Michelle Davis

“BLESSED WITH A GOOD LIFE”

By Jane K. Asher, Ph.D.

Photos by Jermaine Buie with Perfect Light, LLC

Michelle Davis started learning the ropes of real estate well before she officially began her career as a real estate agent. Her unofficial real estate training began in 1986 when she purchased her first rental property, and then she continued as a “student of the school of hard knocks” as she flipped houses with her dad.

In 2005, after successfully renovating over 15 homes, Michelle earned her real estate license to save money on commissions and soon discovered the value of her renovation experience and knowledge that she had developed as a result. “Friends and family started asking me to help them out, buyers sought me out to help them purchase their homes, and investors appreciated my knowledge of the homes and of the financial end of investing — I could teach them how to avoid the mistakes I made along the way,” Michelle said. “It grew to a point where it made more sense to sell homes than to flip them. Then my business organically grew through referrals, so I slowly transitioned into real estate full time.”

Since joining RE/MAX Masters as a full-time agent in 2007, Michelle has sold over 450 units and generated over $60 million in sales. She has also been recognized through a variety of prestigious awards and titles, including Hour Detroit Top 5%, RE/MAX Hall of Fame, Miracle Agent, Top 100, Humanitarian/Community Service Award and Seven Star Certificate of Excellence. Additionally, Michelle holds the following industry designations: Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI), Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR), Certified Probate Real Estate Specialist (CPRES) and Internet Professional Certificate (ePro).

Michelle grew up in the downriver area, graduated from Flat Rock High School and earned an associate degree in science from Monroe County Community College. She started her career as a nuclear power plant operator at Fermi II and went on to become one of Detroit Edison’s first female nuclear power plant operators before transitioning to substation operations at DTE. After getting married, Michelle moved to Georgia, and while raising her two young boys, she graduated summa cum laude from Kennesaw State University with a bachelor’s in business administration.

Michelle says that, thanks to her parents, she had a “wonderful upbringing.” “My dad is especially influential in my life,” Michelle said. “He didn’t have any formal education past eighth grade but started his own business and built it by doing excellent work and always putting his clients and employees first — he exemplifies the saying ‘do the right things and the rest will follow.’”

Having been “blessed with a good life,” Michelle seeks to give back to others through support, knowledge and financial means. “I strongly feel that what goes around, comes around — it may not always be through the same path, but it does come back.”

Michelle’s faith and involvement with her church are very important aspects of her life, especially following her divorce in 2013. “I needed to rebuild my life,” she said. “And I sank myself into my work as a way to cope and to redefine who I am.”

Up until last year, Michelle operated as an individual agent. She is now in the process of building a team so that she can regain some balance in her life. “When you try to do everything on your own, you hit a point when you just can’t sell more homes without sacrificing time with your loved ones or for yourself — nothing is more important than your faith, family and friends,” Michelle said. “My goal with the team has been not only to create more balance in my life but also to allow my team members to enjoy balance in their lives.”

Michelle’s team includes Megan Barnosky — a technologically savvy client care coordinator — and obviously Michelle, who brings the real estate experience and a passion for problem-solving. She is also looking for a new buyer’s agent following the retirement of her previous one. “We have great ethics and put our clients first, so we make a great group,” Michelle said.

Now that Michelle is finding some work-life balance, she’s looking forward to spending more time with Michael, her oldest son who lives in Boston and works in mergers and acquisitions at Bose, and her younger son, Stephen, also known as Brother Martin, who is a Dominican Brother in the Catholic Church and living in Washington, D.C. Michelle’s partner of seven years, Daryl Kowalski, also has two children: Mason, who will be attending Western Michigan University in the fall, and Maya, a 13-year-old special-needs child. “All of our kids vary in ages and interests, but I like to ski with Michael and go for long walks and contemplate life with Brother Martin,” Michelle said. “And we like to camp with the younger kids.”

Michelle describes Daryl as “an amazing man” who is “very supportive” of her career. When they find some time alone, the two of them enjoy traveling and dining at new restaurants. Michelle also enjoys reading a good murder mystery and loves all types of music and going to the theater. In addition to spending time with family and friends, Michelle likes to spend her leisure time gardening — she was a Master Gardener in 2005 — camping, hiking, kayaking and cooking. She also supports the Susan G. Komen Foundation — she completed the organization’s 60-mile walk twice — donates money from each closing to Children’s Miracle Network and regularly donates to a variety of other local organizations. “I am a firm believer in the saying ‘to whom much has been given, much is required,’” she said.

Michelle also believes that money and notoriety are meaningless when they exist apart from kindness, generosity and balance. Throughout her years in the business, she’s learned how valuable it is to admit when she’s wrong — and apologize — and developed the healthy habit of avoiding yelling matches with agents and clients at all costs. “Yelling serves no purpose and just escalates things — I do that after I get off the phone, LOL,” she said.

“One of the most important things that has helped me in my job — and that other agents should strive for — is the ability to empathize: You don’t need to always agree with what your client or other agents are doing, but if you can put yourself in their shoes and understand why they think the way they do, you can help them solve their problems more easily,” Michelle said. “Money and success are nothing if you can’t achieve them by helping and uplifting others.”

Michelle Davis - Agent Spotlight