From Relocation to Relationship: Why Helping People Move Means So Much to Me Can you imagine being the wife of a transferee with three children—three, two, and one—packing up your family and moving 10 hours away from everyone you know to a place where grits, cornbread, and fried chicken are staples? Today, that might feel a little like moving overseas—new culture, new food, a new language (sort of!), and no built-in support system. That was my family. I was three years old when we moved from Gary, Indiana, where we lived just blocks from both sets of my grandparents, to Nashville, Tennessee. In 1965, my dad’s company, IKG Industries, established its headquarters in Nashville. Little did I know that first move would become the beginning of a lifelong connection to relocation. After more than three decades in real estate, relocation has become much more than a career to me. It’s personal. I know what it feels like to be the new family.
Relocation Is About More Than a House When someone relocates, they aren't simply moving a house. They're moving their life. There is excitement, anticipation, stress, uncertainty—and sometimes sadness. Our job is to help navigate all of it. Yes, that means finding the right home and community. But it also means knowing who to call: the right doctor, school, veterinarian, hair stylist, club, organization—or simply someone who can answer, “Where do people like us go?” Sometimes the most valuable thing we provide is simply knowing who to call.
The Onward Difference At Onward Real Estate, we start by listening. We want to understand not just where our clients want to live, but how they want to live. Sometimes going above and beyond means introducing your children to neighborhood kids before school starts. Sometimes it's having utility information ready before closing. Sometimes it's making an introduction to a resource a client didn't even know they needed.
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Those details may seem small, but when you're starting over in a new community, they can mean everything.
Helping People Find Their Way Home That's what I love about relocation. The goal isn't simply a closing or handing over a set of keys. It's watching someone begin a new chapter— and seeing “We don't know anyone here” become “We feel at home.” Onward is a family. We treat our customers and clients like family, genuinely want the best for them, and do whatever we can to help them feel welcomed, connected, and at home. Because I've been the new family. And maybe that's why, after all these years, helping people find their way home still feels so personal.
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