Katie Wright

By Jane K. Asher, Ph.D.

Photos by Stylish Detroit

Photos taken at Cranbrook Custom Home at Montcaret in Northville

Before real estate, Katie Wright felt like something was missing — like she was not truly reaching her potential. Her previous service industry and office jobs afforded her a decent quality of life, but she desired more: She wanted a fulfilling professional path paved with challenges, opportunities, longterm relationships and passion.

“My step-mom, Margie Kelly, is a retired real estate agent, and I think that was always in the back of mind,” Katie said. “So finally, at the age of 28, I woke up one morning and thought to myself, ‘there will never be a better day than today to become a real estate agent,’ and that was the day I signed up for the test preparation course.” That was also the day that Katie experienced an unforgettable wave of emotion. “It was like a second wind in my life,” she said. “I was always meant to become an entrepreneur; it just took me some time to realize and put the wheels in motion.”

After getting her license and diving into real estate full time, Katie coupled her organizational skills with her entrepreneurial spirit and experienced the fulfillment of assisting people in one of life’s most important decisions. As a personable, dedicated, intelligent and street-savvy individual, Katie reaffirmed that she possessed the skills necessary for success in real estate. She also quickly discovered that the industry is full of many ups and downs. “Real estate is a real roller coaster — pure excitement one moment and total disappointment the next,” she said. “A real estate agent has to be equipped to handle an overabundance of emotions, and fortunately, I am one of those people who fit the bill in terms of my diverse skill set and ability to navigate emotional situations.”

Over the past seven years, Katie’s ability to traverse real estate’s ups and downs, combined with her unwavering commitment to her clients, has culminated in a career volume of over $66 million, more than $18 million of which she generated in 2020. She has also received many RE/MAX recognitions, including Platinum Club awards in 2018 and 2019, Hall of Fame and Chairman’s Club awards in 2020, and the 2020 Top Fundraiser award through RE/MAX Children’s Miracle Network.

Katie is an associate broker and leader of The Wright Team, which includes two licensed agents — Lindsay Baylis and Kate Russell — as well as Malinda Mitchell, a transaction coordinator with Contract 2 Closings, Inc. “What makes our team unique is our superpower ability to get things done working together,” Katie said. In the future, Katie plans to expand her team and transition from her duties as an agent into more advisory and leadership roles.

“Right now, I’m most passionate about growth and training, and when I say growth, I mean beyond numbers: I want to grow in a way that helps my community and in a way that provides a path for others,” Katie said. “I want to become more involved with charitable organizations, host more fundraisers, raise more awareness and make a greater positive impact — I believe that in order to keep, you need to give.”

Katie not only serves as the Children’s Miracle Network ambassador at the RE/MAX Eclipse, Waterford office; she also personally supports the organization by donating a percentage of her commission for every transaction in each of her clients’ names and by participating in numerous regional fundraisers for the RE/MAX Communication Preschool Program, which assists children with speech and language impairments. Katie’s son struggled with speech challenges, so she knows how difficult it is to be the parent of a child who struggles to communicate, and she wants every child to get the support and tools they need to navigate such challenges.

Katie’s desire to be the best person she can be — her kindness, her ambition, her honesty, her strong work ethic, and her dedication to her family, her clients and her colleagues — stems from many good and bad life experiences and from the people who have inspired and influenced her along the way. One of these people who will forever hold a special place in Katie’s heart is her brother, Travis Kelly, who died of cancer in August of 2019. “Travis was everything but ordinary: He owned and operated an arborist company that he started from scratch, he could dive into deep conversations with just about anyone, and he was extremely smart and well-spoken,” Katie said. “Travis was the kindest, most sincere and strongest person in my life.”

Katie grew up in West Bloomfield and says that her atypical childhood forced her to become independent, hardworking and self-reliant at a young age. As a result of her unconventional upbringing, Katie had a void in her life, and her attempts to fill that hole didn’t always lead her in the right direction. Fortunately, after meeting Jason Wright, the man who would become her husband and her “rock,” Katie began to reroute her path. “It was not always easy, but I am who I am because I decided to make those life changes, and Jason was there to not only support me but also join me in that journey,” she shared.

Katie and Jason have been married for seven years and have two children: Alexis, 6, and Patrick, 5. Alexis, who is extremely outgoing and empathetic, loves crafts, coloring, swimming, riding her bike and making new friends at the playground. Patrick, who is sweet, brave and very independent, enjoys building things — and knocking them down. He also is an animal-lover who spends hours playing with the family’s German Shepherd named Dakota and their recently rescued pit bull named Duke. Jason, who is a licensed electrical journeyman with R.A. Lee Electric, assists Katie with her business whenever he can and regularly creates her marketing materials. “I consider Jason part of my real estate team,” Katie said.

As a family, the Wrights enjoy reading books, playing games and snuggling up for movie nights, as well as a lot of outdoor activities such as riding bikes, swimming in their pool or at the beach, taking Dakota and Duke for walks, picnics and playing at the park. When Katie has time to herself, she loves completing outdoor and indoor projects around the house, walking the dogs and focusing on her thoughts, eating — but not cooking — and lunch dates with friends. She has always been interested in the piano, and last year, Jason surprised her with one. “Between work and the kids, I have not yet found the time to learn to play, but it is definitely going to happen eventually, hopefully sometime before retirement,” Katie said with a laugh.

In her personal life, Katie wants to be remembered as a caring and dedicated mother, wife and friend. In her professional life, she also wants to be remembered for her kindness and dedication but also as a “stand-up agent” who goes the extra mile and who fights alongside her agents to get results.

“Honesty goes a far way, patience is a virtue, kindness is absolute and hard work pays off,” she said. “Don’t give up — great achievements don’t come easily. Remember that work is important, but there are more important things in life. Believe in yourself, and good things will come. … Be the best person you can be.”

TOP PRODUCER Katie Wright from RE/MAX Eclipse