realtor profile | Sherrie Mileski
Deep life experience By yvonne Pesquera PHoTo By Tina Larkin
Sherrie Mileski, an agent at New Mexico Mountain Properties, has worked on and off in the Red River area since her days as a young teen in 1983. Although this 44-year-old single mother of three is naturally industrious, Mileski’s early family life required a lot of maturity from her: her mother passed away when she was 12 and she has never known her biological father. Yet, that which does not kill us makes us stronger. After attending Taos High School for a few years, Mileski earned her diploma in Texas to qualify for state college aid. After just 3 1/2 years, she earned her bachelor’s degree in hotel restaurant management from the Texas Tech University in Lubbock.
communications-PR manager for the Angel Fire Ski Resort, launching their first email and Internet marketing program. She also returned to picking up waitress shifts at Texas Red’s steakhouse––a job she initially had as a teenager, and continues to do part time today. While working for Ruth Bush (Bush Realtors) in 2001, Mileski obtained her real estate license. “Studying property in Angle Fire is like studying for the bar exam. There are so many roads,” she says. Her son was young at the time and she made the career switch to spend more time with him. Looking back on her real estate career, Mileski says with a laugh, “All of my children have grown up looking at houses and putting up signs.”
“I’ve been on my own since I was 15 years old and all throughout school, I worked the entire time. I’d come home to Red River on holidays, Spring Break and summers to work,” says Mileski.
Eddy passed away in 2006, leaving her to raise a boy and a girl. But Mileski was about to welcome more career opportunities, love and even another child into her life.
Hyatt Hotels noticed her strong character and solid work ethics and she was accepted into its prestigious corporate management training program. Mileski took her first corporate job at the Hyatt Dallas Fort Worth hotel, a 900-room property. As the housekeeping manager for more than 100 Spanish-speaking housekeepers, she quickly learned a second language.
In 2007, Mileski and her second husband opened a Re-Max real estate office and had a baby boy together. That was one of her best years in Red River. “The Re-Max corporate office ranked us high in Red River sales for 2007. We had a phenomenal year,” says Mileski.
Mileski’s career track in Texas kept unfolding in new ways. In 1990, she left Hyatt to pursue her own franchise opening of the first Miami Subs in Dallas. “It was new construction, from the ground up, and I did all the ordering and hiring,” says Mileski. Later, she would work for a hotel marketing company. Mileski had the “tough job” of visiting five-star hotels and enjoying all of their amenities. Then she’d return to the office and train her staff on how to market the property. With so much achieved at a relatively young age, Mileski’s life was on the corporate track in Texas –– until fate intervened. On one of her trips home to Red River to see family and friends, she met singer-songwriter Eddy Lee. Mileski and the professional musician had known each other when they were younger. Sparks flew and she went back to Dallas to quit her good job at her company. Her friends thought she was crazy. But she felt like making Red River her permanent home was just the right thing to do. “It was like receiving a message from God,” says Mileski. She and Eddy married a year later. Back on home ground, Mileski took a job as the
Enchanted Homes Vol. LXXXIX •
In another area of life experience, Mileski built a new-construction home in Angel Fire. “That experience has helped me tremendously with my real estate clients,” she says. Mileski has seen a lot of changes in the Red River area. For the longest time, there were no color flyers or MLS membership. In 2009, she started advertising using brochure boxes and social media to get the word out. Now, everyone is very active in advertising. Calling herself a “go-getter,” Mileski is proud to be good at what she does. She has gained the respect of her clients and her competitors, and feels that the real estate business naturally comes to her. “I have the ability to work with people in all kinds of real estate situations,” she says. “All of my life and work experience has helped me be a better real estate agent.” Call Sherrie Mileski at (575) 377-2626; or visit www.highmountainproperty.com for more information.
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