Reginald Perryman

AN EXAMPLE OF HOW TO FIND STRENGTH IN THE DARKER MOMENTS OF LIFE

By Robbyn Moore

Photos by Jermaine Buie with Perfect Light, LLC

To go after your dreams, you need to seize your moment.

Reginald Perryman’s inspiring story is one of resilience and faith. For most of his childhood he watched his mother struggle with drug addiction. When he was 18 years old, she contracted AIDS, which years later, eventually took her life. However, prior to that, he watched her rise above her challenges and overcome her addictions through rehabilitation, prayer and hard work. When Reginald saw the changes in his mother, he realized the possibilities in life were endless. When Reginald’s second daughter was born with severe cerebral palsy — leaving her unable to walk or see — he was once again impacted by life’s events, which this time, changed his perspective on how he viewed life. Reginald’s resilience to finding strength within the darker moments of his life has given him the courage to take chances and believe in his dreams.

Although he did not attend college because of limited resources, Reginald did follow a real estate path which led him to become a top-producing real estate agent in the Detroit metro area. Once again, it was a woman in Reginald’s life who influenced him. This time, it was his grandmother who was a savvy real estate investor. “She always wanted me to get into real estate,” Reginald recalled. “However, I had dreams of becoming a music engineer.” As fate would have it, when Reginald’s grandmother died, she left him two rental properties which forced him to handle the probate estate. “This piqued my curiosity to gain a better understanding of real estate,” he said. “So, I enrolled into a class. Because I didn’t have a post-secondary education, I thought real estate was a smart career choice.”

Since his inception into the real estate business, Reginald has a total career volume of $80 million. At the age of 19, Reginald began working at Century 21. He worked there for more than 10 years until he opened his own company, Ritz Realty, which he ran and operated for over 12 years. There, he had 29 agents and became one of the top REO/HUD brokers in the Detroit area. In 2015, Reginald joined forces with Keller Williams Metro.

Reginald is past treasurer and current director for the Detroit Association of REALTORS®. He has been recognized as a Real Estate All-Star in Hour Detroit magazine. He has also been awarded REALTOR® of the Year by the Detroit Association of REALTORS®, and, in 2019, Reginald was honored as REALTOR® of the Year nominee by Michigan REALTORS®. Additionally, Reginald has earned gold and platinum sales awards for Keller Williams.

“Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better,” is one of Reginald’s favorite quotes by Jim Rohn. Reginald explained, “I learned in 2015 that I had been setting the bar for success too low and did not dream big enough. It takes lots of work, sacrifices and a commitment to believing in something bigger than yourself. Success is not handed to most people — it is earned.”

Early in his career, Reginald experienced the ups and downs of managing his income and taxes. He overcame these challenges by becoming a steward of his expenses and tracking his numbers. He now looks for investments and other ways to make money to create more money. “Early on, I realized that no one was going to create a future for myself except for me,” he explained. “My suggestion for new real estate agents is to give 100% effort for at least two consecutive years before quitting — not 60% for five years and then say real estate is no good, but a whole 100%.”

Reginald also suggested reading the book “The Millionaire Real Estate Agent” by Gary Keller. “If a new agent reads that book and follows the directions within those pages, it will be a good start to their career,” he said. “I also suggest learning how to manage the money you currently have before you get more of it to screw up,” he laughed. “Additionally, find out what you do really well, and then focus on that. Then, once you mastered that skill, share it with others, so they can learn from you.”

Reginald is passionate about training and mentoring new agents. “Sales are good, but if you can show a new agent something that will save them from the pitfalls of this business, that is priceless,” he said. “I find, in some of my co-op transactions, I am often teaching and training agents. Sometimes they teach me things, too. It’s important to always be open to learning from others because the learning never stops.”

Because Reginald loves helping others, it is no surprise that his greatest joys come from his first-time homebuyers. “I have clients who are generational renters,” he explained. “They were born in a home that their parents — and even grandparents — rented. Sometimes, the great-grandparents were the last in a family to have home ownership, so it’s a great feeling when I see someone make a change from renting their entire adult life to finally owning their own home,” he shared. “Watching that change happen in just a few months is very exciting to me.”

Reginald and his wife, Sophia, enjoy Detroit ballroom dancing and have competed and won in several competitions. Their oldest daughter, Renasia, owns a clothing line and their youngest daughter, Reece, likes attending school and taking long road trips. Reginald also enjoys traveling and participating in Slow Roll Detroit, a bicycle group that meets weekly in Detroit.

One of Reginald’s top priorities is to give back to his community and to organizations that have impacted his life. He supports Euro-Peds, a national center for intensive therapies in children, and the Detroit Public Schools Foundation. “It’s great to enjoy the best that life has to offer, but I am a firm believer that giving back in ways that will make a difference is the very definition of success.”

Reginald’s goal every year is to help change people’s lives. “I want to know that I have either taught someone something new, said something or gave something that changed someone’s life,” he shared. “We are meant to support one another with our talents and gifts that we have been given.”

Reginald has a team of three agents and one assistant. After 28 years in the business, he feels most fulfilled by the people he has met and the clients who have now become friends.

“To go after your dreams, you need to seize your moment,” Reginald explained. “After reading the book ‘Outliers’ by Malcolm Gladwell, I realized life is full of lessons and opportunities that are given to us through our experiences and circumstances. I see the bright side of my family’s history, which gave me the path to change my destiny.”

The legacy of Reginald’s mother and grandmother are honored through his love for his family, his commitment to his work and his dedication to giving back to his community.

Reginald Perryman - Agent Spotlight