Posted 11:05 pm Sunday, July 08, 2012
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Kunzman Lives Her Business Life With A Smile
Judy Kunzman's business motto has always been "selling real estate with a smile."
For about 15 years she has been representing people trying to buy or sell a home.
"I've been very blessed," she said. "It's been a great business. I love it. I'm a people pleaser ..."
Mrs. Kunzman, 55, of Whitehouse, grew up in Tyler and she and her husband of 30 years, Kurt, have two daughters, Morgan, 26, and Kaylee, 22. She worked at Tyler Pipe until she had children. She was a stay-at-home mom but after her youngest daughter went to kindergarten, she felt lost, looking for something else to do. Her husband suggested she get her real estate license and she did, in 1997, at the age of 40.
Raising her two daughters while building her career was a "little bit of a challenge," she said. She wanted to be home with her children and "with this career, I was able to do that ... be the mom I felt I wanted to be for them." As her career grew, her daughters were growing, and they were able to see that a mother could be a professional business woman. She feels she became a role model for them.
Mrs. Kunzman started her career in 1998 working for Hearth and Home, a small real estate company in Tyler, before moving to Pirtle Real Estate. There she became a top agent. Pirtle was later bought by Coldwell Banker and Mrs. Kunzman and her team remained their top team for seven years, she said. About two years ago, she and her husband brought their team of eight Realtors they manage and moved to Keller Williams Realty.
"I get to please people," Mrs. Kunzman said of her business. "When the seller is listing their home, it's a very anxious time and they're very nervous and it's easy to hold their hand and guide them. And then also having a buyer come in -- to help them achieve their dreams ... Usually, it's a very happy experience."
The Judy Kunzman Team is a relocation/negotiation specialist and was voted in the top 1,000 Realtors in the nation this year by RealTrends.com, a real estate professional group that investigates the background and production of Realtors, she said. She was also ranked as one of the top 250 agents for RealTrend.com in 2012. Mrs. Kunzman said it is a really high honor for a Realtor to receive the ranking and she was surprised to get it.
Out of Keller William's 120 real estate agents in Tyler, her team has been named the top team, she said. "We formed the Judy Kunzman team after our business grew to provide better service and that personal home touch," she said.
The Judy Kunzman team serves clients in the East Texas area.
"I so love the area," she said, adding that they encourage people to move to Tyler to retire or to move to a smaller community to raise their families. "We try to represent Tyler the way we see it, and we love our town very much" she said. "I enjoy my business."
She said they have been given a lot of awards and she has stayed involved in the community throughout the years.
Mrs. Kunzman has been involved with the Whitehouse PTA and Choir Booster Club, as well as Tyler Symphony League and Junior League of Tyler. She is a director on the Whitehouse YesterYear Organization and she and her husband are longtime members of the Sharon Shrine Temple in Tyler, as well as the Greater Tyler Association of Realtors.
Mrs. Kunzman said she never thought she would have become a Realtor and didn't feel she could ever be so extraverted. "It's helped me blossom as a person," she said of the career.
"I have a lot of energy," she said. "I think I've been blessed with that."
She said with her eight agents and office staff working as a team, she feels they can give customers the ultimate service, whether they want to move to Tyler or upgrade or downsize from their current home. Every customer has different criteria they look for, she said, adding that it is one of the things she enjoys the most.
Mrs. Kunzman believes the fast-growing, strong company, Keller Williams, is one of the best companies to work for, she said, adding they shopped hard before choosing to move to the company. Mrs. Kunzman's office is at 6761 Old Jacksonville Highway.
She said she would not be where she is today without the support and knowledge of her husband. "Together as a team has put us where we are," she said.
Kunzman has been a Realtor for seven years and is also a sixth grade teacher at Holloway Middle School in Whitehouse.
"He inspires me and levels me out," she said of working with him. "He's a very good foundation for me."
She said they have worked hard to get where they are today. "Tyler is a growing town," Mrs. Kunzman said. Our interest rates are good. It's a good reason for people to come our direction in East Texas; I firmly believe in it. And it's easy to sell something you believe in."
If you know of a professional woman or business service in the Tyler area you think should be highlighted in this column, contact me at cmurphy@tylerpaper.com or 903-596-6289.
