Today we’d like to introduce you to Kathi Hammond.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I am a Panamanian immigrant. My mother brought me to Twentynine Palms, California, when I was two, giving up everything she knew to allow us to build a better life here in America. Unfortunately, when I was 11, I lost her to breast cancer and moved to Houston, a place I now consider home. After graduating high school, I was still unsure of the path I wanted to take going forward but knew that I wanted something in the medical field, especially something that was related to Breast Cancer. While attending Lonestar College, I learned about the diagnostic imaging program at UT MD Anderson’s School of Health Professions, a very selective program. I worked hard at Lonestar to get the grades and resume I would need to get accepted.
Finally, all the hard work paid off after I applied to and was accepted into this program. At this time, I still lived on the north side of town in Spring, juggling night jobs tending bar and doing promotions, all while attending school full-time and commuting over an hour each way. My daily commute involved driving, park and ride, trains, and buses amidst the notorious Houston traffic. While at MD Anderson, I met my future husband, Mike, a Navy veteran from New York working in Houston in the energy industry. In 2013, I became the first person in my family to graduate from college. Mike and I got married in 2014 in Houston in a beautiful ceremony on the north side of town surrounded by friends and family.
I began my career as an MRI technologist at a local Houston area hospital where I enjoyed learning new things, using cool equipment that could see inside a human body, and of course, helping and comforting patients through the exam. After a few years, my husband and I decided to start a family, and I put my career on hold to focus on being a stay-at-home mom. While staying at home with my oldest son Mikey, I discovered that I had a passion for homes and real estate. I decided to try to combine my love of helping people, my enthusiasm for real estate, and my new desire for flexibility and become a real estate agent. I set a goal of getting my real estate license by June of 2018, my 30th birthday, and I was proud to accomplish this goal as a new first-time mom. In April of 2019, my second son Zeke was born, and shortly thereafter, I started the Tarpon Realty Team. My husband got his license, and I started to do real estate part-time or as much as my kids would let me.
Why “Tarpon”, you might ask? By this time, much to my husband’s delight, Mikey had developed a passion for fishing, and Zeke was right on his heels. We were spending our free time looking for local fishing ponds to catch “monster fish” and also thinking about business names. While not a fish you can find in our local neighborhood ponds, we admired the traits of the tarpon. It is an elegant fish known for its ability to fight and never give up. This fit in with our values and some of the traits we were looking to highlight in our business, white-glove service to home buyers and sellers, but with the toughness and tenacity to fight to get our clients the things that are most important to them.
In 2019, my husband got laid off due to the oil downturn but quickly found another job in the Oil and Gas industry. Unfortunately, he got laid off again in 2021 as a result of the Covid pandemic. This was not something you want to hear when your husband is the primary breadwinner. This was the push we needed to do something we had been talking about for a while but were never brave enough to do: to take the plunge and grow our business.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it hasn’t always been a smooth road. Mike and I have always talked about doing this full time, but after finally diving in headfirst, we had to learn a lot and quickly. It has been a journey for both of us. While it has been rewarding, it’s a lot of trial and error, and we are continuing to learn. We take continuing education seriously and make sure we have all the tools, mentors, and advisers to make sure we can deliver what we promise to our clients: concierge-level service above and beyond what they expect.
It’s also been a huge lifestyle change for us. Mike used to leave every morning for the office, and now we live, work, and play together. We’ve had to learn to make some adjustments because now we are business partners too. One of the biggest challenges has been trying to start a relationship-based business during an unprecedented global pandemic. Things like open house and networking events weren’t happening. And schools were closed. Have I mentioned schools were closed? It was extremely challenging to start all of this with two little helpers constantly at your feet demanding attention, regardless of what we were doing. Trying to watch a video, “Mama I need milk”; writing a contract on a deadline, “Mama I’m hungry”; running late for an appointment, “Mama I need to pee.”
Changing your mindset to that of an entrepreneur is also a big change. There isn’t anyone to pick up the slack; there are no off days. We pride ourselves on always being there for our clients when they need us, 24/7. That means sometimes scrapping or adjusting our plans. That being said, I wouldn’t change it for the world. The feeling you get after helping a client buy or sell a home and sharing in the joy they experience is extremely rewarding.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
We are a full-service realty team that strives to offer white glove concierge-level services to each and every one of our clients. While we love providing our services to anyone, so far, we have specialized in working with first-time or out-of-town buyers. These clients allow us to highlight our services and act as an agent, partner, and friend to them while guiding them through the transaction. We set ourselves apart from other similar teams with our unique skills and background, and the services we provide after a contract is signed… and you get a two for one with us!
Our skills and background very much complement each other. I like architecture, home décor, and finding the beauty in every home and my husband has an extensive background in contracts, negotiations, and construction. We work together to combine these skills for our clients and help with understanding all the unfamiliar challenges that can scare a first-time homebuyer. We do it all, whether it’s getting comfortable reaching out to a lender, having a conversation about programs that may be available to help them, making their offer more attractive to a seller, scheduling and understanding an inspection report, or finding that perfect piece of décor to make the primary bedroom feel like their own. I love helping a client see a diamond in the rough and helping them visualize what it could become with a little TLC! We find that these things help our clients find those hidden gems other teams may miss or that they otherwise pass on.
For us, the client isn’t just another customer, and the transaction doesn’t begin when we have an agreement with them signed or end at closing. We are there for them whether they have just visited our Instagram page and have a quick question, or they closed last year and have a question about their home warranty. Just recently, a client called about their home warranty, and Mike was able to walk them through an easy fix of the problem over the phone, saving them the time it would have taken to research and resolve their issue on their own.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
The biggest lesson we have learned from the Covid crisis is to be flexible in life and business and be ready to expect the unexpected. Real estate is full of ebbs and flows whether you are an agent, a buyer or a seller, even in “normal” times. Covid amplified this for everyone. It’s been important for us to try to prepare clients for this, and to prepare ourselves for this. We’ve also learned to help smooth the highs and lows of any “cycle.” Don’t let the ups get you too excited, and don’t give up after an unexpected roadblock. This past Thanksgiving, I had a client’s deal almost fall through on a couple of occasions, and each time an obstacle came up, it felt like the end of the world, but every time we overcame the obstacle. Perseverance is important, and these transactions and Covid remind us to “keep on keeping on,” be prepared for anything and make sure that you are communicating and helping your clients to be in the mindset to keep going, and it will be worth it in the end.
Contact Info:
- Email: kathi@tarponrealtyteam.com
- Website: https://tarponrealtyteam.com/
- Instagram: @tarponrealtyteam
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TarponTeam
