Last September, Realtor Deanna Lindsey was all set to enjoy a relaxing Labor Day weekend with her husband and son when her cell phone rang. On the other end was a family that had moved from Iowa to Tennessee with the intention of buying a certain home. When they arrived, however, they discovered the driveway onto the property was so steep, their moving truck wouldn’t scale the hill.
The couple had children, pets, cars, bad credit, and no-where to go. But they needed a house. And they needed it that day.
Lindsey took a deep breath and did what she does best: respond to the needs of her clients.
“We spent the weekend looking at houses. And we found a place and closed the deal in two days. It was a miracle,” Lindsey says.
With her blonde coiffure and bright eyes, Lindsey looks slightly angelic, giving weight to her last statement.
“I like helping people however I can. I had a last-minute showing when the owners were at work, so I picked up their laundry, vacuumed their carpets, and took their dog for a walk. You do what you have to do to make sure a place looks nice,” she says.
Lindsey continues to help her clients once she’s closed their deal. A commercial client for whom she provided additional real estate services for free was certain she’d leave him to his own devices once the ink was dry on his contract, but she promised she’d “be there for him” moving forward.
“I’m going to have to answer for what I do on Earth, so if I can help someone, I will,” she says.
Through her generosity with her time, Lindsey has developed enduring friendships with her clients. She goes to dinner with them, invites them to her son’s birthday parties, and so on. They become part of her social fabric.
“I love meeting new people and getting to know them. And I love getting together with my clients and their families,” she says.
Lindsey’s clients frequently tell others about her willingness to go the extra mile. As a result, she has several buyers who are recovering from bad credit, and is working to help them resolve their issues. Also, because Lindsey likes to provide immediate help whenever she can, she’s placed several of these clients in lease purchase homes.
Lindsey says her network of professional contacts enables her to go above and beyond the call of duty.
“I work with bankers who can assist people with loans, I work with mortgage brokers who can help my clients clean up their credit, and I have home inspectors who can look over a property. I reach out to others and delegate whatever I can,” she says.
Unlike Realtors who focus on a particular niche, Lindsey lists and sells residential and commercial properties. She’s also a short sales specialist. Cleveland, Ooltewah, and East Brainerd are big areas for her, although she’s also sold homes in Rossville and Ringgold, as she’s licensed in both Tennessee and Georgia. She’s branched out into Sequatchie County as well.
“It’s beautiful there. A lot of people from out of state are moving to the area because it’s so peaceful, and they like the mountains. I don’t mind driving to Dunlap to sell houses,” she says, smiling.
Lindsey has been doing a lot of driving to sell houses and commercial properties lately, and her efforts are paying off. She has a closing in Knoxville in a few hours, and is looking forward to two more closings before the week is over.
“A lot of people want to downsize, and are ready to do that now. And then there are people who have children and are looking for a bigger home. It’s working out well for me,” she says.
Lindsey was born in Nashville, Tenn., and wound up in Chattanooga when her family moved to the city when she was six. She got married at the age of 24 and relocated to Knoxville, Tenn., to finish her education. Although Lindsey has a master’s degree in elementary education, she stopped working in that field when her son, Nicholas, was born so she could spend as much time as possible with him.
In addition, Lindsey and her husband, Roger, buy homes, remodel them, and then either rent or resell them. Lindsey earned her real estate license three years ago in order to avoid paying someone else the commission.
Lindsey has been an agent at Realty Signature Gallery for the same amount of time. She says her broker, Robin Peters, is the reason she’s there.
“I prayed about where to go once I got my license, and I was led to come here and talk with Robin. I’d planned on going to two or three different places, talking with the brokers, and then figuring out where to work, but once I’d met Robin, my search was over.
“I have a good broker. She’s ethical, firm, and good at what she does. Whenever I have an issue, I can call her, and she has the answer.”
In giving credit to her contacts, her broker and “the power of prayer” for her success, Lindsey exhibits a quality common to people who experience success: a tendency to downplay their own accomplishments and instead recognize the help and guidance of others.
She even places her 8-year-old son on her list of acknowledgements.
“Whenever I open the door to a house I’m showing, he goes in, turns on the lights, picks up trash, and opens the blinds. And if the house doesn’t smell good, he lights candles. Of course, he does have an incentive. If the house sells, I reward him with a little bit of money, which he gets to put in his bank account,” Lindsey says.
Lindsey keeps her family close when she’s not working. She and her husband are active at their church, New Haven Baptist, and they enjoy hiking in the mountains or playing ball together.
She keeps her phone close by, though, in case a client has a question, wants to make an appointment, or needs a miracle.