Realtor Jana Machaskee is used to working without a safety net, so running a household on pure commission doesn’t bother her. In fact, being in a do-or-die situation appears to bring out her best.
Machaskee showed resilience and resolve early in life when she became pregnant and then the father of her child passed away before their daughter was born. Alone, but with the support of her family and the family of her child’s father behind her, Machaskee took care of her daughter, waited tables through college and graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. At times, she held down three jobs to make ends meet.
Her blood and sweat paid off when she landed a human resources job with a local business. A born people person, she was well suited to the position.
“Organization and attention to detail are important in human resources, and you have to like working with people. I had all of the skills I needed,” she says, her yellow dress brightening up the conference room in the Keller Williams office in Hixson, Tenn.
Machaskee worked for the company for ten years. When the recent recession impacted its business, her employer eliminated her position, leaving Machaskee without a paycheck. Although she had recently married, her husband had lost his salaried job and then gone into real state, meaning the couple was relying on him earning a commission. This increased the weight of her decision about what to do next.
Despite the tough economy, a Realtor friend of Machaskee’s had grown her business to the point where she needed an assistant. The agent, Iris Rodger, offered the position to Machaskee, who accepted. As Machaskee worked for Rodger, she watched her friend continue to evolve in real estate. Inspired, Machaskee earned her license and became an agent.
“I started working as a Realtor at the worst time in the market. People asked me if I was crazy. But I’m a hard worker, and tough times make you work even harder,” Machaskee says.
Machaskee also believed in the training and support she would receive from Keller Williams, as those things had worked well for her friend. She started out in 2010 as a buyer’s agent for Rodger, and then stepped out on her own once she’d gained her footing.
“I’m not a spontaneous person. I don’t dive into something assuming I’ll be OK. I think things through. And watching a fellow Realtor do well, even in a bad economy, gave me the confidence to believe I could do what she had done,” Machaskee says.
Today, Machaskee is licensed in Tennessee and Georgia, and works with residential buyers and sellers.
With both Machaskee and her husband working as Realtors, neither of them can count on a regular paycheck, which can be an uneasy way to live, even in a good economy. But the experiences both have had relying on an employer, only to have their company pull out the rug from under them, have solidified their determination.
“Being a Realtor is a make or break career, so you have to work hard or you’ll fail,” Machaskee says.
Machaskee and her husband, Mike, are not only working hard, they have become creative when it comes to essentials like health care and retirement. To build the nest egg they will need later in life, for example, they invested some of the money they had in their retirement funds in real estate. By shrewdly buying, fixing up and selling houses, they hope to be able to safeguard and multiply their retirement money.
While Machaskee enjoyed working in human resources, certain events made her question her choice of career. That has not been the case with real estate, which she loves.
“My goals are to be an expert and to be one step ahead of my buyer or seller in every situation. If I take care of them and maintain their trust, then I’ll go far,” she says.
Although Machaskee devotes far more than 40 hours a week to real estate, she draws from her seemingly endless reservoir of energy to also work as a certified physical trainer, which she does during the hours before the sun comes up. She also exercises on her own, and as a result, is incredibly fit.
“For me, exercise is a way to stay mentally and physically sharp. Plus, life is stressful, and I need an avenue of release,” she says.
Although making a living takes up most of her time, Machaskee is able to spend time with her family and is an active member of the Greek Orthodox Church in Chattanooga. She and her husband live and work in Hixson.
If Machaskee ever wonders if she’ll succeed in real estate, she only has to look back at the path that brought her to today. She raised a daughter, earned a college degree and started her own business – all on her own. This shows Machaskee has a rare combination of intelligence and resolve that all but assures she will do well. Plus, like many of her colleagues in real estate, she gives 100 percent of herself to her work. For these reasons, she is well within her rights to offer advice to others who are where she once was.
“I encourage others who have had a life changing experience to think about real estate, and make the decision that’s best for them. If they believe they should become a Realtor, then they should go into it full force. If you put your best foot forward, you’ll survive.”