HOUSTON, August 5, 2015—REALTOR® Natalie
O’Dea has been named Regional Vice President of Fort Bend County for WEICHERT,
REALTORS® - Wayne Murray Properties. The announcement, made by President
Wayne Murray, comes just one year after O’Dea was promoted to the position of
Sales Leader/Manager of the agency’s Sugar Land office. In her new post, O’Dea
will be overseeing the growth of the company’s Sugar Land and Katy offices
while facilitating additional growth throughout Fort Bend County. “Our
continuing expansion program includes positioning the best talent in leadership,”
Murray said. “Natalie has proved her solid leadership skills in a very short
time and is ideally suited to carry the company’s mission forward in the
region.”
O’Dea’s vice president title is
only the second such company-wide. In 2012, Steve Conway was identified as Vice
President/Relocation Management and Business Development, responsible for managing
and growing the company’s relocation business.
Murray describes O’Dea’s position
as “a focus on the agents’ development and productivity at our current Fort
Bend offices, leading into company growth there.” Her responsibilities are to
recruit, train and retain agents, and to develop leadership in each office,
toward adding offices and repeating the process.
O’Dea has recruited many new
“professional” Realtors since taking the reins a year ago. There are currently some
70 sales team members at the two Fort Bend locations. However, she hires only a
small percentage of applicants, she said, “only those who fit into the unique
company culture.” The company culture built by Wayne and Realtor/Co-Owner
Jackie Murray, is the key, according to O’Dea, who said that they create a true
“team” environment. “‘Teamwork’” is the driving force here, more than a word on
a poster and in speeches.” A strong mentoring program and solid infrastructure
underscore the business.
O’Dea explains that they try to
cap offices at 50 agents to ensure that agents are getting the attention needed
to be trained the right away, to get help with new deals, to have their questions
answered quickly and to meet company sales goals for them. Additional offices
will be added to match the agent population growth.
Outside of the office, O’Dea
takes advantage of every opportunity to talk about the company—to such people as
waiters, and others she meets in her everyday. If she spots someone with what
she thinks is the right personality, who might welcome a career change, she
opens the subject. She is convinced that word-of-mouth is the primary source of
interest in what Wayne and Weichert have to offer.
“It has been a blessing to work
with Wayne and Jackie—they are solid, real people,” O’Dea said. “Wayne is a
very generous broker, always thinking about how the agents are doing, and
asking what can we do to make things better for them; he is also very accessible.” He is “on call” for
agents and staff, no matter where or when. “And everyone looks forward to
seeing him, a rare boasting right for a ‘boss,’” she added. “While we are
customer centric, the agents are the first family.”
O’Dea “cannot think of doing this
without Wayne.” She comes from a background as a mediator in the areas of
family, employer/employee and elder care before entering real estate, joining the
Weichert® agency in April 2014. With a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State
University and a mediation certification from Lakewood College, her experience
also includes a six-year regional sales manager position with responsibilities
that parallel those of the new Fort Bend assignment.
O’Dea holds membership in the
National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), Texas Association of REALTORS® (TAR),
Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR) and the Women’s Council of REALTORS® in
Fort Bend. A resident of Katy, she is an active member in her church, with
community events and as a volunteer at her children’s school.
WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Wayne
Murray Properties has offices in Houston, Sugar Land, Katy and The Woodlands.
The agency, now home to more than 120 professional Realtors, has served the
greater Houston area for 28 years— first, as an independent company, and later
(2004), as the first-ever Weichert® affiliate in the state of Texas.
Web address is www.waynemurray.net.
Weichert’s new Regional Vice President of Fort Bend County Natalie
O’Dea can be reached at 877-603-4500,
natalieo@waynemurray.net. Wayne Murray can be reached for comment at
Houston headquarters, tel: 713-728-2300.
