Author: Canvas Rebel
We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Missy Derr a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Missy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. So, what do you think about family businesses? Would you want your children or other family members to one day join your business?
Family means so many different things to so many people. Family can be the blood you are born into or the family you create. Real Estate is interesting as it encompasses both of these criteria. Real Estate is in my blood. For a bit of background, my parents were a successful real estate team in my hometown. My father’s mother was a Broker and amassed an astonishing portfolio for a dainty lady coming into her own as a single mother in the 1960s through the 1980s.
My mother’s grandmother was a force to be reckoned with in the 1930s to 1950s as a tastemaker who not only built homes but also sold them furnished. I felt these strong women in my DNA and always wanted to be a REALTOR. However, taking the leap of faith to pursue this passion was not based on it being an easy path or rooted in any sort of nepotism. I was beyond fortunate to have this calling recognized and fostered by being accepted as an agent with Engel & Volkers Atlanta. A second family was spurned in my acceptance at EVATL. It is a tight-knit community that encourages connections not only professionally among agents across Atlanta but within our own personal lives.
My sister, Abby Derr, is my best friend and has tirelessly gone to event after event with me. It quickly became clear that her blood burns just as mine does for Real Estate. It took years of careful planning and perhaps a bit of coercion on my part for her to join me in Real Estate, and it is beyond question the best thing either of us has decided to do. Working with your best friend and family is beyond incredible.
