Thirteen years ago, Meghan Riley Parham changed careers, transitioning from commercial interior design to real estate, allowing her a more flexible schedule with her children and another use for her background in design.
During her 13 years in real estate, Parham, associate broker with Keller Knapp Realty, has worked with first-time homebuyers, empty nesters, growing families, changing families, clients moving to Atlanta for the first time and investors. In the past few years, she became her own client as well, purchasing the house next door to her own, renovating it completely and selling it as an investment.
“I took the home from a red brick ranch that stuck out on the street to a crisp white modern craftsman, with an open floor plan and wonderful curb appeal,” she says. “It was published in the June edition of Midtown Lifestyle and is now the home of amazing neighbors and their new baby.”
Earning a broker’s license taught her to see situations in black and white and to not get caught up in emotion. Having a background as an interior designer means Parham can give clients insight on the best ways to stage or change a property to show at its best. “I have the ability to see the potential of what a space can be, and I can communicate that or sketch it for my clients,” she says. “I can often be found on the floor with a client in a new house, or one we are getting ready to list, with a sprawled-out paint fan, picking the best color palette.”
A 2017 Top Producer, Parham says 2018 is proving to be even better. Her challenge lately has been managing double the work. “I can be very protective of my clients, and I do not like to sacrifice the quality of service,” she says. “Finding the right person to bring onto my team and delegate to is a gift.”
One thing people don’t know about Parham is that she can sing. Growing up, she studied voice for about nine years, sang in competitions and once aspired to become an opera singer.
Finding balance between work and family life is an “ever-challenging tug,” but Parham has managed to keep a good pace this year, making a point of sitting down for family dinners and catching up with her children.
