Dawn Johnson: S&K Realty Group

Queen City Review: Let’s start with you - are you from the area?

Dawn Johnson: [00:00:56] No, I'm not from Charlotte, although we've been here for about six years and we absolutely love it here. I mean, it just feels like home. We absolutely love it. But I actually grew up in California. I've lived all over the country. I went to school at the University of Alabama and don't hold that against me! And let's see, I've lived in Clarksville, Tennessee, which is where Fort Campbell is located. And I was a school teacher there for about 10 years. So we lived in Florida for 10 years. And now we're here in beautiful Charlotte, absolutely loving it. 

Queen City Review: Why did you choose this line of business?

Dawn Johnson: [00:01:36] Yeah, absolutely. So I was a school teacher. I actually specialized in special ed education and elementary education. And I loved my job. I really did. I love specializing all of the needs for every child and taking that curriculum and specializing everything. But it just comes to a point with a lot of changes and moves and things that I thought if I was going to be a mom, I needed to take some time and be able to focus on my own family. So after that, I've always had a love for real estate and realized I needed to make a change. I just thought that real estate was a wonderful transition for me, flexible schedule and just working with people in a wonderful way, still able to use my education background, which I love teaching people the process of real estate. So it's just really been a great, great thing for me. Absolutely enjoy it. 

Queen City Review: When did you get started in the real estate business?

Dawn Johnson: [00:02:43] Actually I started in 2005. It was the same year we actually relocated to Florida and it was just an amazing time. You know, the industry was booming, things were happening and it was an exciting time to be in real estate. So it's been almost six years now and I've seen a lot of different markets. You know, things have gone up and down and it's just been a lot of education, and a learning process for myself. But it's been so much fun. I've really enjoyed it. 

Queen City Review: What inspired you to keep going as you were getting your business off the ground?

Dawn Johnson: [00:04:06] Honestly, just working for myself, knowing that nobody's holding me back, I set my own rules, I set my own pace, I set my goals and everything that I do. It's because of the initiative that I put into it. So that's what I really love about it. And if you want to take a little break, you want to step aside a little bit, that's OK, too. But you just have to realize that as you're building and growing your own business - it's those little steps that you do every day, but it's going to have that lasting effect. So I like being my own boss and I like being able to set my own pace.

Queen City Review: When would you say that your business went from a concept to actually being functional?

Dawn Johnson: [00:05:07] So, I feel like I took it to a greater level when I decided to build a team because working for yourself, working one on one, you're really responsible for yourself. And as I step into the role as a team leader, I know now that I am taking action and the things that I do with the momentum that I have is creating that same for the whole group. So being able to lead and inspire and help other people reach their goals, I think that's when it really became a real business for me. Feeling like a CEO! 

Queen City Review: Looking back, what were the most difficult challenges you had to face?

Dawn Johnson: [00:06:02] Well, in real estate it has definitely been the things you can't control in the real estate market, you just have to adapt and pivot. So since 2005, there’s been a lot of things happening that you have to change your business course of action. And especially with this past year in 2020, I'm just so grateful. We have had so many different types of technologies that we can continue working the way that we do and still helping people reach their goals. But we sure had to pivot, lots of virtual tours and meetings. We had all kinds of different technologies to figure out things like how are we going to get someone who's out of state to purchase a home without ever seeing it. So that's one of the things that we've had to figure out. But it all works together and we've made it work. 

Queen City Review: What do you enjoy THE MOST about the communities that you serve?

Dawn Johnson: [00:07:22] Absolutely, it's the interaction with the people that we work with that's just definitely it's this the face to face, it's a one on one. It's the relationships that we can foster and continue and just the working together of getting those communities to work together. I just love that part of it. It's great!

Queen City Review: If a prospective client had to choose between you and 3 other agencies, what makes Dawn Johnson of S&K Realty, stand out?

Dawn Johnson: [00:08:49] Well, I don't know if you could tell for this interview, but hopefully people can sense my passion. I'm very passionate about the relationships, the quality of the service that we provide and making sure that we truly are getting you exactly what you're looking for. Because when you're talking about a home, that's your everything. That's where you spend your time. It's where you are going to have all of those family traditions and all those memories are made. It's such an important thing. And I just want all of my clients to know that we are working towards your goal. It's not about me. It is about you, what your family needs and getting you there just as easily as possible, saving your time and just getting you there with a smile on your face. And maybe we'll have a little fun along the way. But that's what I like to see, is that people know we have that VIP service. Absolutely love it.

Queen City Review: Where do you see your business going in 2021 and beyond?

Dawn Johnson: [00:09:47] Moving forward, we are continuing to grow. I'm starting my team, which is so exciting because every member of the team just shares the same vision and we all have the same passion to help people provide that service and just make sure that at the close of the transaction, you're not just a client, you're family. Because if you've gone through this process with us, we've gone through a lot and we are going to take care of you just like family. So building a team, working together and helping more families, that's what we see in 2021.

Queen City Review: Thinking back to day one, can you think of anything that you may have done differently to overcome challenges and to meet your business goals in a more efficient amount of time?

Dawn Johnson: [00:11:01] You're talking from day one? You are basically right at the beginning, day one? I joined a great brokerage that I loved in Florida, but I was a newbie and I hadn’t gone through the process yet. And I had to learn a lot of things on my own very quickly. And I wish that I had established myself with a team as a new agent sooner. I did eventually join a team, but I mean, I probably spent the first year or so on my own and it was great and I enjoyed it, but is a very high learning curve to come up with all of these things on your own. 

Queen City Review: What else would you like people in the Queen City to know about Dawn Johnson?

Dawn Johnson: [00:12:29] What else about me? Well, I would just say again that I would like people to take away and know that we are about service and value and finding what it is that you need and then coming up with a plan and a program of action to make sure that your goals are met. Because, again, we are about service, service, service and bringing that to every client, and every family that we work with. We treat you like family. We want you to know that we're here for you. And there may be a few bumps along the way, but we will get you through to the end.
​
If you're thinking about buying, selling, or investing in real estate in the Queen City, here's how to find Dawn!

Cell: 980-308-5056
Website: sellbydawn.com
Email: dawn@sellbydawn.com
Instagram: @DawnJohnson_SKRealty
Facebook: @DawnJohnson.CLTRealtor
​Youtube: Dawn Johnson, S&K Realty