow our community.” Michelle said.

Michelle soon found work at Yellow Pages in Mobile while Brad stayed home to take care of the children and recover. Long term plans, however, were to replicate the start-up business model that had been so successful in Charleston.

Experiencing successful growth out of the gate, Southern View Media also changed the local paradigm in terms of their service model.

The dream, modified and tweaked over time, was realized in 2015 when they rolled out their third enterprise called Southern View Media. “We had some clients in our network that had immediate needs that 44 • November 2023

“We’re proud that we’re digital first. There are many traditional agencies around but not very many in our space. What that means to us is that we’re doing our own Google ads and Facebook ads. Traditional agencies often outsource that work to us. We get a full picture and put together a full strategy for our clients. In our mind, we want to write out that digital

strategy first so that we can then come up with a copy and creative secondary strategy.” Murrill said. In 2019 their third child, son Hudson, was born and the company didn’t skip a beat with the onset of COVID-19, accelerating in 2020 after surpassing $1 million in sales and opening Pelican Promotions to provide branded apparel and trade show booth products. In January 2021 the couple opened Murrill Properties and promptly purchased the 12,000 square-foot Daphne Square center as their new office space on the Eastern Shore. The property management company also oversees Daphne Circle for its owner. In terms of giving back to their community, Southern View Media has also established the successfully sold out Eastern Shore Expo in 2018 @realproducers

(a counterpart to the Mobile Expo) in partnership with the Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce, as well as setting aside 4,000 square-feet of Daphne Square to establish Baldwin County’s first co-working space. Michelle also serves on the board for Bras for a Cause Gulf Coast, the Small Business Drs. and the American Autism Center. The future is bright for a firm that now boasts 15 employees and has 80% of its footprint in Alabama, South Mississippi, South Louisiana, Florida panhandle with the remaining 20% of clients spread out across the country. For those inspired by Michelle and Brad’s story, good advice was given. “First, make sure that you write out your processes from day one. Second, know why you’re doing this so you realproducersmag.com

can clearly explain it to others. Finally, make sure it’s something you’re passionate about otherwise you’re wasting your time.” For questions or comments about this article contact Michelle at (251) 517-9425 or Michelle@southernviewmedia.com Mobile Bay Real Producers • 45

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Mobile Bay Real Producers • 47

Sorry if You Missed This Event!

one club social event recap By Robert Orso Photos by Stephen Hinds, EyeSky Video & Photography

This is just a recap of our most recent Real Producers Social Event which was held on September 18, at One Club in Gulf Shores. A total of 133 Realtors RSVPed, but as usual, not everyone was able to make it. Everyone who came had a great time! This event was poolside and the weather was perfect along with the food, beverages and music.

48 • November 2023

Many thanks to all of the Realtors and advertising partners who attended to make this a great event! Our next event will be on January 25th at Ralf & Kacoo’s on the Causeway. Be on the lookout for your RSVP invitation in November.

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Mobile Bay Real Producers • 49

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Mobile Bay Real Producers • 51

broker in charge By Ron Sivak Photos by Lisa Johnson, Deep South Focus Photography

Melissa

McMillan WORK HARD, BE NICE TO EVERYONE Melissa McMillan, broker/owner of Hope Realty & Development, is the November Broker in Charge for Mobile Bay Real Producers and a homegrown a product of the Brewton area, graduating from T.R. Miller High School in 1999. After graduation, McMillan attended college at Auburn University. “It was always kind of expected. I never thought about attending any other college since my family has a long history at Auburn. I earned a degree in Early Childhood Education in 2003.” she said.

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After moving back to Brewton, McMillan married and worked within the Brewton City School System teaching second and third grade. In 2006, Melissa gave birth to her daughter, Ellie, which precipitated an unexpected permanent move into real estate. “I started questioning teaching because of the hours. I did not want a career that kept me away from my daughter for that many hours and wanted more flexibility.” Melissa said. “Later, while having dinner with friends, one of whom was in real estate, the opportunity was presented to me. I had never thought about doing that, but with

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Mobile Bay Real Producers • 53

my daughter on the way I did not want to start teaching another year while leaving her in day care every day. I could bring my daughter to work doing this and so passed my license and worked under him for the next several years. At the time, I planned to do it temporarily until Ellie was old enough for me to go back to teaching. That never happened.” she continued.

Melissa made a bold move after deciding to concentrate on her real estate career. She chose to open her own brokerage instead of working for someone else.

Entering the real estate market on the cusp of the Great Recession was not the best timing, however, when many were the leaving the profession in droves. After the birth of her son Cole in 2008, she picked up a second job.

Thus, in 2013, Hope Realty & Development was born. The origin behind the company’s name holds a very special meaning for her.

“Business was very slow at that time and I was approached by a family friend who works at Family Resource Center in Brewton. She asked me if I would like to teach some classes and so I did that for five years. Teaching parenting classes, Life Skills, and GED Prep. Towards the end I was having to juggle showings on lunch breaks and evenings, and decided that it was time to just focus on my real estate career.” McMillan said.

“Hope was my black lab. I got her as a puppy when I was 19 years old and she lived for 16 and a half years. We grew up together and slept nose-to-nose. She was extremely important to me and passed away in 2016. She did get to see the office that

54 • November 2023

“If I was going to pursue a real estate career full-time, I needed to get my broker’s license and establish my business from the ground up. I wanted to shape it my way instead of jumping in with another agency” McMillan said.

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Mobile Bay Real Producers • 55

Wh e n c l i e n ts c a l l y ou l on g a fte r a de a l i s don e a n d n e e d a r e c omme n da ti on , or a fa v or, or to sh a r e some l i fe n e ws wi th y ou , y ou kn ow y ou ’v e tr u l y for me d t h a t r e l a ti on sh i p.

was named after her and I was happy about that. The funny part now is that a lot of times when answering calls, people from out of town assume my name is Hope. Sometimes I just answer to it!” McMillan said. In 2018 Melissa made her first key hire with Pat Reeves. “I was handling residential sales, commercial sales and land sales. That year I got a big client who needed me to sell 25 parcels of land in two counties. The very same day Pat Reeves, who has a forestry degree and is very knowledgeable about land in our area, called me. He wanted to work here. It was the biggest ‘God thing’ that’s ever happened in my life. I’m thankful for Pat every day.” Melissa said. When the pandemic arrived in 2020, McMillan suddenly saw a large influx of new home buyers showing interest in her market that increased closings almost exponentially. “COVID brought many new people to our market from different states. Buyers from North Carolina, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and other areas were drawn here wanting a slower pace.” she said. Another milestone was achieved in 2022 when Melissa bought the 100 year-old historic house she had been leasing in downtown Brewton for nine years.

56 • November 2023

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“My favorite thing now about going into work every day is that the paintings on the wall were done by my grandmother who passed away last year. She was an elementary school teacher and also taught portrait lessons at an art gallery in Pensacola. She had a studio full of paintings that I was able to pick through and have framed for my office.” McMillan has also added to her office staff recently with new agents as well as a property manager. “In 2022 I brought in Noah Pettis. In 2023 Charles Kelley was hired, who was a loan officer and brings his financial expertise. Also this year I brought in Judy Purnell to take over the property management for me and free up a little more of my time.” Melissa said. When asked about advice to offer those possibly inspired by her story and wanting to consider a career in real estate, Melissa provided good insight. “There’s a sign above my desk that says ‘Work Hard and Be Nice to People’. I’ve lived by that idea all my life. It will get you far in this business because it’s all about building good relationships. When clients call you long after a deal is done and need a recommendation, or a favor, or to share some life news with you, you know you’ve truly formed that relationship.” For questions or comments about this article, contact Melissa at (251) 236-0195 or hoperealtyanddevelopment@gmail.com

Mobile Bay Real Producers • 57

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Mobile Bay Real Producers • 59

baldwin REALTORS By Robert Orso Photos by Andrew Crumpton

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