Carolyn`s Journey to Success!

Did you know . . .

. . . that Carolyn Perry started her entrepreneurial career not in the real estate business, but making and selling custom dresses and other apparel?

When Carolyn's children were young she wanted to stay home with them, so she began designing clothes for people with injuries and physical disabilities. From that start, she moved to custom sportswear, including golf pants for female physicians who, in those days, had no source for women's specialty items.

From those endeavors, Carolyn segued into a full-time business doing alterations. She picked up clothes from cleaners, altered and returned them. At the height of her business she was working with as many as ten cleaning establishments, and making a lucrative income.

That all changed in 1978 when a neighbor asked Carolyn to help her sell her home. Carolyn had completed almost all her college requirements for an education degree but lacked student teaching and a language requirement. She reasoned that selling her neighbor's house would generate enough income to fund the courses she needed, so she went to Griffin Tech and paid $16 for a real estate course and $16 for the text. After an investment of $32, Carolyn was in the real estate business, obtaining her license on her birthday and selling her first house the same day.

But as fate would have it, Carolyn discovered she could make more money in six months in real estate than she could earn annually as a teacher, so the world lost a fine educator but gained a top-producing Realtor!

Her first broker, to avoid (he thought!) spending any money, told her she'd have to get ten listings before he would pay for advertising. So Carolyn went out and listed ten homes, in a week! Needless to say, she and her broker parted company shortly thereafter.

About midway into her real estate career, Carolyn discovered amateur ballroom dancing, became a serious competitor, and won several competitions. Calling on her previous skill with a sewing machine, she funded her hobby making ballroom gowns and skirts, as many as 200 a year, and seriously considered leaving real estate for custom dress design.

Instead, Carolyn made the big move from an independent brokerage (where she was manager) to RE/MAX, and began specializing in Jackson Lake properties. That was 19 years ago, and now Carolyn and her team dominate the lake property market in Butts County.

When she has time, Carolyn enjoys going on leisurely rides with retired husband Phil, on the back of his Harley!