Alana Mey is an integral part of Brandon Nelson Partners’ Realtor team. A strong communicator who approaches realty with a goal-oriented mindset, she helps clients close on homes fast. We sat down with Alana to talk about realty, her favorite parts of the job and, most importantly, what she does with her limited “me” time.
WhatcomTalk: What is your specialty as a Realtor?
Alana Mey: I’ve developed a specialty in helping clients who plan on relocating to the Bellingham area. This is due to my strong track record of closing on homes for people who live out of town, out of the state and the country. I utilize a handful of skills specific to helping people feel comfortable about moving to the Bellingham area. I find neighborhoods, homes and property details best suited to their needs.
Communication and attention to detail are very important. I believe my ability to communicate effectively puts people at ease, makes them feel confident, helps them attune to the market and can process the transaction as a whole.
WhatcomTalk: What is your favorite part of the job?
Alana: Hands down, nothing beats the feeling I get when I give my clients their congratulatory call! We all get together and reminisce about how we won our home and discuss all of the highlights. I’ve met so many amazing people through this career and I cherish every relationship I’ve made as a result. Nothing beats this job!
WhatcomTalk: What are some of your personal passions and why do you pursue them?
Alana: A personal passion of mine, outside of real estate, is fitness. I love starting my day with a good workout and have a hard time getting going without it. To make a cheesy housing reference here, working out in the morning before any other part of my day serves as the foundation to the rest of my day. You can’t build a good structure on top of a bad foundation, and that is why I make my early morning “me” time a priority. This is usually my only “me” time all day and I take advantage of it to the fullest!
WhatcomTalk: What’s your favorite realty story?
Alana: Ten years ago, my husband and I bought our first home in the Columbia Neighborhood. We’re both into modern architecture and spent plenty of time over the years strolling the neighborhood talking about our favorite homes. One we enjoyed in particular had a modern aesthetic from the outside but from the street it was always hard to figure out what its interior configuration was like.
We’ve since moved out of the neighborhood but still read the Columbia Neighborhood newsletter for the “Haves and Wants” updates. Recently, a Columbia neighborhood couple posted a notice they were planning to sell their home the following year; it turned out to be the same home we had always been so curious about!
I wrote the owners an email with a buyer in mind, hoping for a little more detail to see whether it would be a good match. A year after the initial email, I got a call from the owners telling me they were interviewing real estate agents and asked if I wanted to be one of four they planned to interview.
It was an honor to meet with them and tour their home. I prepared my listing presentation and was stacked against some heavy competition. Nonetheless, my passion for their home, market knowledge and quality of service got me the job. And getting the job was just the beginning; from there it was endless fun prepping a 1950s modern home for market. Four days after it listed, I sold the home for 109.76 percent of list price!
