When Sabrena Turner was dating the man who is now her husband, they discovered a mutual love for the outdoors. Among the things they did together was canoeing, which in a way was a celebration of the event that had sparked their romance: their participation in a local Dragon Boat race. But Turner did not enjoy canoeing for one fundamental reason: her boyfriend would steer, which made her feel useless. The couple still goes out on the water, but instead of manning a canoe, they pilot a pair of kayaks.
“My husband tells people we have our own kayaks because I want to be the captain of my own ship,” she says, laughing.
Turner is no stranger to navigating solo, as she’s the owner of Sabrena Realty Associates, a brokerage strategically located in East Brainerd. Like her kayak, her ship is small but stylish: a heavily landscaped converted home with milky white siding and a red tin roof. A tall sign bearing her company’s name, with the “R” doing double duty in “Sabrena” and “Realty,” is impossible to miss when turning onto North Concord Road, located a stone’s throw away from I-75.
Going into real estate nine years ago, Turner had no plans to own a brokerage. Rather, she slipped under the umbrella of a nationally known company, where she immediately began to rake in the spoils of a seller’s market.
“Times were good. A seller could put out a sign, and his home was as good as sold. There were many months in which I closed 12 to 18 transactions,” she says.
A year-and-a-half after Turner stepped into the smooth waters of the real estate market, the opportunity to own a discount brokerage franchise arose. Turner believed the reduced commission rates would attract even more business, but as a single mother of three, she was hesitant to add running a company to her list of responsibilities. But when Turner’s mother offered to go into business with her, she took a leap of faith and signed a five-year agreement.
When that contract ended, Turner took an even bigger leap: opening her own brokerage rather than renewing the franchise. The once calm waters on which she was sailing had gotten choppy, but she had learned something about herself.
“I didn’t feel qualified to be on my own when I started in real estate, but as I’ve grown older, I’ve discovered that being an entrepreneur is a better match for my personality than working for someone else. I don’t like being confined to a structure; I like to be creative and do things my way,” she says.
Turner had also done her homework – literally. While running the franchise, she had earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree at Bryan College, and as she wrestled with the idea of launching her own brokerage, she went to the Tennessee Small Business Development Center for advice.
“Other Realtors said I was crazy, but I did a lot of praying and soul searching, and the only peace I had was going out on my own. I felt like I had been in business long enough and had built up enough of a clientele,” she says.
Turner says launching Sabrena Realty was the best decision she could have made, as it allows her to tailor her services to the needs of each client.
“Everyone who comes here has a unique set of circumstances, and I like being able to develop a marketing plan that meets their needs. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution in this market, and being my own boss allows me to do what needs to be done in each situation,” she says.
Being boss also allows Turner to adapt to changes in the market. Licensed in Tennessee and Georgia, she’s embraced short sales, investment properties and home leasing.
“Short sales weren’t for everyone before 2006. But to be successful in a down market, you have to expand into new areas and be open to doing things you might not have been open to doing before,” she says.
One thing Turner continues to do that fits the current market well is offer competitive commission rates. “The only way you can sell the home of someone who hasn’t built up a lot of equity is to be competitive. Being on my own allows me to do that,” she says.
Turner has also reached out in compassion to troubled homeowners. Instead of watching some sellers give up on their dream of owning a home, she’s helped them to modify their loans. She’s received no commission for these transactions.
“People are helping each other more than ever. Realtors need to do that as well to be successful. While those were acts of kindness, everything goes full circle. Each of those people referred business to me,” she says.
Turner has not always been the captain of her own boat. As the Chattanooga native grew up, her parents ingrained in her the importance of earning a college degree and working a full-time job with benefits. So when she became interested in real estate early on, the fear of making a living based on commission steered her in a different direction, and she wound up going through the radiology and ultrasound programs at Chattanooga State.
Turner worked in the medical field for seven years. When she switched to real estate, it was like a light had turned on inside of her. “From day one, wherever I went, I talked about real estate, and my career skyrocketed,” she says. “Real estate is what you make of it. The opportunity is there for anyone who has the drive.”
Real estate is not Turner’s only passion; she’s also an active member of the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors, where she’s the chair of the governmental affairs committee and an advocate of the Realtors Political Action Committee.
“It’s hard to avoid politics because so many political issues affect our industry. And we need to pressure our elected officials to support the issues that would have a positive impact on our industry and oppose those issues that would have a negative impact. I encourage all Realtors to be involved,” she says.
Turner is also a member of Morris Hills Baptist Church, where she hopes to become more involved. “God created us for a purpose. I hope my future endeavors involve helping widows or troubled teens,” she says.
While Turner has worked hard and accomplished many things, she refuses to take the credit. Instead, she thanks God for blessing her with three wonderful kids, a great husband, and the opportunity to be her own boss and grow her business.
“I have lived a challenging and adventurous life. That’s the only way I know to live. And while I don’t know what the future holds, I know I’m heading in the right direction.”