by Tara Gilligan Reimer
ANACORTES, WA—JANUARY 26, 2022
Just when you thought Team Kelli Lang (TKL) couldn’t get brighter, it did. Another light shines on the TKL lineup.
McKenzie (Woolston) Parson emanates the big, open brightness of her native Midwest.
Even meeting her on the phone, her energy is a solid pitch of happy thoughtfulness. That’s a stand-out quality for a broker.
“Originally, I had applied for a marketing position,” McKenzie explains of connecting with TKL at RE/MAX Gateway in Anacortes. “But that didn’t fit my schedule.” Sensing hustle, team leader Kelli, perennial top producer for RE/MAX, asked, “Why don’t you come and be a broker?”
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TKL has a schedule and a rich education environment
Only licensed and on board for one month, McKenzie captures the fast rhythm of TKL (kellilangrealestate.com). “Kelli has a schedule: two Zoom meetings every week, plus one in-person.” McKenzie adds that there is also a regular rotation of guest speakers and experts in the industry, making for a rich continuing education environment, served up by their leader for the team of seven brokers and four assistants.
McKenzie understands what a fulfilling education experience feels like. She graduated (in three-and-a-half years) from a small, private college, the University of Indianapolis, earning a bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude (Latin translation means with the greatest honor—that’s the top of the top)
in business administration.
She got herself hired at a privately owned property management company, working the first intensive year onsite. She got herself noticed, of course, at the same company. During McKenzie’s second year, she worked remotely, an opportunity the company had never granted before her.
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Mantra: ‘manage time, sell houses, and work hard’
“I am an entrepreneur,” she says. From someone else, the simple declaration might sound hollow. But from McKenzie, it’s a self-description backed by a plan. “I am self-disciplined, and I have to be, as a broker. I need to know how to manage my time, sell houses, and work hard.”
TKL picked up McKenzie, because she recently moved to Skagit County to be closer to her husband’s family. A young couple, they married one year ago, “back home”—hers, in Indiana. McKenzie’s husband is retired Army, four-and-a-half years of service completed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, one of the largest military installations in the world.
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‘Competitive within ourselves, not at the price of each other’
Before jumping into Blake Boatman’s roundtable, McKenzie thoughtfully ends her interview with a nuanced read of her team (https://www.tourskagit.com/blog/its-kelli-lang-all-day-long.html). “They are super-nice and super-helpful. I can turn to any one of them with a question.” She adds, “We’re all competitive within ourselves, but not at the price of each other.” That’s a distinction that a lot of competitors, much older than McKenzie, never get.
Summing up her team—and the culture of RE/MAX—she says, “We’re a cohesive bunch.”
Smart, but not trying to show off. Secure, and interested in others. That’s new broker, McKenzie Parson, here in our chill Pacific Northwest beaming warmth out of America’s heartland. Welcome to RE/MAX, McKenzie. And thanks for making us brighter.
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About RE/MAX Gateway
RE/MAX Gateway is named for its breathtaking Anacortes entrance to the San Juan Islands of the Pacific Northwest. Co-owned by Blake Boatman and Lori Reece, this full-service real estate brokerage is known for its 40+ Realtors® who specialize in residential and commercial real estate. To learn more, visit tourskagit.com.
At the center of our lives are the stories we live out. Tara Gilligan Reimer loves to find the story in place and people. This is my sixth feature on the best brokerage in Skagit County and the RE/MAX agents who lead, with brilliance and passion.
Sources that help tell the story of McKenzie
- Her vibe! “The Midwestern Goodbye and 22 Other Signs You’re from the Midwest,” The Daily Meal, https://www.thedailymeal.com/entertain/signs-youre-from-the-midwest
- Her alma mater! University of Indianapolis: https://uindy.edu/about-uindy/#
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