On her popular lifestyle site and social media channels, The Little Rock Life, Marci Smith is building a “tribe of residents who get weekly information about the local foodie spots, hidden gems, new businesses, and other engaging activities in and around Little Rock, Arkansas.” She was named a Top 20 Little Rock Real Estate Agent on Social Media by PropertySpark and her must-follow accounts shrewdly sprinkle in new listings and real estate news with local happenings.
Smith started with Keller Williams in 2013 while she was running an art and wine studio in Colorado. Real estate was a great way for her to marry what “made her heart happy,” which was business and creativity. Keller Williams had the best program to train new agents, so she jumped in to learn the ins and outs of the business and work her way up as an MC and a TCA. When she shifted over to work as a buyer’s agent for a team, her real love for the business took root.
Once she gave birth to her daughter a couple of years later, she decided it was a good time to go out on her own. “I wasn’t super productive at that time, so I went with a boutique firm to see what the fuss was with going small. When they say that you only pay a small amount per transaction, you don’t realize that you’re also paying for your CRMs, systems, apps, software, and every single thing a la carte. It adds up. But more than that, you feel like a small island all alone in a big ocean.”
When she moved back to her hometown of Little Rock after spending six years in Denver, she went to work with her brother’s company. At the end of her second year back in town, she closed nearly 100 units for $20M and made it in the top 5 of agents on the MLS in Arkansas. Even with the success, she realized it was harder than it had to be. “I didn’t have the systems, technology, and resources that I needed and wanted.”
In February 2020, she moved her license back to Keller Williams because of the myriad ways she can build a career worth having and a legacy worth leaving. “I love the culture of contribution at Keller Williams. The opportunities in the company are endless. One of the things that brought me back is all the different avenues I could take to keep growing and also share what I know with others. I pour out to regularly to my clients and I would love to do that with fellow agents, too.”
As she shares her dreams out loud, she’s humbled and emboldened by how her new colleagues are already stepping forward to help her achieve them. “I met someone at Family Reunion and mentioned that I’d love to be a MAPS coach one day but have no idea of the process or requirements. She gave me her number and said to reach out and she’d help me.”
As she thinks about the future, she dreams of establishing a tiny home village for homeless men and women using her expertise as a realtor and home expert. “To help someone at their lowest would be one of the greatest legacies I could leave,” she says. “I know I’m with a company that can absolutely propel me to make that happen. That’s what Keller Williams is – the people that have that giving spirit, mindset, and know-how.”