Community over Commission- The Hawkins Group
By Samone Long for Triad Voice Magazine
When you enter the Hawkins group, a sign that says “Community over Commission” greets you. Allonda has a genuine care for people and helps them navigate a world that she realizes can seem intimidating. “People are struggling. They want to own homes, they want to be able to pass down their homes, they want to sell property…but where’s the roadmap?” This is why, for Allonda, real estate isn’t just about taking pretty pictures and selling homes. In fact, lots of emotions can be tied to real estate. It could be a divorce or even a death that brings people to the point of seeking an agent, and Allonda says it’s a privilege to be able to walk alongside people in these important moments. She doesn’t take lightly the trust that her clients instill in her to be with them through these times.
There came a time in Allonda’s life when she was maneuvering a purchasing investment opportunity, and she didn’t have the easiest experience in doing so. She ended up handling the majority of that investment on her own, and it was one of the experiences that led her here today. Having worked at the Housing Authority and a local university, Allonda often found herself in conversations about housing and the significance of supporting the community through real estate. Initially, when Allonda got her real estate license, she didn’t plan on starting a business. Once Allonda was awakened to how much she could help people in her community with her knowledge, she realized it was time for her to start an official business to do so. Allonda recalls a conversation she had with a colleague who shared with her that he’d been renting his home for 15 years, and he wasn’t aware at the time that it would probably benefit him more to have been working toward owning that home.
Allonda went with her mother to a closing when she was about 13 years old, and it was a moment that she looked back at fondly. This experience opened her mind to a world that she may not have otherwise known existed. Allonda thanks her mother for sparking her interest in that career field, even if it seemed minimal at the time.
The advice that Allonda has for aspiring entrepreneurs is helpful no matter what field you are in: “Know Your Why.” For Allonda, her “why” is her aspiration to build and establish things that she can leave behind to her family. As a mother of four, the importance of generational wealth, both financially and spiritually, is something that Allonda values.
Booking with the Hawkins group means booking with someone who cares. It means you’re not “just another client,” and the motivation behind your agent isn’t profit. “Buying a home is often times one of the largest investments that people make,” Allonda says. With such an important decision, you want to know that whoever you call on is not only knowledgeable and certified to help you, but they also genuinely care about you. For that, look no further than The Hawkins Group.
