Posted on Apr 29, 2016 in
COVER STORY
FOCUS COVER STORY By M.G. Angulo –
KW Southwest (Keller Williams Southwest Realty) is a Real Estate firm that prides itself not only on its wide range of Real Estate services, but also its agents who serve their communities. A company that has everything needed to create success, KW Southwest offers the best when it comes to educating and training top-notch Real Estate agents who are encouraged to build careers worth having, businesses worth owning and lives worth living.
That encouragement and focus leads KW Southwest agents to give 100 percent as they help their clients through the home buying and selling process. Real Estate advisors Ruhina Ahmed and Gary Steuernagel — who were singled out by their peers for their extraordinary efforts— know first-hand what it means to be the type of agent to go above and beyond for their clients.
Dedicated to Clients
KW Southwest agents Roscoe Ford, Butch Watterson, Dan Goon, Todd Baker, Hal Elrod, Mark Burgess, Chris Lesak, Jana Hayes, Valerie Diaz, Kah Tan, Sharon Parker, Kimbra Valachovic, Shanda Baker-Kearns, Melanie Horn, Winona Smith, Elaine Hattan, LaShambra Ewing, Tina Braun, Cathy Stubbs, Marta Mohan, Cheryl White, Bernadette James, Sarah Sawal, Melissa Salies, Denise McLarty, Linda Day, Pam Shockey, Liz Guevara Backman, Pam Dorrance, Suzie Baker and Ruhina Ahmed. Photo by Nesossi Studios.
Ahmed, who has been in the field since 2004, has plenty of help to give to anyone who needs it. “I have always loved to help others, whether they are my clients or other agents,” she said. “New agents feel lost when they come in this field, and I always am there to talk to them and give my advice or share my experiences to give them confidence.”
When it comes to her clients, Ahmed said the most vital step in her process is to find out exactly what they want and to then show them exactly how to achieve their goal through dedication and honesty. “Buying a house is a big investment, and I try to help them make the best decision even if I have to tell them to buy a little lower priced home,” said Ahmed.
She recalls a client, a widow with five children, who wanted to buy a $220,000 home for her family. The mother had enough funds for a down payment, but the builder wanted $80,000 down, which would have depleted her savings. “We ended up purchasing a $159,000 home, and now, after five years, they are ready to buy a bigger house,” Ahmed said. “She was happy, and I was too, for not letting her deplete all of her savings that quick.”
Putting Fears to Rest
Steuernagel is another stickler for listening to a client’s wishes, but he is also adamant about making sure his clients understand each step in the process. “I remember the frustrations and fears that I had when I first started in Real Estate, and I try to help people to overcome their doubts,” Steuernagel said. “I give them the support and assistance that will allow them to be successful in not only that single transaction but in their future career.”
Steuernagel makes sure to provide his clients with understanding, patience and guidance, so they not only know what they should do to be successful but also why they should do those things. This approach, he said, gives his clients the education to put fears to rest and truly understand the process, negotiations and risks of any decisions. “I listen so I can understand their long and short term goals,” he said.
Top-Notch Professionals
Ruhina Ahmed.
One of KW Southwest’s most appealing attributes is the versatility of its agents. Not only are they dedicated, but clients can be assured that agents have the qualifications and experience to get the job done right. Take Ahmed for example. Not only has she lived for almost 12 years in the area in which she works, she is multi-lingual, speaking English, Hindu, Punjabi and Urdu. Plus, she works with sellers and buyers from all price ranges. “This is a diverse area, and it helps for me to understand the area where most people come to buy homes,” she said.
As a member of the Texas Association of Realtors, Ahmed uses her extensive knowledge of Fort Bend, Sugar Land, Missouri City, Alief and Southwest Houston areas to provide her clients with high-quality service and hassle-free listings, and her efforts earned her a Keller Williams Realty Bronze award in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
Her achievements, Ahmed said, can be attributed to the importance placed on leadership at KW Southwest. “It means a lot to me to bring different cultural aspects together to make a positive environment and make KW Southwest a great place to call family. Here, we value family and God and then our business. We believe in community giving in various ways.
“My priorities are to help clients make the right decision as much as possible,” Ahmed added. “When I work with my clients, I work as if I am buying the house for myself. One of my clients said, ‘I felt that she is one of my family and did her work for me as she is doing that for herself.’”
Sharing the Knowledge
Gary Steuernagel.
Steuernagel, who has been selling in the area since 1995, speaks English and conversational Spanish, which he picked up from living in Mexico. In addition to a plethora of production and sales awards over the years, Steuernagel was honored in 2013 and 2015 with the Keller Williams Eagle Award — the most prestigious and highest honor given within the Keller Williams Realty Association. It is awarded to an agent who possesses the highest qualities in showing leadership through service, courage through adversity and integrity in all things.
For Steuernagel, being on top of the game also means sharing knowledge. From 2001 to 2014, he was an adjunct Real Estate instructor at Houston Community College, and to this day, he remains a mentor in the Real Estate Co-Op class to Real Estate students.
“I am also currently the public representative on the Houston Community College Real Estate Department Curriculum Committee,” Steuernagel added.
The Importance of Leadership
KW Southwest Team Leader Chad St. Jean and KW Southwest agent Valerie Diaz at RED (Renew, Energize and Donate) Day, Keller Williams Realty’s annual day of service.
KW Southwest believes that Real Estate is a local business driven by individual associates and their presence within their communities. Since its associates are the face of KW Southwest, they have a strong voice in guiding the business through their local Associate Leadership Council (ALC), which brings associates and leadership together in the market center each month to direct decisions on how individual offices operate. As it turns out, Steuernagel is one of the members of the KW Southwest ALC for 2016.
Comprised of the top 20 percent of the KW Southwest agent body in the Market Centers, the purpose of the ALC is to guarantee associates a vehicle for giving direct input regarding the operation of KW Southwest, much of which focuses on the right kind of leadership. Leadership at KW Southwest is a simple concept to Steuernagel, who said it means to “lead and live by example.”
KW Southwest agents Al Khatri and Judy Burfict. Photo by Nesossi Studios.
“You should become educated to be the best in the Real Estate profession, so that we can be the best Real Estate expert that the public demands,” he said. “We should share that knowledge with our peers to help them become the best that they can be and to ensure we all grow and succeed.”
Steuernagel’s professional advice is simple: “When you see someone who needs help, has questions or is in the middle of a crisis, reach out and offer help and support. Don’t wait to have someone tell you to do it.”
For more information about KW Southwest, call 281-265-0000 or visit www.kwsw.com.
