Ann Martin’s voice is quiet as she talks about why becoming a Realtor was a good choice for her. She says she likes helping first time buyers through the process, enjoys the ability to set her own hours, and appreciates how each day is different. If any of her clients suspect Realtors are simply out to strike a fast deal, her relaxed cadence would go a long way toward setting them at ease.
And yet beneath her gentle exterior beats the heart of a cheetah.
Martin laughs at the thought. Cheetahs are the fastest mammals on land, capable of reaching speeds of 70 miles per hour. They’re also cunning predators that stalk their prey before dashing in for the kill. Their keen eyesight is another asset that keeps them well fed.
These attributes do not describe the cheetah inside of Martin. Rather, the trait that indentifies her as the animal is her efficiency. If Steven Swanepoel’s book, “Surviving Your Serengeti,” is accurate in its assessments, Martin is able to overcome interruptions, distractions, mistakes, and mental and physical fatigue to focus on producing results.
In other words, Martin is good at finishing what she starts. And in this market, that’s a key asset to a client.
Martin took Swanepoel’s “What Animal Are You?” test at a seminar in November. While she likes the idea of being a cheetah, she says if she changed jobs tomorrow, a different animal might emerge.
“I might become an elephant, which would mean I’m a good communicator. So the situation in which you find yourself and how you respond to it determines which animal you are,” she says.
In that’s the case, being a Realtor appears to have brought out the best in Martin. Not only has she risen through the ranks of her profession to become the managing broker of Coldwell Banker Pryor Realty, she’s also an active member of several professional organizations, including the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors, the local Council of Residential Specialists and the local Women’s Council of Realtors. She’s currently serving as president of the latter.
Martin’s designations are also notable. In addition to being a Certified Residential Specialist, she’s an Accredited Buyer’s Representative and is a graduate of the Realtor Institute. While she jokes about having “the entire alphabet” attached to her name, the additional work has paid off, and she now strives to encourage her agents to take the same path.
“My primary focus as managing broker is to train my agents and help them to grow,” she says. This is no small task, as she has about 30 Realtors under her watchful gaze.
Martin was born in South Carolina, married her husband when she was 18, and had children while young. She started college in her home state following the birth of her two daughters, moved to California, and then completed her bachelor’s degree at Cal State Fullerton.
While in school, Martin studied business administration and psychology. The latter enabled her to land a job doing personality profiles for a psychologist.
Martin became a Realtor in the late ‘80s. Her husband had moved the family several times for his work, and she thought an understanding of the process of buying and selling a house would come in handy. In addition, Martin saw real estate as a way of combining her interests in business and psychology. “I also wanted to help people achieve their dreams,” she says.
Martin says her background in psychology helps her as a Realtor.
“I understand people better. For example, if someone has a dominant personality, I know to let them take the lead. It’s important to develop good relationships with your clients, because the more you know about them, the better equipped you’ll be to help them find what they want.”
Martin and her husband moved to Chattanooga in the mid-’90s to be close to his parents, who were growing elderly. She says they “absolutely love it here.”
Although Martin’s job does not afford her much leisure time, in her spare moments, she likes to read, attend services at Christ Church United Methodist, and visit her daughters. The latter is a challenge, as one lives in Montana and the other lives in Virginia.
Martin plans to also devote a lot of time to the WCR this year. As president, her main objective is to increase the organization’s Realtor membership by 10 to 15.
“We need more Realtor members in order to grow because the national organization puts a cap on how many affiliates we can have. We can have only one affiliate for every two Realtors. So I hope the relationships our members develop and the training they receive at our meetings will encourage more Realtors to join us,” she says.
Despite its speed and agility, the cheetah is an endangered animal. Fortunately, there’s no danger of Martin disappearing any time soon. Beneath her gentle exterior beats the heart of a Realtor, one that’s competent, resourceful and devoted to helping her clients, her agents at Coldwell Banker and her colleagues in the Chattanooga community. She’s the kind of person her profession needs, and will be lucky to have for many years to come.