Conversations with Jamie Parker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Parker.

Hi Jamie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory

My first taste of doing what I was passionate about came in high school. I grew up in Marietta, Georgia and attended Pope High School. I was part of the marching band that focused on high achievement and we were very successful. Our band director, Gary Gribble, had a robust student leadership program and that was my first taste of personal development. It was there that I decided to become a music educator and earned a music scholarship.

I graduated four years later from Georgia State University and would start my teaching career in Dekalb County as an orchestra director. I went on to get my Master’s (Ed Leadership) and Specialist Degrees (Instructional Technology) from the University of Georgia. I ended up teaching in Gwinnett for an additional 15 years after a 2.5 year stint in Dekalb.

Having a side hustle was always something I had done. In middle school, I collected sports cards and did well enough to buy my own Nintendo. I bought and sold instruments in college and then had a private saxophone studio. When I purchased my second home in 2005, I saw how much the real estate agent made and realized it took me more than three months of teaching to make that and “all he did was put me in his car and show me homes” lol. That coincided with a facilitator of a small marriage group at church encouraging us if we didn’t make enough money for our spouses to stay at home, we should consider a career change.

Instead of a change, I added on real estate. I sold my first home in 2007 and then 4 more homes to teachers I taught with in 2008. I paid off my cars, student loans, etc. by selling real estate. I was a top 25 agent at Solid Source and then went one to be a top 10 agent at Keller Williams, even while still working full-time. In 2013, my last year teaching, I sold 23 homes and decided I could no longer do both well. I took the leap of faith to leave my job, went full-time into real estate, and have never looked back, averaging 50 sales a year since I made that decision.

I jumped over to Exp in 2018 and it was the best decision of my career. Not only have I sold more real estate, 34 Million sold in 2020/21 as a solo agent, but I have made friendships and created a global business. It has changed my family's life forever.

It is a daily faith walk. I have to be aware and look for the divine appointments in my path. Just like the birds in the sky don’t worry about where or what they will eat, I know that I will always be provided for. Today, I am a 3x Icon agent/mentor and instructor with Exp realty, have been featured on real estate reality shows, am a member of Atlanta Real Producers and have coached agents and people around the globe how to have a more positive self-image of themselves.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

2020 was a difficult year, personally. In a three months time period, my wife left our family, my dad died of COVID, had to fire the manager at the music store I own, had a big car wreck and had a huge insurance claim on a rental property. I could either rise up or fold up. Through faith, I was able to rise up and had one of my best years ever. God provided referrals and business for me while I was adjusting to being a single dad and mourning at the same time.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?

I am a real estate professional, Coach, Instructor, Mentor, and Entrepreneur. I am a real estate investor as well. In 2020, I purchased Atlanta Strings Music Store in Downtown Lawrenceville. I also publish a magazine for our Brookwood High School area called Brookwood Family Living.

One of the things we do for our clients is we have a never-give-up attitude. My job is to help my clients find their dream homes and make a difference in their life. The home is haven where people create memories that last a lifetime. My goal is to not just make the sale but to make a difference in their life in any way I can.

As an expert Negotiator (featured on the show “The Negotiators”), I make sure my client’s best interests are represented. I have been very blessed to win most of the time. And no, I can’t tell you what the secret sauce is lol.

I am most proud of how I navigated being a business owner with being a single parent and now recently remarried parent. I drive my daughter to private school and pick her up every day. I sometimes even take my son when he misses the bus. When you put family first, your business will thrive.

What was your favorite childhood memory?

One of my favorite memories was winning the Bands of America East Regional in 1992. We were not favorites or expected to win going into the competition. I will never forget that feeling of making it into the finals and the anticipation of them announcing the winners, In third place…second place…first place…All the hard work, long practices, and discipline paid off. We won and the music we played, Robin Hood, still resonates in my head to this very day.

Contact Info: