Cassie Dunn

DunnLandmark Realty

Photo by Stylish Detroit

Age:

32

Number of Years in Real Estate:

3

Why did you decide to get into real estate?

I decided to get into real estate because it seemed like a way in which I could use my skills in sales and communications to provide for my children. I was working hour-for-hour as a massage therapist and quickly realized that trading hours for dollars was not for me.

What are you most excited about in your life right now?

I am most excited that my business is taking on a new form that I never saw coming, which has me genuinely eager and thrilled for what my business will look like in the future.

What do you do to stay grounded/ centered/sane?

I rely heavily on my mentors and friends who have believed in me. Although my circle is small, I have cultivated a group of people who are a sounding board and a grounding space to help me govern my emotions and sanity. I also like to talk mean shit to my phone when I hang up calls that are annoying as heck.

When are you at your best?

After my Starbucks coffee and then again from 8:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. Night dweller for life! I also find when I truly believe in something my true inner self comes out, and it’s hard to miss.

How did your challenges shape who you are today?

All I know is challenge. All I know is pressure. All I know is chaos. I have grown up and lived in chaotic environments that required me to perform and provide for myself so that I could get what I want and need to survive. I have learned to hone in on what is wildly important in front of me and let everything else fall behind me.

Who has helped you get where you are today?

As someone who has been a very small fish in a very large ocean, I am so grateful for Craig Hickey, who acted as the lighthouse that has guided me to where I am today.

As a 2021 Best-in-Class honoree, what are your words of wisdom for the next generation of real estate agents?

This is way harder than it looks on TV and full of real-life emotions. Everyone buying or selling a home is experiencing some form of life change and stress from the purchase or sale of what is — most of the time — their largest possession in life. I would say to people that it’s far more than opening doors or endless text messages. Be more than basic. Also, there is no secret sauce to success. It requires very simple tasks all the time with consistency and steadfastness. If you work, it will work.

FAST FACTS & FAVORITES

Bucket list item?

Go to England

Guilty pleasure?

Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and ice-cold Coke

If you wrote a book about yourself, what would you call it?

“Welcome to the Show”

If you could have a two-hour conversation with one person, dead or alive, who would it be?

Lucille Ball

Something you can’t live without?

Nova and Isaiah

What is your theme song for life?

“The Champion” by The Score

Habit you want to shake?

Saying the F-word too much

What did you want to be when you grew up?

The boss so that no one could tell me to be quiet

Saying or expression that you probably say too often?

“That’s what I’m saying!”

Something you loved doing as a kid that you still love doing as an adult?

Volleyball

Favorite book?

“Crime and Punishment”

Favorite school subject?

Anything public speaking

Cassie Dunn - Best-in-Class Honoree