International Real Estate w/ ECAR Vice President Rachel Simerly

What does strong leadership look like in today's real estate market? In this episode of Keys to the Emerald Coast, we sit down with ECAR Vice President Rachel Simerly to talk about her journey in real estate, her passion for serving fellow REALTORS®, and her vision for the Emerald Coast Association of REALTORS®.

Rachel shares insights on leadership, industry trends, the value of professional involvement, and why investing in your local association can make a lasting impact on your business and your community. Whether you're a new agent, a seasoned broker, or simply interested in the future of real estate along the Emerald Coast, this conversation offers practical takeaways and an inside look at the people leading our profession.

Tune in to hear:

•  Rachel's path to becoming ECAR Vice President 
•  The importance of REALTOR® advocacy and engagement 
•  Current opportunities and challenges facing the industry 
•  Advice for agents looking to grow their careers and get involved 
•  Rachel's perspective on the future of real estate on the Emerald Coast

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome to Keys to the Emerald Coast, the official podcast of the Emerald Coast Association of World Tours. Each episode we unlock market insights, advocacy updates, and member stories to help you thrive one key at a time.

SPEAKER_03 0:12

Welcome back, ECAR. Thanks for joining us for another episode of Keys to the Emerald Coast. I am Chad Nelson, Marketing and Communications Director with ECar, joined by the ever-amazing Maria Howell.

SPEAKER_01 0:26

Hello, Chad.

SPEAKER_03 0:27

How are you today?

SPEAKER_01 0:28

Good.

SPEAKER_03 0:29

Came back from DC. A rough little trip, I hear.

SPEAKER_01 0:33

Yes, we were there for the um legislative meetings. So, yes, we had a good time. Um it was a wonderful week of connecting and growing and learning and all the good stuff. And then on the way home was the bad travel, canceled flights, night stay at Charlotte, and finally back home Friday night.

SPEAKER_03 0:55

Yeah. Anyway. Everyone's got their luggage.

SPEAKER_01 0:57

Yes, we have our luggage. We're safe.

SPEAKER_03 1:00

We're joined in studio with another weary traveler, uh, our vice president at e-car, Rachel Simmerley.

SPEAKER_00 1:08

Hi, everyone. Hi, Chad. Hi Maria. Hi, Rachel.

SPEAKER_03 1:10

Thanks for joining us. How are you?

SPEAKER_00 1:12

I'm doing well, thank you.

SPEAKER_03 1:13

Yeah. We've got our luggage as well. Everything's I do. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

In fact, my luggage arrived before I did.

SPEAKER_03 1:20

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_00 1:21

Oh, that's right. I forgot. Like we've made it on the flight I was supposed to be on. There we go. Uh there you go.

SPEAKER_03 1:26

So one of those rare occasions. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

I know we should have followed Rachel so we could have gotten on that flight.

SPEAKER_03 1:31

Yeah, I heard I heard you were able to make it.

SPEAKER_00 1:35

Yes, I was able to get on a direct flight into Pensacola, which um I think saved me about a day and a half.

SPEAKER_03 1:41

So the lucky one, I guess.

SPEAKER_00 1:43

Thanks to Maria who knows who noticed there was a flight. I know, I was like, look at this flight.

SPEAKER_01 1:48

And she ran over and got on it.

SPEAKER_03 1:50

Didn't listen to your own advice.

SPEAKER_01 1:51

I know. I should have been running over with her.

SPEAKER_03 1:54

I love it. Well, well, Rachel, I guess for for those that that may not know who you are, could could you give our listeners, those that are checking in, just a little bit about your background, how you got into the industry, uh, maybe a little bit about your leadership um journey into eCar.

SPEAKER_00 2:10

Yeah, certainly. Well, first of all, thank you very much for having me on the podcast today. Uh it's an honor to be here. I have listened to a lot of the podcasts, and it's uh I always learn something about people that I didn't already know. Um, so yeah, I think I think it's great. And um you two are both just so natural at it and put people at ease. And um, yeah, I think it's it's been a a great addition to our repertoire at ECAR um um to for people to get to know our members. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:40

Oh, it's great. Well, a little bit of background uh on you. We we we hear a little bit of the accent, where are we from?

SPEAKER_00 2:48

Yes. Um originally from England. Um I grew up in England, um moved to the States um when I was 30 in my early 30s. Um I came as a military spouse, uh, met my husband who was in the Air Force in England. We got met, got married, had our children, um, and then moved here in 2000. So uh been here 26 years now. Um yeah, so I think we're such a great military community here. Um, you know, it's a lot of people's stories to why they're here. Um and it's definitely been something that's been a big part of my real estate business, working with military clients. Yeah. Um, so yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:36

Have we have we always been in real estate?

SPEAKER_00 3:39

No. So um I was previously always in the healthcare industry. Okay. Um, so I worked um in England for a pharmaceutical company. I was in uh pharmaceutical research and development. Um, interestingly enough, um, for a company that is based in California and I worked for the European head office. So I did a lot of travel to the US. Um and then when I moved here, I our children were in second and third grade, and I was trying to think what I would do, um, which would enable me to have time off when my family and friends came to visit, so that I could take my children back to England in the summer holidays. And um, so I actually worked um as a self-employed as a medical transcriptionist, so still in the healthcare industry, using a lot of my background knowledge, and I worked from home for 10 years, and then when my youngest graduated high school, I took a year off, kind of had a sabbatical, and then I was okay, you know, not ready to retire, retire, and decided that real estate would be a great career in that it was a little more flexible with the timing. So um rather than being tied, you know, to an office 50 weeks of the year. So uh so that's how it came about, and uh yeah, and I haven't looked back since. So I got my license in uh 2013.

SPEAKER_02 5:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 5:13

And um, I joined an amazing brokerage, which at the time was Resort Quest. Uh Maria was there. We had a great broker in Carmela Bell, and um there were so many agents there that were involved in the association, were involved on committees and taking leadership roles within the association and being part of it. It just kind of was a natural progression. So, um, you know how we talk about cultures at brokerages and what you know what's important. It was always important to our brokerage, and I'm so so thankful for that. So I kind of found my second home at Ecar and started taking classes, and obviously met amazing Paula Cook, who's also from England, our education director. And um I had great advice from Michelle Bailey, uh, who was also at the brokerage to uh get my GRI. She said, do that before you start getting really busy. And that was probably the best advice I ever got. And um joined a team shortly after I was there, worked with Nathan Abbott's team for three years, and that was a you know a great um way to get into the industry and um and uh kind of get my business up and running. So uh yeah, forever grateful for a lot of great people that I met there. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 6:33

That's incredible. I love it. Lots of little good little name drops there. Perfect.

SPEAKER_01 6:38

Yeah, yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_03 6:40

It's good. I I know it I I think kind of being in the role that I'm in, a lot of creeping, I guess I'll say, on Facebook. You're creeping. What are you creeping on? A lot of creeping, but um I I noticed a lot, I mean, take whether it's taking trips or at conventions, you're highly involved on the international side of things and on the global side of things.

SPEAKER_00 7:02

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 7:02

So I I guess explain why is that such a passion of yours and wh why is that or what has sparked, I guess, such an interest on the global side of things in terms of real estate?

SPEAKER_00 7:14

Yeah, so I've always loved to travel. Um, when you live in England and grow up in England, the ability to travel is, you know, all across Europe and and honestly across the world pretty inexpensively, is is always there. So I've always traveled a lot. And um so I got my license in 2013. I didn't really get into the global side of things with real estate probably until about 2018 or 19. So for about five years, I wasn't really making the correlation between real estate and my, you know, my travels. Um we have an international airport here, but we really don't have any direct international flights in here. Um, you know, we're not the biggest metro market as far as international buyers and sellers. Um however, through NAR Global Um and Florida Realtors Global, I learned a lot about how international and global real estate um is often about just those local connections that you have. So um I started being involved with our local global committee here. Um Kitty Taylor had kind of restarted things up and asked me to be her co-chair and um you know then I chaired the global committee and I've been involved with it ever since. Got involved on Florida Realtors and then at the NAR level. So um it's just been a big passion of mine, and now it's definitely leading to business.

SPEAKER_02 8:46

So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:50

Yes, yeah, yeah. Opportunities. Yes, so I've done several trade missions. Um, fortunately, that FR Florida Realtors Global have have helped put together. So I've been to um uh Realtor Quest in Canada in Toronto. I got to go there last year as part of our ECAR Global committee, and then um also went to the conference to Paris in December with with Maria, who is the global chair for sorry, global CEO for Florida Realtors. Okay, um, and Jeffrey Levine and uh Sabina Robertson from here. So yeah, it was a great experience.

SPEAKER_03 9:33

So so you clearly I mean, invest a lot of time in uh we're talking about these committees and uh a lot of uh invested energy into the leadership of eCar. Well why why is that so special? Why is that so important for for you and your journey? Um why would that be so important or for our membership?

SPEAKER_00 9:57

Yeah. Well, I I feel very blessed to have been exposed to a lot of great members and a lot of great programs through eCar. And um, you know, my personal ethos is you know, to which much is given, much is expected. And so to me, it's just natural to want to give back and help other people coming up behind me. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 10:18

I love it. Uh I think I I gotta say this, I mean the same way. I I think I I've told Maria this multiple times. I think she was the same, she was the first person I met, you know, becoming and and joining this organization and association. And I think getting to meet so many people in this industry. Um it's one of those that everyone really does care about each other. And they care about how they do business together, um, and not just about getting to the closing table, but how they're doing in their personal lives and how they're you know, how they're putting food on the table, but how how the how they're dealing. Uh, you know, how can they close the door and talk to you one-on-one? And that matters. Yes. And I it it it's not just about the exes no's all the time. I think I talked about in the coaching world a lot of times, but yeah, I think those relationships. Yeah. And and to know that we have an association of 55, 100 members, whatever that number may be, up and down all the time, but um a a group that cares about each other is very important. Absolutely. To know that we have a group of leaders, you know, in the the executive table, your yourself being one of them, um, that truly care about people is is an exciting one. I think the future is extremely bright for e-car. So I appreciate you being there for that. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 11:50

Yeah, and Rachel represents us well. She also didn't mention that she also does a lot for RRC.

SPEAKER_00 11:55

Which is so I kind of started my leadership journey um through well Women's Council of Realtors um that I joined. Also, um that was a so I have a a story I always tell. And um when I first got my license and you know started figuring out, you know, how you were gonna write contracts and actually get in the actual practical business of selling real estate, there was a um form simplicity class organized through e-car, but it was actually at a WCR meeting and it was at the Palms of Destin, and I don't really know anybody. And but I went I went to the meeting and um I have to say probably the form simplicity training kind of went over my head a little bit. Um but Michelle Bailey was there and recognized me from the brokerage and she said to me, Hey, what are you doing after this? She says, I have to go and preview property on the Destin harbour. Would you like to ride along with me? And I was oh, okay, that'd be great. And just driving along in the car with her and listening to her calling and making appointments with the other agents to get access to these condos. Um, and then we went for lunch afterwards. I mean, it made a huge impact on me, you know. And um, I was very appreciative of that, and um, so I started going to WCR and I guess the rest is history.

SPEAKER_01 13:16

So yeah, she got me involved in WCR too. Yeah, it's like when she was president, I joined. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 13:23

It's a great business for leadership, and then I also, as Maria said, got involved with the residential real estate council. Um, still a big proponent of the CRS designation. I remember being at one of my e clock e-car classes, and Ed Smith at the time was the president of eCar, and he had his CRS pin on and he was talking about CRS, and I was thinking, oh, well, if the president of e-car has that, then I probably should look into that. I should have that. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:52

Yeah. I guess uh as vice president, uh what do you want like our membership to know um other than you know the the X's and O's that I guess I'll continue to use as you know as reference? What do you want them to get out of their membership as you continue to move forward in your leadership role? What what should they be looking for in the future?

SPEAKER_00 14:17

Well, I think that you know, there's a lot of facets to our organization. Obviously, we're the professional trade organization association for our realtor body here. Um so there's the compliance, you know, there's education, there's collaboration, there's networking, um, there's so many different facets of it. You know, I think there's some, you know, there's a million different ways for people to run their real estate business. You know, essentially we're mostly all self-employed individuals, you know, and people can decide which markets they work, you know, how much they work, you know, how how how they run their business basically. But I think there's, you know, there's a place for everybody at e-car in terms of you know what what you want to take away from that, you know. So um I think just showing our programs and also showing, you know, just how much that we have to offer for our members. Um because I still think there's a lot of members out there that you know and aren't necessarily thinking about what it is that we can do for them. So that's good.

SPEAKER_03 15:21

For sure. What might be one thing um as you kind of look at the the broad spectrum of our industry? What what's one thing that you're maybe most excited about that you hope that maybe uh uh eCar or the industry itself kind of embraces as we move forward?

SPEAKER_00 15:39

Well, I mean, I may be biased, but I think we have such a smart group of individuals here on the Emerald Coast. Um, I mean, every day I'm in awe of so many realtors and brokers that are in our association and seeing, you know, either what they're doing in terms of sales capacity or in their leadership or, you know, to do with advocacy, um, you know, all all measures of things really. So um I think I'm excited about the professionalism that we have here and the collaboration. And honestly, I think the sky's the limit. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:14

Yeah, I agree with that.

SPEAKER_00 16:15

Um just going back from you know, NAR legislative meetings last week, um it's it's great to see us firing on all cylinders and being involved in so many different aspects of the real estate industry. Um so that's exciting.

SPEAKER_01 16:30

Yeah, yeah, I think it was a good mix that we all had our own kind of avenue of of meetings and things that we were going to. Yeah, it was a good mix. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 16:43

Get a bunch of smart people in the room and like you said, the sky's the limit.

SPEAKER_02 16:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:48

Let that collaboration work and see what can happen. Yes. That's good. Well what's what's one thing that you want our members, or what's one thing that maybe our members don't know about Rachel Shimmel?

SPEAKER_00 17:02

Oh, goodness. Um well, probably most people know that I'm from England.

SPEAKER_03 17:09

Um How could they ever guess?

SPEAKER_00 17:13

Um let's see. My claim to fame, I met Amy Winehouse one time on the streets of the I was uh with my children visiting England. We had gone up to London for the day, and it was I think about 2007 when she was just starting to be very popular. And we got off the tube, the underground, in Covent Garden, and Hannah, my daughter, said, Look, Mum, there's Amy Winehouse. And sure enough, there she was. And um, so we quickly asked her if she would mind taking a photo with us, which she did. And my dad took this photo, and then all of a sudden, it's like everybody noticed who she was, and they started clamoring around, and then she was gone. But we actually got a pretty amazing picture, so um, that's uh that's kind of been fun. You'll have to show us we want to see this picture. I know. That's very so yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:09

Awesome. Well, thank you so much for joining us. You're welcome.

SPEAKER_00 18:12

Thanks very much for having me.

SPEAKER_03 18:13

Yeah, thanks so much for taking the time. We know you're a very busy person, so it's always nice to sit down with some leadership and and uh enjoy talking with you.

SPEAKER_01 18:21

Yes, thank you so much. Yeah, nice to hear your story. Thanks.

SPEAKER_03 18:24

Well, thanks so much for joining us. Thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to listen. Uh, you can always catch us wherever you're listening to podcasts, Spotify, Apple, uh, Amazon, wherever you join us. Uh, we we thank you so much for joining in. Um, until next time, we will talk to you soon.