Empowering Women in Real Estate: Darlene Brown’s Rise to Entrepreneurial Success

Source: Real Estate Partners

There’s no denying that being a single mother is hard work. It’s a massive responsibility and often means there isn’t much time for anything else. 

This makes the notion of seamlessly juggling single parenthood with the demands of a thriving entrepreneurial venture seem impossible.

Yet, Darlene Brown, the visionary founder and president of Real Estate Partners, is living proof that not only is this possible, but it can be achieved with remarkable success.

Through sheer grit and perseverance, Darlene has triumphed in building a highly successful real estate business (and more).

In this article, we delve into Darlene’s inspiring story, explore the invaluable lessons she has learned, and reveal what has propelled her success in real estate.

A Bit of Background

Darlene spent much of her early career as a closing agent. During this time, she saw huge checks crossing the table into the hands of real estate agents. This got her thinking: she could be much more financially secure if she made some changes.

Becoming a broker

She decided to leave the company and studied to become a broker herself. Darlene now holds the realtor professional designations of Certified Residential Broker (CRB) and Graduate Realtor Institute (GRI).

She then became a general manager and a broker at one of the top offices of a large real estate company.

She dreamed of more…

While working at this company, Darlene had big dreams. She saw a gap in the market and an opportunity to provide a better life for her and her son.

She wanted to give her city, downtown Chattanooga, the makeover it deserved. 

Source: Kayak

She felt strongly that downtown desperately needed intervention and she saw lots of potential. Her vision was to revitalize the area by renovating some of the older buildings and converting them into high-end condos.

 

“I saw a ghost town when I looked outside the window of my downtown residence in the evening, but I believed the city had potential,” she says. “Instead of dark, empty streets, I saw a vibrant, energetic downtown where people lived, worked, and played.” 

…but it didn’t go to plan 

Bringing this dream to life was never going to be simple. She received pushback from her employer on her vision but this didn’t stop Darlene, as she knew in her heart that it could be achieved.  

Sometimes you have to fight to make your dream a reality, even when others don’t support your vision. This is exactly what Darlene did. 

Starting Real Estate Partners

Darlene tried to get the project off the ground but quickly realized that working for someone else meant she wasn’t going to get it done in the way she wanted. This was when she decided to start her own real estate business.

Taking the leap

In 2007, Darlene took the leap and launched her own real estate company called Real Estate Partners Chattanooga (REP). At the time, it was the only women-owned and led real estate company in Chattanooga.

Looking in all the wrong places

However, Darlene admits that she started out doing everything wrong.

When it came to building her contacts, she started by reaching out to family and—if you’re in the real estate business yourself—you know this isn’t necessarily the best approach to gaining traction in the industry.

She soon realized that professional networking was the answer to getting the right contacts to grow her business.

A Crushing Realization

When Darlene left her employer, two of the agents she worked with expressed interest in her idea and wanted to be involved in her vision.

A dynamic trio

When Real Estate Partners was formed, Darlene took these two agents in as partners in the business. 

Together, the three made for a highly dynamic female team, along with six other agents.

However, although she was bringing her dream to life, things were not working out with her original business partners.

The biggest mistake

Looking back on this time, Darlene says that coming to this realization was hard. This was a tense and difficult time for her.

She admits that this was her biggest mistake, and she has since realized that at the time, she didn’t have the confidence in herself to assertively claim that she could do it alone.

But, sometimes, it’s these hard moments that propel you to exactly where you need to be. 

So Darlene broke the partnership and—in a way—started afresh. This decision soon led to massive success.

One of the lessons we can learn from Darlene is that there will always be hardships, challenges, and uncomfortable realities to face while you’re chasing your dreams. However, these hurdles often form the foundation of something even better.

How Darlene Has Shaped Her Business

Of course, Darlene’s primary goal in starting her business was to create a better life with more financial stability for her son.

But she also had other goals she wanted to accomplish while shaping her company.

A culture of caring

As Darlene started building her business, she knew that she wanted to create a very specific environment and culture, one that she found was lacking in the real estate industry.

She wanted to create a family-like atmosphere that made her employees want to show up to work. Rather than spending Sunday nights filled with dread, she aimed to create a business where her team felt excited to start a new week.

 "When I founded Real Estate Partners, I set out to build a real estate company where everyone felt welcome and had the opportunity to succeed. We are committed to relationships over dollars.” 

She also aimed to nurture the idea that her team should always have a heart for other people and think about what others need.

Taking care of her team

Throughout the last 18 years, Darlene has worked tirelessly to ensure her staff are well taken care of and that they feel part of something big.

She aims to give her staff and agents—many of whom are also single moms—the opportunity to start thinking about their own financial security. She wants them to succeed and make their personal goals—not just their career goals—a reality.

"I don't look at the company as 'mine', but as all of ours."

Source: Real Estate Partners

Darlene has created a business where her team gets access to benefits such as 401(k) and health insurance, and enjoys financial security. These are all very important to realize her vision of empowering people and giving them the opportunities they need to thrive. 

The Pandemic Hit Hard

Regardless of the industry you’re in, the COVID-19 pandemic took its toll.

Things were no different for Darlene and Real Estate Partners. Inventory started running thin, interest rates were skyrocketing, and locals were becoming discouraged to buy.

During this time, Darlene worked hard to keep her team inspired and motivated to continue to dream big, despite the numbers being low.

She believes that, even in the worst of times, our goals and dreams can still come to fruition. 

Making a Name for Herself

One thing Darlene can really pride herself on is that she’s never struggled to attract new team members to Real Estate Partners. Recruitment has never been a challenge for the company.

Why is this? Darlene has worked extremely hard to make a name for herself in the real estate industry. She’s served on boards of associations, been president of these boards, and been highly involved in multiple listing service (MLS) committees. 

Currently, Darlene is a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the Tennessee Association of Realtors (TAR), and the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors (GCAR). 

Now, when real estate professionals hear her name, they want to come on board and join the Real Estate Partners team.

Enriching the Chattanooga Community

As a native Chattanooga resident herself, Darlene has spent many years volunteering in her local community. 

As one of the first people to live in downtown Chattanooga, she knew there was plenty of work to be done to revitalize the area.

Giving back

From raising funds for local schools that are struggling to assisting veterans, Darlene is a big believer in giving back and is passionate about the potential that Chattanooga holds.

Even though it all started with her goal to enrich the Chattanooga community by renovating old buildings, it didn’t stop there.

In fact, she’s so involved in downtown Chattanooga that she’s earned the nickname, ‘Downtown Darlene Brown’.

Source: Real Estate Partners

Selling Loveman’s on Market

Initially, she started her journey toward enriching the area by selling Loveman’s on Market—the first downtown residential condominiums.

This passion then extended to her involvement with nonprofit organizations such as the Humane Society, Clifton Hills, and Wreaths Across America to drive much-needed change in the area she loves so deeply.

For Darlene, downtown is all about the amazing views, colorful community, and its charm.

Achieving Excellence

Through her hard work, perseverance, and tenacity, Darlene has earned herself big accolades. 

Most recently, she was celebrated by Greater Chattanooga REALTORS® as President and REALTOR® of the Year.

Chattanoogans have voted Real Estate Partners the Best Real Estate Company in the Chattanooga Times Free Press’s “Best of the Best.” 

Darlene credits this award to excellent client service, charitable giving, and ethical business operations.

Empowering Women Just Like Her

Even though Darlene’s desire to provide for her son and uplift the downtown Chattanooga community were her driving forces—her vision also included bettering the careers and lives of other women.

In her time in the real estate industry, she has hired and managed well over 1,000 women, providing them with opportunities to grow, learn, and succeed.

Source: Real Estate Partners

She knows exactly how challenging it can be to be a woman in the real estate industry. She also knows how difficult it is to be a single parent and have a successful career. 

This is why she’s motivated to empower women from all walks of life to excel in real estate—and anywhere else their dreams might take them.

What We’ve Learned from Darlene

Darlene serves as president of Real Estate Partners as well as managing broker of the Downtown Office. 

The company has four offices, a large team of staff, and over 160 agents, and Darlene’s main focus right now is on empowering and uplifting her team. 

Her son, whom she worked so hard to provide for, is now part of the company's ownership, a story that has come full circle. 

Source: Real Estate Partners

We’ve learned from Darlene’s inspiring story that truly believing in your vision is the first and most important step in your success. This is not to say that the rest will be smooth sailing, but having a clear goal that you are passionate about makes a difference.

Perhaps most importantly, we’ve learned that there will always be pushback on your ideas, difficult decisions to make, and times when tension runs high. But if you use these obstacles as your fuel to keep moving forward, you’re that much closer to achieving your dreams.

If you’re a woman in real estate, know that reaching your goals is more than possible. Take it from Darlene—she knew what she wanted, she went after it, and she succeeded against all odds.

Story provided by: Kathie Landers, VP of Finance, on behalf of Darlene Brown, Real Estate Partners of Chattanooga LLC.