Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Alexis Magness

We recently had the chance to connect with Alexis Magness and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alexis, thank you for taking the time to reflect back on your journey with us. I think our readers are in for a real treat. There is so much we can all learn from each other and so thank you again for opening up with us. Let’s get into it: Would YOU hire you? Why or why not?
Would I hire me? What a great question. Here’s why I would absolutely hire myself. I am selfless, impulsive, manic, spastic, I obsess over things, and I know my quirks and use them to my advantage. I’m also a fearless leader, a hard worker, a puzzle solver, honest to a fault, and unfailingly optimistic. I know my limits and ask for help when needed and offer help when others need it. There’s no real estate transaction too large or too small. I love finding the needle in the haystack, the unicorn, the impossible. I love solving problems and helping people so real estate is the perfect medium in which to work.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name, Alexis Magness, means great defender of mankind. And yep, you guessed it, I have a really hard time with injustice. I believe all people are created equal and I’ll fight tooth and nail to make sure folks are treated equally, ethically, and justly.

I have aligned myself with not only a brokerage (Compass) that holds my values in esteem, but also a team (S4 Real Estate) that shares my mission. In fact, S4’s mission is to simplify one of the most complex transactions you’ll ever encounter: the buying or selling of real estate. Our mission is to serve with care, compassion and expertise, because real estate isn’t just about property, it’s about people.

Currently, I’m working on helping snowbirds with the purchase of their winter homes. There’s a cool, crispness about the mornings and they know they’ll be needing a place to nest very soon!

When I’m not immersed in real estate, I’m spending time with my talented, gorgeous husband (17 years married and counting), our two incredible kids, four amazing grandkids and our sweet cattle dog.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
My earliest memory of feeling powerful was when I applied to ASU in my early 30s, having skipped college after high school to raise a family. I received a letter that began “We regret to inform you…” It continued “Due to your high school GPA…” Turns out, my high school GPA wasn’t stellar, and even though I was applying for college nearly 20 years later, ASU still takes your high school GPA into consideration when you apply! I rebutted immediately with a letter that began “I regret to inform YOU that I cannot accept your letter declining my request for admission.”

Along with my letter admonishing them that they take meI I sent letters of recommendation from my boss (who was a lawyer at a well respected law firm) as well as my instructors at community colleges where I had taken some classes. I got a response that they were considering me but I had to take an aptitude test. Even though I tested into Honors English, ASU accepted me, albeit on probation. I’m happy to say, I made the Dean’s List and proved to them (and myself) that, as my mom always said, where there’s a will, there’s an A!

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I love the line from Forest Gump “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.” If you look at life as something sweet but ever changing, it’s much easier to digest. Because you’re gonna get a piece with nuts in it once in awhile!

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
I’m reading a book right now called “The Ride of Her Life” and it’s the true story of “a woman, her horse, and their last-chance journey across America.” The woman, a 63 year old farmer from Maine with two years to live named Annie Wilkins, decided to buy a cast-off horse and she and her dog and said horse traversed 4000 miles from Maine to California (well, I think they did, based on the summary — I’m about 3/4 of the way through the book)! I admire folks like Annie who had no money, no belongings and certainly no power, yet she had a drive and a desire to live her best life. To her, reaching the Pacific Ocean before she died was her goal and her unflappable character shines through on every page of this book. It’s a true testiment to the power of character.

Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
I’m absolutely doing what I was born to do. No one told me to be a realtor. In fact, my degree from ASU is a Bachelor of Science in Design!

After graduating from ASU, I worked in the marketing department of a law firm for several years and then became marketing coordinator for a real estate company here in the Valley. When I noticed the small brokerage needed help with, amongst other things, open houses, I got my real estate license purely to assist them, NOT to help folks buy and sell real estate.

As fate would have it, my husband and I were invited to one of his coworker’s homes for dinner in Desert Mountain. After dinner, the coworker professed he and his partner were thinking about selling their home. My husband piped up “Alex just got her real estate license!” I cringed. This was not why I got my license! I went back to my brokerage and told the owner what had happed and gave him the address. He said he had originally sold the house when the architect originally built it! I asked if he would co-list the home with me and teach me the ropes.

Needless to say, my first listing was this million-dollar plus home in Desert Mountain. As I was navigating the process of selling this incredible, contemporary home, I realized I was, indeed, helping people. Helping people move on with their lives. Helping people acheive their dreams. I was hooked. Thus, I’m not only fulfilling other people’s dreams, I’m fulfilling my own.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://www.alexismagness.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amagness26/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexismagness/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexismagnessrealtor
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/alexis-magness-s4-real-estate-compass-scottsdale
• Other: Google: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Alexis+Magness,+REALTOR+at+Compass+Real+Estate/@33.4972187,-111.9292799,762m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x872b0b3a6d2b61cd:0xcb00b60086629afb!8m2!3d33.4972187!4d-111.9292799!16s%2Fg%2F11rwx9lfpf?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAwMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D