Alex Nugent

STICKING TO THE ‘SIMPLE THINGS THAT REALLY MATTER’

By Jane K. Asher, Ph.D.

Photos by Stylish Detroit

When Alex Nugent entered the industry in 1994, he wasn’t looking for a full-time career in real estate: As a small-business owner interested in investing in rental properties, he was looking for answers to his questions about the purchasing process.

“I quickly became frustrated as it was difficult to get calls back from listing agents and to obtain information on potential properties,” Alex said. His frustration and desire to find his own rental properties motivated him to get his real estate license.

Like any new agent, Alex didn’t know all the ins and outs of the business, but he did know how to attentively and successfully serve customers. “In my head, I compared selling real estate to my time as a waiter in college: You listen to what your client wants, answer questions, get them what they want, check in on them during their time with you and address any concerns — and everyone is happy,” he said.

In addition to waiting tables throughout his undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan where he earned a bachelor’s in communication and marketing, Alex spent his early, pre-real estate career honing his straightforward and effective approach to customer service as the owner and operator of three TCBY stores in Michigan. His three stores ranked #1, #3, and #5 in the state and #5 overall across the franchise.

Given his success in the ice cream business, Alex planned on opening a fourth store, but, due to TCBY’s three-franchise limit, he was unable to do so. That’s when he ventured into the rental business and that career move led him to real estate, where he sold his first 12 homes to himself.

At the time, Alex didn’t plan on conducting real estate transactions for purposes other than his own rental property investments, but that all changed when friends and family began asking him to help them find a house. “I figured that I would give it a shot and discovered that I really enjoyed working with people to find their home,” Alex said. “I worked very hard to make the process as smooth as possible, and I learned about mortgage and title processes so that I could sit down with buyers and explain everything in the beginning.”

Alex’s hard work and investment in his clients generated referrals, and, as a result, real estate began to consume more of his time, making it difficult for him to keep up with the demands of franchising. More so, Alex and his wife, Nicole Nugent, were starting a family, so in 2004, Alex sold his yogurt stores and embraced real estate as his full-time career.

Now, with 25 years in the business, Alex has a career volume of approximately $385 million — over $27 million of which he generated in 2019. For the past 15 years, Alex has ranked in the top 1% of real estate agents nationwide, and for the last 18 years, he’s been a member of the Real Estate One President’s Council of Excellence. In addition, with a 5/5 Zillow client satisfaction rating, Alex demonstrates that, much like he articulated in his waiter-real estate analogy at the beginning of his career, “everyone is happy.”

Alex, who says that his friends and customers are his favorite part of his job, is grateful for the opportunities that real estate has afforded him and his family, and thankful for his friends Chris Gerback and Michael DeForrest who recruited him to their office. “Unfortunately, Michael passed away way too young … I still think about the advice that they both gave me along my work journey,” Alex said.

The most rewarding part of Alex’s business is watching families grow as their housing needs change. Throughout his many years in the industry, he’s journeyed alongside clients as they purchase their first homes, move into larger homes when they start having children — sometimes multiple times — and downsize after their children venture out on their own.

The Alex Nugent Team includes Alex, his partner Michael Abt, Real Estate Agent Jeff Strong and Assistant Katie Estelle — all of whom play a crucial role in Alex’s success. Alex originally hired Michael as an assistant and says that, over the years, Michael has become a “real estate pro” and now directly works with buyers as well as with past clients. Jeff, a full-time police officer and pastclient-turned-friend, joined the team at the end of last year and plans to become a full-time agent after he retires. Katie keeps everyone on track and provides the team with everything they need to stay focused on selling houses.

In addition to leading his team, Alex’s top priority is trying to do right by each customer. “Right now, most buyers and sellers are a bit nervous due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so it’s my job to lay out all the positives and negatives and just help guide the process through,” he said. “Quite frequently, we, as a profession, need to step back and realize that this is the most important investment people are making and ensure our customers understand the entire process — people are the plusses, and we can’t forget that.”

Outside of work, Alex’s top priority is his family: his wife of 22 years, Nicole; their two sons, Auben, 17, and Cooper, 15; and their daughter, Peyton, 11. All three of Alex’s children are competitive swimmers — Cooper also plays tennis — and the Nugents enjoy playing tennis, skiing and boating together.

In his free time, Alex enjoys action films and any book written by Vince Flynn — the “Mitch Rapp” series being one of his favorites. He likes a variety of music — especially Garth Brooks and Billy Joel — and he also says that he listens to 95.5 and 96.3 to “stay somewhat hip” with his kids.

Alex strives to “be a good human” — a phrase that is printed on one of his T-shirts — and wants to be remembered as a “great family man who loves what he does and who has been surrounded by really good people.”

Alex’s love for real estate is the foundation that supports and drives his success.

Alex’s love for real estate is the foundation that supports and drives his success. More so, after 25 years in the industry, Alex still embraces the fundamental tenets of customer service that motivated him to embark on his real estate journey. “Simple things really matter in this industry,” he said. “Promptly return phone calls, and always follow through when you tell someone you’re going to do something.”

Top Producer: Alex Nugent