DENVER REAL PRODUCERS COVER STORY

TURNING BUSINESS INTO MINISTRY

Licensed in 2001, Jackie Garein has spent the past 19 years building quite the business with RE/MAX Protossionals LLC. With a background in sales, doing everything from TV and radio to yellow pages advertising,
Jackie hit the real estate scene running out of the gates. She quickly started working with buyers, assisting friends from church and was closing five to 10 deals per month all by herself, with no assistant.

"That really broke me in quickly," she says. "From the day I got my license, however, I have looked up to Janet Kritzer of Sotheby's International Realty. She is one of the best brokers out there, and I adore her."

Jackie won Rookie of the Year her first year in the business and has gone on to win 'I'riple Gold Awards, Hall of Fare, and a Lifetime Achievement Award, hitting number one in listing units, written units, total units, volume and commissions. Last year, she personally produced $35 million, and her team produced $20 million.

"I have always had a passion to serve others and love helping people," says Jackie. "Real estate is not always happy. We often assist clients when they have had a major and traumatic life change, such as a death in the family or a divorce. I know I am always right where God wants to use me."

Jackie grew up in New Mexico, competing in beauty pageants as a child. She went on to own her own pageant franchise in New Mexico and continued competing after moving to Colorado. A former Miss Colorado, Jackie credits much of her success in real estate to her experience in pageants.

"Beauty pageants are great for young women," she says. "They can help with confidence, publie speaking and can be very competitive, This helped me with my real estate career early on - I was so competitive, I strive to never let top producers beat me, which kept me working hard."

Serving others remains at the center of Jackie's business today. She is currently passionate about mentoring other agents, teaching classes, and loves seeing new agents become successful. She has also intertwined her business with giving back to the community in a number of ways. As a member of Giveback Homes, Jackie's
team supports affordable housing locally and globally. In fact, this year, they will be sponsoring a Build Day, where their team will invite their clients, friends, and family to join in actually building a home for a Denver family in need.

"As agents, it's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day hustle of appointments, showings, marketing and networking. Giveback Homes has made it easy to make giving part of our everyday business, and that's something that is important to our team and the clients we work with," says Jackie.

"In addition," Jackie continues, "I really believe we should give our services away once a year to someone who really needs our help. 'The most rewarding transaction l have ever done was selling my pastor of 25 years' home, after he passed away. I got most of the needed home repairs volunteered and donated, oversaw the entire project, got the home staged and got top dollar for his wife. I know this made a huge difference for her and her family."

Apart from sponsoring community events and doing good deeds in the community, Jackie's other favorite aspect of real estate is marketing. She loves developing amazing marketing pieces, using professional photography and other creative ways to draw attention to a listing, like using Iuxury sports cars in staging a home.

When Jackie isn't serving a client, a fellow agent, or the community, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Don, who recently retired, and now helps drive Jackie around everywhere. Don and Jackie have one daughter,
Amanda, two sons, Jason and Joshua, and four grandchildren. They love to travel when they can and hike beautiful, scenic areas.

"Real estate can be very rewarding financially, and that allows us to help a lot of people, which is why we are all here," says Jackie. "My dream is to continue to do well and by a blessing to others for many yes to come, I encourage other agents to make this job a ministry as well. We have a great opportunity to get in our clients' lives. Be a giver, not a taker. It will make all the difference in the world."