WILLIE J. DAVIS

MANIFESTING HIS CORE VALUES IN BUSINESS AND LIFE

By Jane K. Asher, Ph.D.

Photos by Jessica Laine Photography

In everything that he does, Willie J. Davis is driven by a purpose greater than himself, and he strives to use his gifts to positively impact others. This is especially true of Willie’s identity as a real estate agent: His business and his brand encapsulate his altruism and empathy and manifests his heart for helping others, especially for clients who have yet to grasp their dreams of first-time homeownership.

Willie’s compassion for clients who have encountered external barriers to homeownership is personal: His mother was born during the 1960s when there were no federal laws to address race-based housing patterns and when those who challenged these discriminatory practices were often met with resistance, hostility and even violence. “My ‘why’ is pretty simple: The Fair Housing Act of 1968 is only 53 years old, and as a Black man in America who knows that there was a period in my mother’s life when we couldn’t buy a home, it is amazing to also know that some of my minority clients are the first ones in their family to actually purchase a home or have the wealth to do so,” Willie said. “Even though we now have laws protecting individuals against racial, religious and gender discrimination in the housing market, minorities still encounter systemic barriers to fair housing and lending practices, and the vast gap between white and black homeownership persists. What drives me is knowing that I am educating and helping many families who may be overcoming the various disparities with homeownership today.”

Willie earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communications from Rochester University and a certificate in radio broadcast from Specs

Howard School of Media Arts. He then enjoyed an 11-year career in marketing until September of 2017 when he was laid off from his position as marketing and brand manager at Autoweek magazine, a Crain Communications publication. At this point, Willie had been a licensed real estate agent for about six months, but following the loss of his job, he quickly transitioned to fulltime at RE/MAX Eclipse. “I immediately went to my broker’s office and told him, ‘I’m all in!’” he said.

During his first two years as a full-time agent, Willie achieved a career volume of $10 million by prioritizing his customers and the team of people he surrounds himself with over his commission or the cost of a home. “Right now, I’m passionate about the growth and direction my business is headed in — I’ve been able to live out my core values in my business, and this is what truly resonates with my clients,” Willie said. “My greatest reward is being able to do what seems impossible for some of my clients, to find that perfect home for them and help them realize all their real estate goals.”

Willie has close ties to his community and considers himself fortunate to work with many of the people he grew up with, attended church with and played tennis with in high school. He is also proud to serve non-U.S. citizens and even some VA buyers, many of whom were unable to secure home loans prior to working with him and his preferred lenders. “The average person finds comfort in working with me — I don’t really wear suits, and most of my clients don’t either,” he said. “I’m Willie J. Davis, who was born, raised and attended school in Mount Clemens.”

Willie’s propensity for hard work and his desire to see others actualize their dreams was cultivated by his mother and by the example she set by going back to school to earn her associate degree, followed by back-to-back bachelor’s and master’s degrees, all while working full time and raising a family. “It helped me realize if she can do this without breaking a sweat — or so it looked — then I can achieve my goals. … and that’s just one example of the many strong women in my family.”

Willie’s commitment to achieving his own goals and to helping others achieve theirs extends beyond real estate: He serves at his church and on the Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Council for the Atlanta REALTORS® Association. He also advocates for mental health awareness, specifically within the African American community, and is the creator of On the Verge Podcast, in which he and his co-host, Tami McQueen, engage in tough conversations about “this journey called entrepreneurship.” Willie has also shared his knowledge and experience with his peers via the RE/MAX Real Estate Insights Podcast.

When he’s not helping his clients or serving the community, Willie enjoys fitness, traveling, road trips, sailing with friends on Lake St. Clair, exploring Detroit’s food and culture and engaging in great conversations over craft cocktails with his fiancé, Anna. He also occasionally plays tennis, canoes or kayaks with his father. Some of Willie’s favorite books include “Hustle Harder, Hustle Smarter” by Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, “Crushing It!” by Gary Vaynerchuk and “Sell It Like Serhant” by Ryan Serhant, and he loves Bruce Willis movies.

Photo by Rachel Cullon

Willie encourages up-and-coming real estate agents to “invest smartly” and proactively and says that his single-best move of 2020 was hiring a transaction coordinator. He also advises fellow agents to be unapologetic about their brand and their business. “First and foremost, figure out what your ‘why’ is, and go all-in on that,” he said. “Once you focus on your ‘why,’ everything else will fall into place as it should.”

Willie’s “brand” as a real estate professional is an authentic manifestation of his core values, his business is a genuine extension of himself, and his “why” is his earnest pursuit to champion for others. “I meet my clients where they are,” Willie said. “I do everything I can to help anyone who has the right to own a home in the state of Michigan and Georgia get into the home they deserve because my family knows what it’s like to be told you don’t deserve something — and that’s #WillieDavisREALTOR®.”

Willie J. Davis - Rising Star