MORE ABOUT ANNE....

Persistence: Anne Wilson's Uphill Climb To Success In Real Estate
Brandice J. O'Brien, The Journal Record

"Do you know anyone who needs to buy or sell a house?" Anne Wilson recalled asking various unsuspecting homeowners on a hot and windy day in 1990, as the native Oklahoman and rookie real estate agent walked up and down the streets of Glen Eagles, a subdivision in north Oklahoma City.

"I felt like the slime of the earth," Wilson said while reflecting over a hot beverage in a local coffee shop.

Of the many reactions she received, two stood out. One woman blew her off while another - the first woman's neighbor - invited her over for dessert. Wilson went. At dessert, she got what she was hoping for, an answer to her question. She learned that the husband of the first woman - the one who wanted nothing to do with her - was the human resources director for Oryx Energy, a large oil company.

The connection was made. Oryx Energy was bringing in 30 employees from Midland, Texas, and they needed a place to live.

Wilson was on her way.

Soon, Anne Wilson and her mentor Charlene Wilson - no relation - called on the company, in hopes of assisting anyone moving to the Oklahoma City area.

"I did a presentation about the schools, hospitals, cost of living, leasing and quality of new home construction in the Oklahoma City and the metropolitan area," said Charlene Wilson, president of Paradigm Realty. She's been in the business for 31 years.

"Anne sold 17 homes and that really gave her, her start," Charlene Wilson said. "I'm generally able to tell what makes for a really great Realtor and right off, I thought she would be outstanding. One of the things that made her so great was her persistence - she would go out and get business, not wait for it to come to her. She was striving to make contacts."

Anne Wilson was also proud of her accomplishment.

"I was excitedly nervous because that meant there was a lot of work ahead in a new career," Anne Wilson said. "I was the talk of my office because people who had been at it for a number of years would love to have that. I was amazed and grateful."

In addition, she sold an exceptional number of houses that year and gained more recognition.

"My first year in business, I broke a record and sold over $3.3 million in sales volume," Anne Wilson said.

Despite her lucky break, Anne Wilson had not set out to sell houses. In fact she wanted to go to law school and even did well on the LSATs for Oklahoma City University. Real estate was something that was suggested by her mother. Anne Wilson thought she'd give it a try.

"My mom said she knew someone in real estate who makes a lot of money," Anne Wilson said. "I said, 'Oh, OK.'"

Fifteen years later, Anne Wilson is still selling real estate.

These days, she works with Paradigm Realty and is based in Edmond. She's been there for nine years and accrued a reputation and the loyalty of builder Eugene Freeman, president of Freeman Homes, who she met in the early 1990s. He constructs the masterpieces and she sells them; houses primarily range from $160,000 to $400,000 in the Edmond and Deer Creek areas.

"She has exclusively listed my real estate needs for me for the last 12 years," Freeman said. "She's the best there is. Obviously, I like her or it wouldn't be that long. She's a good Realtor and takes care of everything. Everything I build, she takes care of."

Anne Wilson has also benefited from the relationship.

"I have, I'm proud to report, steadily increased my sales and recorded over the past two years sales in excess of $12 million per year," Anne Wilson said. "I make it a priority to study the economic conditions and the latest real estate trends to ensure that I am equipped to represent buyers and sellers in any market condition."

Despite her accomplishments and continuous efforts, Anne Wilson is modest when it comes to talking about how she achieved her success.

"It's one foot in front of the other and I keep doing it," Anne Wilson said. "I could say I work hard, but so do a lot of people."

Wilson can offer a plethora of advice to rookies.

"Be prepared to work hard," Anne Wilson said. "This is a service business. Get with someone who has done it, ride on their coattails, and learn from them. You have to be willing to work hard."

Her knowledge, hard work and roots in Oklahoma City make her an asset to the real estate business. She's seen the area change from a quaint rural community to the next big thing.

In fact, in the last three to four months Anne Wilson helped relocate an entire family - extended family included - from California to Edmond, because it was where one woman wanted to go.

"I've made good relationships over the years," Anne Wilson said. "That's really the key to the successful business. If I didn't do a good job with one member of the family, I wouldn't have gotten the next and so on."

Aside from the influx of newcomers entering the Sooner State, Anne Wilson has seen the area change and flourish. Edmond is one of the better examples.

"There was one high school in Edmond and now there are three," Anne Wilson said. "Schools alone show us what kind of growth there is."

She's also seen the growth of properties, which helps keep her in business.

"I've seen residential areas that were not nice in 1990, that are very nice now; they've appreciated, almost doubled," Anne Wilson said. "In 1990, there was the natural barrier of Interstate 35. It is an uphill climb as far as new ground being developed. It used to be that you didn't go past I-35 and now the growth has been exponential in the past few years."

Brandice J. O'Brien reports on real estate, technology, manufacturing, entertainment, tourism and media. You may reach her by phone at 278-2846 or by e-mail at brandice.obrien@journalrecord.com.

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