Nancy Hackett

Staging a Successful Real Estate Career with Integrity and Style

By Jane K. Asher, Ph.D.

Photos by Jermaine Buie with Perfect Light, LLC

When Nancy Hackett made her debut as a part-time real estate agent in 2013, she was transitioning out of a 25-year career as a wardrobe stylist and costumer in the television commercial and movie industry. Over the course of that first year, she realized that “most people don’t want a part-time real estate agent.” More significantly, she discovered that her advertising, design and entrepreneurial experience — coupled with her capacity for building meaningful relationships — proved to be very valuable in the world of real estate. At the start of her second year, Nancy became a full-time agent, and that’s when she says that “things began to happen.”

In her previous career working behind the scenes on movie and commercial sets — styling TV commercials being her main focus — Nancy’s responsibilities included purchasing, assembling and fitting wardrobe for actors as well as ensuring costume continuity throughout production. “The atmosphere behind the scenes on a movie set is a lot of fun!” she said. “I’ve worked on movies with Miley Cyrus, Demi Moore and even Al Pacino, and was able to walk to my job for the filming of Scream 4 in downtown Northville.”

Pre-real estate, Nancy — who is a longtime Northville resident — also owned Friends Unique Furnishing and Design Center, a store in downtown Northville. “As the name implies, my relationships with my customers became so much more than professional — consultations with clients turned into conversations about their homes and their lives,” Nancy said. “I’m still friends with so many of the wonderful people who came into my store.”

As the film industry began to leave Michigan, Nancy, who had been involved with the local community for years and was captivated with the way that styling transformed both homes and actors, began contemplating the next act of her career. During that time, Nancy and her husband worked with Chris Knight to list their house on Main Street. “Chris greatly influenced me to consider a career in real estate,” Nancy said. “His approach wasn’t just about the sale. This was the house where we raised our children, hosted a family wedding and extensively renovated — Chris embraced all the emotions the transition generated for us.”

After Chris piqued Nancy’s interest, it was Anne Smith, a real estate agent and close friend, who recognized Nancy’s propensity to succeed in real estate and ultimately convinced her to enter the industry. Nancy wanted to work at the same company as Anne, so after she earned her license, Nancy signed on with Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel in Northville. “Anne has been an incredible mentor to me,” Nancy said. “It was such a gift to be able to learn the business not just from a friend but also from an accomplished salesperson who operates with such care for her clients.”

This year, Nancy reached a milestone in her career with a total sales volume of $100 million. In addition to being an Hour Detroit Real Estate All-Star and International President’s Elite recipient, Nancy is consistently one of the top agents at Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel, and ranks number nine among Coldwell Banker agents in Michigan and number 615 across the U.S.

Nancy is a solo agent who is fortunate to have “the most amazing assistant,” Lisa Sygit. “Lisa is also a licensed agent, but she’s so much more: She’s my transaction coordinator, social media manager, scheduler and sometimes even my therapist,” Nancy said. “Lisa is always up for anything that comes her way, and I can’t imagine doing this without her.” Nancy says that she’s surrounded by many talented, hardworking people and considers all the photographers, inspectors, lenders, vendors and contractors that she works with as crucial members of her support team.

Nancy is most passionate about home staging, which she says maximizes the benefit of professional photography by capturing a space that already looks its best. “Staging is aspirational and effective at every price: It helps buyers envision living a wonderful life in the home,” she said. “Attracting buyers and showcasing a home’s features and full potential help me fulfill my commitment to sellers — get top market value and make the experience a positive one.”

Nancy’s love for home staging is also personally motivated because it allows her to work with her family, albeit in a different industry. In her previous career, Nancy worked alongside her husband, Dan Hackett, and styled most of the shoots for the commercials he directed. She also has great memories of working with her son Derek Hackett before he moved to California to further his film career.

Now, Nancy’s daughter, Tara Hackett, is her go-to for all of her home staging. Tara is a graduate of the College for Creative Studies and previously worked at Doner Company, the full-service advertising agency where Nancy began her career as a wardrobe stylist and costumer. “Tara is amazingly talented at assessing a homeowner’s space and knowing exactly what to do, and she expertly highlights a home’s best features in order to sell it,” Nancy said. Her son Oliver Hackett — along with Dan — also assists Nancy with staging and preparing homes for the market. “Our creative team and production crew is together again, just in a different industry!” Nancy said.

Nancy says that home staging combines her love of interior design and costuming. “Plus, I must admit that I love shopping, and staging gives me a very valid reason to do so — I’m a regular at HomeGoods and At Home,” she said.

When Nancy isn’t spending time with clients — her favorite part of her job — she and Dan enjoy quality time with their family: Derek and his wife, Becca; Tara and her husband, Jon; Oliver; and grandchildren, Lila, Jonah, Lennon and Stella. “My son Derek and his family recently moved back to Michigan from California, and now we all live within 10 minutes of each other,” Nancy said. “I’ve loved having everyone nearby again!”

For the past 30 years, the Hacketts look forward to summer weekends at their lake house, which is about 20 minutes from Northville. Nancy also enjoys reading — she’s a member of a monthly book club — and working out at the gym. For 10 years, she served as a board member for Leah’s Happy Hearts, a nonprofit that supported families of children with brain tumors. The charity was dissolved in 2019, but Nancy continues to support the cause as well as various other causes that are important to her friends and family.

For Nancy, being a real estate agent is much more than a job. “It’s a network of relationships, a creative outlet and a source of opportunities … and it demands that I keep learning and continue to refine my skills,” she said.

Nancy’s success in real estate, much like her success as a stylist, is a complex production that entails ongoing goal setting, skill development and persistence behind the scenes, as well as a spotlight on honesty and relationship-building. Nancy earned a leading role in the industry by staging her business on accountability and styling it with remarkable integrity.

Nancy Hackett - Top Producer