CEO Spotlight: Jaime Brown, CEO of Tampa Homestyles

Jaime Brown is a luxury real estate agent in Tampa, Florida. Jaime left the corporate world in 2015 to work in real-estate full-time and establish her real estate brokerage company, Tampa Homestyles, in 2019 after holding high-level executive roles in Internal Audit and Business Performance & Process Quality. Over the past year, she has facilitated record-breaking sales through the popularity of her virtual business model, all while raising her family in the middle of an unpredictable pandemic climate.

What led you to create Tampa Homestyles? 

I believe the path to entrepreneurship begins with the desire to fulfill a vision. During the years I spent working in the corporate business world, I started to recognize limitations on how far I could go in my career. When you’re approaching the proverbial glass ceiling, you begin to identify the parts of you that are being held back – especially as a woman in an executive position.

My husband and I both held high-level positions, which were rewarding in their own merit but required us to compromise when it came to the lifestyle that we wanted for our family. We wanted to be building our family’s foundation rather than working toward the next promotion.

In 2008, when we were looking for a new home, our corporate brains immediately recognized parts of the process that didn’t sit right. We saw areas in the status quo of home buying that we knew could be improved. At the heart of it, I believed that we could do a better job of providing a positive experience for both buyers and sellers – and we knew that it was an opportunity to “jump off the hamster wheel.” Creating a unique real estate experience was the primary catalyst, but it was ultimately our desire to spend more time with our children that motivated us to go for it.

Most realtors would probably like to be considered luxury realtors; what do you think enabled you to make the transformation so quickly?

From the start, I knew that the luxury market was the best place to apply the expertise I had acquired while working for large corporations. My background is in corporate risk-management, which gave me the opportunity to work with executive-level individuals and truly understand the thought processes behind the major decisions that were being made. A lot of these criteria spill over into the real estate world.

Ultimately, the home you choose should be a solid investment in your future as well, and highly successful people are easily able to make those connections. I work really hard at getting to know my colleagues in the industries related to real estate – the bankers, developers, trade professionals, and even local physicians. By way of referrals, I quickly found myself in a niche catering to these community leaders.

There are more than 70,000 realtors in Florida. What differentiates you and Tampa Homestyles from other brokerages?

The name Tampa Homestyles says it all. We are much more than a team of sales associates; everyone in our company is a broker and has held an executive position in corporate America prior to becoming an agent. It is that extended level of education and experience that allows us to go further for our clients. We focus on our niche and are more familiar with the greater Tampa area than our competitors. By knowing our local neighborhoods and the businesses in them so well, we have an extensive comprehension of the Tampa market. Sure, we help our clients buy and sell all over Florida, but those deals usually stem from the quality of service we provide during local sales first.

Other firms want to be “everywhere at all times” – but that is not how we do business. Here, our core focus is on the buyer and seller experience. Buying or selling a home is a significant life event. As an entrepreneur, knowing that I can help make that experience amazing is what really energizes me. To me, that means genuinely knowing our clients’ needs. Having a deep understanding of their desires allows us to look beyond the house – blending the lifestyle they want with the home that fulfills it.

What makes Tampa’s luxury real estate market a worthy investment compared to other markets? 

The first and most important reason is the value in our housing market compared to the rest of the country. We are expected to grow in both value and total sales in the coming year – at a rate higher than that of Miami and Orlando markets. When you combine the profitability with the beautiful climate and the countless number of beaches that line our tropical coast, it is difficult to find a more pleasant place to live. Our downtown area, specifically the Tampa Water Street district, is in the middle of a $30 billion renovation project.

Along with the area’s growth, our entertainment factor is full of excitement as well. It’s a great time to be a Tampa Bay sports fan. Our Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team just brought home the Stanley Cup victory. And our beloved Buccaneers have welcomed Tom Brady to lead them to Super Bowl LV, which will be hosted locally at Raymond James Stadium. The entire area is growing in so many ways.

What’s your favorite thing about your chosen profession?

I feel fortunate that my work allows me to meet new people who love our community just as much as I do. My profession gives me the special opportunity to witness the pure joy and excitement that individuals experience when they purchase a new home. I always hope that my opportunity to help them find their dream homes will have a positive impact on their lives. Home transactions are deeply personal, and I want my clients, whether buying or selling, to come away from the experience feeling like it was a win-win scenario for everyone.

Being an entrepreneur also gives me more control of my work-life balance. It allows me to be available for my loved ones and support them in many different ways. My husband has been incredibly supportive of this adventure, which has fortified our family in ways that I did not expect. It has been incredible to see how the amazing qualities he possesses have influenced our children, especially during trying times like this pandemic. Working together as a family has deepened our relationships with each other. Again, it’s about the people in your life. Family is very important to me, and being able to show my children that trusting your intuition and pursuing your dreams with hard work and integrity pays off has been a great gift.

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