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Meet Trailblazer Tina Williams

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Tina Williams.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
When I tell people what I do for a living; realtor and novelist, I usually get a pretty stunning response. They ask me if my goal is to be a writer full time, assuming one is what pays my bills (they’re right) and one is what I want to spend the rest of my life doing (they’re partially right).

The truth is, my passion has always been around homes. I knew I’d do something regarding that – whether it was architecture, interior design, or real estate. I remember sketching floorplans of homes when I was ten years old. I went to college for interior design and eventually started my real estate career. Real estate is my love. I love being so close with clients for the few months I work with them to help them into the next chapter of their lives. And I love homes just as much so it’s easy for me to get excited along with them.

Writing came by accident. I’ve always been a voracious reader. I would get lost in Stephen King and Dean Koontz books for as long as I can remember. There’s no better escape than getting lost in the pages of great literature. One of my favorite books that completely swept me away was Memoirs of a Geisha.

One day, when I was taking a bath and listening to the radio a song came on that struck this image in my mind. The image was so strong that I had to get out and write out this ‘scene’ in my head.

That scene became the opening chapter of a book I had no idea I was writing. I began writing this story and couldn’t stop. Three months later, I had written an entire book, my first book. I couldn’t believe it. But this book was only one part of a three part story. Somehow I had this entire world in my head planned out. So, I immediately began writing the 2nd part of the story and six months after that, I had my 2nd book written. I had become someone who never so much as a thought of writing a book to someone who had written two in one year.

Those books soon got published; Bohemian Grove and Sun Gate.

Over the next nine years, I went on to write 24 more books. Everything from horror to science fiction to twisted fairy tales. Today, my writing has taken on a completely different direction as I’m writing historical fiction. I’ve been pegged as the accidental writer and I proudly own that. 17 of those 23 books have been published and are in print.

That’s why I tell people I sell homes by day and am a mad writer by night. My writing spills into real estate because everything is a story for me. I love learning people’s stories, I love learning the story of a home because truly – a house has a story to tell. These walls can talk if you listen hard enough.

Every home tells a story…

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Is there such a thing as a smooth road? Both of my career journeys have definitely gone through dark woods. While I was in real estate school my father suffered an aneurysm and ended up in neurological ICU. I remember going to night school and then driving to Phoenix and sitting in the ICU listening to the machines and my father’s ragged breathing. I’d type away at the computer while he slept…. typing up my next book. Then the next day it was the same thing. Take my son to school, go to work, pick up my son, go to school, then go to the hospital.

My dad was released after two weeks and I remember being able to take my test… on father’s day. I passed my real estate test on the first try and called my dad to tell him. It was the first (and last) time I ever heard him cry. He was thrilled for me. The next two years were the most difficult of my life. He steadily declined until he passed away. Trying to launch a real estate career while caring for an ailing father tested every bit of our lives.

It was also around this time that my publisher – who had the rights to seven of my titles – and I came to ends. Thousands of copies of my new release book had sold and there wasn’t a single penny to show for it. This all happening while we were financially caring for my dad unexpectedly while starting a new career meant it was just one more nail in the financial coffin. It was the worst year of our lives.

I eventually got all the rights back to my books but never got more than $200 in royalties. It was the year of lessons. It would then lead to one of the best years of our lives.

Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
When people ask my clients what they like about me they always say that I keep my word, I listen to their needs, and I sincerely care about their best interest.

I love hearing this because it’s truly the most important thing to me.

I also pride myself on having great relationships with my colleagues. It’s a competitive business but it doesn’t have to be cutthroat. Having a great relationship with other agents only benefits our clients more. I want the other agent to walk away from our transaction knowing we both did the best for our clients. Life is too short to create stress for others.

When it comes to writing, I’m just the conductor of the stories that are in my head. I’m always just as surprised by what my characters do as my readers are. Like everything, I enjoy bending the rules and trying new things. Some of the best things happen outside of the box.

Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
My father was my hero and my best friend. My mother and I had a strained relationship, to put it lightly. She suffered from a borderline personality disorder and I’m sure some other disorders that never got diagnosed. She was mentally, emotionally, and sometimes physically abusive.

If it weren’t for my father, I’m sure I wouldn’t have been able to channel that into something positive and creative. I am who I am because of him. He was a pilot and aeronautical engineer and I wear an airplane necklace in memory of him. He truly was and continues to be the wind beneath my wings.

Contact Info:

Tina Williams is a licensed realtor with Walt Danley | Christie’s International Real Estate

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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