When Heather Hague attended her first luncheon with the Chattanooga chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors, she was simply exploring a professional organization a colleague had encouraged her to visit.
Within days of joining, that decision had already changed her business.
Hague, a Realtor with Dixon Homes Realty, became a member of the Women’s Council after attending a luncheon at the invitation of fellow agent Hannah Stewart. The experience made an immediate impression.
“I believe in building relationships with my clients, my lenders and my colleagues,” Hague says. “When you have strong relationships with everyone involved in a transaction, things run much more smoothly.”
For Hague, those relationships are central to how she approaches real estate and the services she provides to buyers and sellers. The opportunity to strengthen those connections – and build new ones – ultimately convinced her to join the organization.
“I was on the fence when Hannah asked me a year ago,” Hague says. “I didn’t think I had the time and I didn’t want to commit to something. But when I attended a luncheon recently and saw the connections people were making, I thought, ‘This is what I need.’”
The benefits of membership followed almost immediately. Just six days after joining, Hague received a call from an unexpected source: the president of the Women’s Council of Realtors in Ocala, Florida.
The Florida leader had a friend preparing to move to the Sunshine State from Chattanooga and needed a trusted agent to list the home locally. While searching the Chattanooga Women’s Council website, she came across Hague’s newly created member profile.
The referral quickly turned into a listing opportunity.
“Now I have a new listing because I joined the Women’s Council,” Hague says.
After joining the organization, Hague made sure to complete her member profile on the Women’s Council website almost immediately.
“The Women’s Council has a website where members have their pictures and profiles,” she says. “You can click on someone’s picture and learn a little about them. Some people don’t have theirs up, but I added mine probably the day after joining.”
That simple step, she said, made the difference.
“It definitely paid off.”
Hague’s career in real estate began through the encouragement of people who recognized her strengths long before she entered the field.
“It’s always been in the back of my mind,” she says. “I’ve had several friends who were Realtors and they constantly said, ‘You need to get into real estate.’”
Those friends believed Hague’s personality and natural ability to build relationships would translate well into the profession.
“They thought I’d be a good salesperson because of my personality,” she says. “I’m good at building relationships and connecting with people, so they said I’d be great at real estate.”
Today, Hague works with Dixon Homes Realty, a boutique brokerage founded by broker Bob Dixon. The firm, which Dixon established after working as a managing broker in the Atlanta area, has been operating locally for several years.
In addition to residential transactions, Hague has experience in commercial real estate.
Her primary focus, however, is relocation – a niche she understands from personal experience.
Hague moved to Chattanooga from Omaha, Nebraska, seeking a different pace of life and climate.
“I was tired of the snow, the ice and the cold temperatures,” she says with a laugh.
But she didn’t want to give up seasonal variety entirely.
“I was ready for warmer weather but still wanted the four seasons.”
Chattanooga had already made an impression on her during earlier travels.
“I drove through the city several times while going to the beach and fell in love with it,” Hague says.
Having gone through the process of relocating herself, she now uses that experience to guide others through similar transitions.
“I was able to experience it firsthand and learn the ins and outs of selling a house, buying a house, relocating across the country and starting over,” she says.
With Chattanooga continuing to attract newcomers from across the country, that specialty has become an important part of her business.
“I get a lot of business and referrals through that,” she says.
Outside of real estate, Hague spends time volunteering with the McKamey Animal Center, where she recently began helping care for animals awaiting adoption.
“I’m learning the feeding routine and spending time comforting the dogs. I love it.”
Hague describes herself as a lifelong animal lover, and the work offers a meaningful way to give back to the community she now calls home.
Looking back, she says the decision to join the Women’s Council was an easy one.
“I say 100% do it,” Hague says. “I’m very thankful I did.”