Stacy Galan of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty

This week, we talked with Stacy Galan, a broker associate with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty. An expert in numerous areas in Metro Atlanta, Stacy is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Sales Club, and with her degree in film and television (and background in creative arts, marketing and design), she run a savvy, technologically modern business. An active church member, Stacy enjoys giving back to her community by volunteering at a local dance studio, and is also affiliated with the Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce and the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Atlanta Agent (AA): How does your background in creative arts benefit you as an agent?

Stacy Galan (SG): My creative arts background has been tremendously beneficial to me as an agent from a visual perspective. My undergraduate degree in television and film production from Loyola Marymount University has shaped my perspective as an agent because I can identify how and why people react to particular images. Home buying and selling is a visual process that evokes emotions, and it is essential to present photographs with great angles that provide aesthetic appeal to inspire and capture the right audience. My background in the creative arts allows me to appeal to the human senses, and this ultimately produces a positive outcome for all parties involved.

Another side of my creative arts background that has been equally as important in my work as an agent is the discipline and dedication I developed as a high school student and classical dancer at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts. During my junior and senior years of high school, I took academic classes during the morning and studied dance in the afternoons. This experience was formative for me. The discipline required of me as a dancer benefited my academic performance as a student then, and has stayed with me today as a real estate agent.

AA: What are some ways you apply that background to your daily tasks?

SG: From a practical standpoint, I am methodical and disciplined, which, I think, are essential traits for a successful real estate agent. My dance background has taught me that it takes hard work and practice to succeed, and so each morning I take care of the business side of my work, returning phone calls and emails, and following up with clients.

Fortunately, I am able to implement my creative background in the afternoons when I have the opportunity to meet with clients and show properties. My clients benefit from the creative perspective I can offer them. I like to design the stage(their home) and create the scenery that will appeal to a mass audience. I enjoy spending time with my sellers walking them through preparing their homes for market. My background helps me identify ways that homes may be able to benefit from adjustments, whether rearranging furniture, changing paint colors, or renovations. These visual modifications can ultimately help a home sell for a more attractive price. I have seen so many homes sell for a higher asking price with tasteful decor to scale in specific rooms.

AA: Say an agent asks you on how they can be more creative with their business – what would your advice be?

SG: Create ways to be memorable. One of my most successful strategies has been the “marketing socks” I created. I had plans to go to a golfing event and, as everyone at a golfing event needs socks, thought there was a possibility to reach clients in an unusual manner. I handed out socks that say “Let Stacy knock your socks off with her great service.” It may be a little off the wall, but it has been a successful and fun marketing strategy that I continue to use. Think of unusual and lighthearted ways to connect with clients and they will not only remember you, but want to work with you. Make it fun!

I have been successful in cultivating a group of people who advocate for me as an agent, and I am proud of this because I think it demonstrates that I have made a connection with these people whom I call my friends. I attribute these connections to my background in the creative arts because my education helped me realize that people respond to emotion, to someone who is relatable, whether on the stage or in the field of real estate. Real estate is a business of connections and my background in the creative arts continues to help me make these essential connections.