We had the good fortune of connecting with Claire Konkos and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Claire, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I’ve always been inclined to the Creative, with a Bachelor’s in Creative Writing and years spent in my youth performing through live Theatre and Improv. Regrettably, I became anxious about a career post graduation. I went for a safe and clear path, completing a Masters of Education and ultimately teaching for a decade in early childhood at the Kindergarten level. In this role, I nurtured my passion for creativity, relishing a curriculum built on storytelling, high quality children’s literature, dramatic play and expression through the arts. I believe this is fundamental to creative individuals. We will find a way to bring artistic energy into any work role. In my second career as a Realtor, I find immense satisfaction in narrating my experiences through Social Media. It has markedly helped grow my business. I radiate in the center stage of my Instagram platform. I’ve always worked very hard, but in Education one’s efforts aren’t easily shared beyond the classroom as the privacy of the children is paramount. In contrast, my daily adventures “in the field” of Real Estate are relatable, often humorous and sharing is both encouraged and beneficial. I have created an homage to home and to my home state of Arizona. I share design content, anecdotes from my transactions, and market data with a balance of lifestyle, all from my perspective as a working mother. There’s an undercurrent through this story about the essential service Real Estate provides. As a Realtor, I help my clients with life transitions and support them in identifying their most comfortable and desired sense of home. I love approaching Sales from this intuitive perspective and within the framework of an Educator. I probably work more hours now than I did in my more traditional first career and just as hard. Yet, the stress is more manageable for me. I felt overwhelmed by the rigidity of the Teacher’s workweek, and the performance expectations were not based in reality. Today, I employ the skills I honed in the classroom, empathy, problem solving under pressure and communication in a variety of interactions. With joy, I’ve discovered that this set of soft skills, emotional intelligence and the ability to frame content creatively, leads to high performance and success in the business world.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am a Residential Realtor, specializing in the North Central, Midtown and Historic Neighborhoods of Phoenix. Our local industry is flooded with Agents. In my particular area of town, many of my competitors are Veteran Realtors. I’m only three years into my Real Estate career and achieved sales numbers placing me in the top 2% of Arizona Agents in 2020. This was accomplished through some very old school techniques: door knocking, letter writing, weekly Open Houses and taking any and all leads during my first two years! When I actually started to get Clients, I relied heavily on my Mentors and probably had three Veteran Agents from my Brokerage on speed dial. Even though I wasn’t afraid to ask for help, I always tried to problem solve on my own first. Presently, my business is split between personal referrals and my own lead generation. Persistence and sheer enthusiasm for the field propelled me through the first few years. I find the work itself to be incredibly fun, and it is Amazing to now have a professional confidence that’s based in closed transactions and happy Clients.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I love living in Historic Encanto Palmcroft near Downtown Phoenix. A perfect day would be a bike ride to Forno 301 for an Italian lunch, followed by a spin through the Phoenix Art Museum. Perhaps after that a coffee at one of our many local coffee shops, Lola, Press, Giant, too many to list! Dinner would be Downtown, Taco Chelo and Gallo Blanco are my favs and then drinks at the Churchill or Angel’s Trumpet.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My Mentors and Friends at Long Realty the FOX Group.

Website: Clairekonkos@longrealty.com

Instagram: @ClaireKonkosRealEstateStyles

Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/claire-konkos-42823011

Facebook: @ClaireKonkosRealEstate

Image Credits
Photographer Natalie Ackel

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