Broker Dwayne McMillen takes pride in his profession. This is evident in the way he serves his clients, in his ongoing quest for knowledge and in his contributions to the local association. It’s also evident in the way he says “Realtors” – two distinct syllables, each spoken clearly and properly.
“Realtors should be concerned about their clients. They should be our first priority, not making a commission,” he says.
McMillen’s approach to working with clients is more akin to counseling than selling. For example, given the current state of the market, he conditions his sellers to expect less than they think their house is worth.
“If they bought their house in the last eight years and are now selling it, I want them to be ready to get back what they paid for it or less,” he says. While some of his sellers initially buckle against this possibility, McMillen believes giving a client a dose of reality at the beginning of their working relationship helps to avoid disappointment down the road.
McMillen doesn’t go any easier on his buyers. Instead of trying to fit a client into the most house he can afford for his money, McMillen encourages him to buy less house than the bank says he can have and then fix it up.
“I want to take care of my buyers. I don’t want them to rush out and buy the first home that’s close to their price range. They’re depending on me to help them find the best home for their money, and I take pride in doing that,” he says.
McMillen also takes pride in his designations. With the market and the process of buying and selling a home becoming more and more complicated, he says he has a responsibility to learn as much as be can about the process so he can serve his clients to the best of his ability. To that end, he’s earned the Accredited Buyer’s Representative, the Graduate Realtors Institute, the Short Sales and Foreclosure, and the ePro designations. He’s also halfway through the work required to earn the Certified Sellers Representative designation.
“I believe in designations. Some people disagree with me, but I believe all Realtors should have a designation within their first five years. If you close yourself off to learning something new or educating yourself, then you’re doing a disservice to your clients,” he says.
Given his outspoken nature, McMillen is an asset to the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors, where he served as the chairman of the RPAC Committee in 2007 and as the chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee in 2011, and where he currently serves on the State Governmental Affairs Committee. Similar to his belief in continuing education, he says all Realtors should be involved in their local professional organization.
“We have a strong local association. It’s committed to upholding a high ethical standard and to protecting consumers, and I’m proud to be a part of it,” he says.
McMillen has not always been a card carrying, banner waving Realtor. Although he grew up in a family of real estate agents and brokers, the profession initially did not attract him, partly because of the harsh market conditions of the ‘80s. Instead, he earned a business degree at the University of Georgia and worked a string of middle management jobs in Atlanta. He continued in this vein when he met his wife in 1991 and then moved with her to Chattanooga the following year.
McMillen’s wife became a Realtor in 1999, and by 2000, the market was doing well enough to lure him into following her. They fell in love with Crye-Leike and with Kathy Tucker, broker of the Hixson office, so they joined her team and settled in. A few years later, McMillen’s wife left the profession, but he stayed with it and continues to work under Tucker in Hixson.
Although the real estate profession is not without stressors, McMillen says the difference between working a middle management job and being a Realtor is like the difference between night and day.
“When you’re a manager, you still have someone who’s managing you, so you’re never free to do what you want to do. But in the real estate business, you can control your own destiny. You can focus on what interests you, you can be creative, you can take two days off during the week and then work the weekend, and you can be your own man or woman.
“Plus, I like being out in the field, traveling around the city and meeting new people. A lot of great things are happening in Chattanooga, and it’s fun to be a part of them,” he says.
McMillen finds life in Scenic City invigorating, making him a good ambassador for the area. He plays as much golf as time allows, works out regularly at Sports Barn, enjoys shopping at the Chattanooga Market with his wife, and loves cooking out at their Dallas Heights home and socializing with their many friends. Between all of that and work, there’s a dog to walk.
“We’re just two normal Chattanoogans,” he says.
While McMillen might come across as blunt when taking about the importance of self-improvement and being involved, he’s no easier on himself than he is on anyone else. Over the last year, he’s lost 70 pounds, and he’s decided to “relax more and be less high strung and controlling.” His weight loss is impressive, and his commitment to his other goals is admirable, especially in light of the recent death of his mother after her four-year battle with brain cancer.
“Certain things are out of your control. You have to learn to live with that,” he says.
If there’s one thing with which McMillen won’t live, it’s allowing a challenging market to get the better of him. He says the market has its ups and downs, which means there will be times when a Realtor will be unable to get the best price for a seller or help a deserving family secure a loan. While that will be disappointing, he says those who are willing to put forth the effort will find a solution.
“There are a lot of obstacles today, which can be frustrating, but for every problem, there’s a solution. Don’t complain about something, get out there and do something about it.”