by G. Sax, Head of Communications, RESO
This week’s interview is with Jenna Woody, Product Support Analyst at First Multiple Listing Service (FMLS). Prior to her move to FMLS in 2024, she was the MLS Operations Specialist at the Mobile Area Association of REALTORS® in Alabama and the Director of Operations at the River Counties Association of REALTORS® in Tennessee.
In a refreshing change of pace from the more technical side of what we do at RESO, we talked almost exclusively about different angles on education. From pursuing advanced education to professional designations to better consumer education, we went full support for lifelong learning. Enjoy!
Q1: You earned your Bachelor’s degree well into your association/MLS career. What advice do you have for anyone who is unsure if they are educated or skilled enough to professionally advance in the organized real estate industry?
Jenna: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Lean on your industry colleagues for advice. They will be happy to help, and there will be no judgment.
RESO is a great place to talk to others about advancing your career, because everyone involved at this level of real estate beyond their own jobs is so welcoming.
I have made so many great contacts that have absolutely contributed to my career advancement.
Q2: Speaking of education, you have quite the commitment to ongoing education. You are a registered Continuing Education Instructor, and you hold several designations, such as At Home with Diversity, CMLX2 and RESO’s own RED-B.
How do you feel about the current state of continuing education and professionalism in real estate? Are we doing enough as an industry to address how we are perceived by non-real estate professionals?
Jenna: I feel like we could have more education for consumers about what real estate professionals do to help them. I do my best to educate friends and family, but I’m just one person.
The general public doesn’t really know about the Code of Ethics and the rules that REALTORS® abide by in order to do the work that they do. The real estate industry could do a better job of explaining that.
My husband is a good example, because he’s a typical consumer. He used to sum up agents as, “They just show us houses.” Then when we actually went through the home-buying process, he saw the step-by-step procedures that they go through – showings, inspection, contracts, title and the many other tasks that go into a sale on both the buyer and seller side.
The National Association of REALTORS® provides some evidence of this, but I don’t think it has been widely discovered or used by the public.
RESO and the Council of Multiple Listing Services (CMLS) have done a great job on the MLS side of the equation, but that’s just one component of the bigger picture.
And, yes, it’s true that I love education and learning. So much so that I thought I wanted to be a 5th grade teacher, perhaps because my son just happened to be in the 5th grade when I was shadowing his classes.
After careful consideration, however, I decided that I wanted to work with and teach adults instead.
The thing about 5th graders, especially 5th grade boys, is that they seem to be perpetually drawn to being gross. You can generally scold adults when they are being gross without getting into trouble with the school board.
Q3: RESO recently held a conference in Alabama, a U.S. state where not too many real estate conferences are held. This happens to be where you live! Most of the conference attendees had never been to Alabama before, including me. Do you think that there are any misconceptions about Alabama and the South in general?
Jenna: That’s an easy one. People think that we don’t have good education down here, and that’s just not true.
I have met some incredibly intelligent people in Alabama and throughout the South. We might not be first adopters to every technological or social change, but that’s not based on ignorance.
Alabama hasn’t always had a great history of moving forward, but there has recently been an understanding that it’s important to embrace history. History can also remind us of mistakes that have been made and how we have progressed since. There are many vibrant and welcoming communities here.
And the Southeastern Conference is so big around here. When I first moved to Alabama from Tennessee, everyone wanted to know if I was for Alabama or Auburn. You have to declare yourself as Roll Tide or War Eagle, and it’s very, very tense when they play each other in football.
RESO: I suppose that is vaguely tied to the education theme we’re establishing here.
Football is so tied into the fabric of the state that the educational institutions get wrapped into it. Alabama and Auburn are institutes of higher learning, after all. Students are somehow being educated and going on to fine careers between football games.
Three Questions is an interview series that features real estate industry professionals, their businesses and how they interact with real estate standards in a fun way.
