WORK FACES
ON THE JOB Stephanie Ramsey is acquisitions manager for HomeVestors, HomeTex AFW, Llc. She has been in the real estate industry for 10 years, having started as an agent.
"It's true what they say about loving what you do for a living: It just does not seem like work," she said. "Along the path of my career, I have also owned a landscaping company that my husband now operates as well as building a coffee bar in San Antonio."
What personality traits do you possess that enable you to be successful?
As the acquisitions manager, good communication skills are a key strength. Helping someone out of an ugly home or an ugly real estate situation is an important service for our customers and our community. Everyone can voice an opinion, but it is the ability to listen that makes all the difference.
What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
Keeping all the balls in the air. To me this means, being perceptive enough to identify when to buy a home, when to sell a home and how to gauge the real estate market properly.
What is the most rewarding aspect?
Realizing at the end of the day that I helped provide for my family and possibly made a difference in someone else's life. With the current state of the real estate market there are countless families who need help selling their homes. This can be a very scary time for people, and being able to walk them through the process is very rewarding.
What was your very first job?
My very first job was working for a family member who owned an import store and art gallery. I began in high school selling imported art from all over the world and continued through my college days. This was a very exciting after-school job.
What is your greatest personal achievement to date?
My greatest personal triumph is my family. I am fortunate to have married a man who supports my work ethic and goals. We have three beautiful children who are our greatest asset.
If you could have dinner with anyone, who would it be and why?
I would love to have dinner with noted writer/philosopher Ayn Rand, author of Atlas Shrugged. I read this particular book in college and it intrigued me with the idea of women succeeding in business. To this day, I think it helped spark my entrepreneurial spirit. — Rhonda McKinney
