By Melanie Robitaille, Sr. Staff Writer and Graphic Designer
When you consider how many people will be a part of at least one real estate transaction in their lifetime, you can see the far-reaching impressions of this business, and why the industry is made up of those from so many others. It’s why EXIT Realty Corp. International’s CEO, Tami Bonnell, often likens real estate to the island of misfit toys.
The harsh reality is that not all who choose this profession succeed at it, and without good support out of the gate, the first years can often be the toughest. If that weren’t enough, imagine getting your license only to find yourself walking into the most unpredictable times the world has seen this side of recent history? That was more or less the story for several EXIT associates this past year and a half, only these two women aren’t only new, they’re killin’ it.
Despite the odds stacked against them joining in late 2019, Associate Broker, Kendall Roth-Sukach of EXIT Realty Mountain View, and Sales Representative, Tara Ruppelt of EXIT Realty XL, have each earned over $100,000 in gross commissions, or much more, in their fledgling year with EXIT Realty. Misfits they most certainly are not, but true to Tami’s analogy, each came to EXIT from an outside industry.
“I picked up the phone to call people and check in with them,” explained Kendall, of the ingenuity-thinking that kept her ahead of the changing COVID times. Known for her creative and sometimes quite literally up-side-down social media presence, real estate was part of a major life shift. After working her way up and running a success pediatric dental office for 20 years in Florida, Kendall fell in love with Colorado Springs and her second husband after shedding a life-changing 207lbs and embarking on a fitness journey. And though dentistry seemed like the farthest thing from real estate, she brings much of what she learned in those years to her career today. “It taught me the value of loyalty, hard work, commitment, communication and determination,” she shared. “You learn to be quick, think on your feet, plus how to be the calm in a tough situation. Managing an office of over 10 staff means knowing how to talk to people differently, as well as how to handle drama, ego, and attitude.”
Prior to her career in real estate, Tara was a middle-school-teacher-turned-stay-at-home mom. In 2018, after initially looking for part-time work outside the home, she found the opportunity to work for a prestigious luxury new construction builder in the Milwaukee metro area, a venture that proved to have opportunities far beyond a part-time commitment. Once licensed, she joined her husband, Mark Ruppelt at the EXIT office where he worked and hit the ground running. “I began receiving a plethora of referrals from all of the relationships and contacts I made through my new construction position. I’ve been able to capture a niche in the industry having the knowledge and experience with new construction,” Tara explained. “Being able to help a client find land, to assist in the design of their dream home, and then to list their existing home when their new one is almost complete allows me to be a one stop shop for my clients.”
Tara is the first to admit that her success hasn’t come easy. In fact, both women echo one another in the importance of making contacts, staying connected and nurturing relationships as pillars of their business practices. “Real estate provides tremendous flexibility and limitless income potential but there are many long days, late nights and work on weekends and holidays. Hard work combined with a passion for helping people and showing genuine care for your clients is a winning formula,” Tara imparted.
With successful and determined examples of greatness like these, it’s no wonder that 65% of the over 1.4 million real estate professionals in the National Association of REALTORS® are female. And perhaps, Eleanor Roosevelt said it best when she stated, “A woman is like a tea bag. You never know just how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”
For this and other great articles check out the latest edition of the EXIT Achiever.
