Compass Realty Group’s Spotlight on Alison Blanchard
At Compass, our battle cry is to stay the course. We work hard for our clients by knowing where to go for answers and results. It’s the main reason our name is Compass Realty Group.
Our primary goal is to guide others home by meeting their real estate goals and literally working to get the home they want. One way we stay the course and guide people into a comfortable relationship with us is by featuring our agents in our blog. By being transparent about our real estate passions and struggles, our experience in real estate, and sharing who we are at the heart, we give our community an opportunity to get to know who they can work with.
Each month we feature an agent and this month it’s our very own founder and owner, Alison Blanchard.
What Makes Alison Tick?
Alison grew up in Clear Lake as part of a tight-knit, large extended family. Throughout her formative years she battled through her share of struggles and trials as different people around her encountered illness or tragedy. A few big losses of people important to her, as well as traveling with her church to places that were severely less fortunate, laid the foundation blocks of her yearning to not be content with a mediocre life. She knew from a young age that her gratefulness for how beautiful yet painful life can be drove her to strive for excellence.
She went off to college with a desire to help others by studying psych rehab, intending to work with women released from prison sentences. Alison had no inkling of ever becoming a real estate broker.
In the twisty, winding way life can be, Alison eventually found herself married and living in Mississippi. While living in the south, she and her husband, Ben, began building houses. It soon made sense to Alison to not just build houses, but to sell houses.
She began her real estate career under the number one broker in the state of Mississippi. So, she learned from literally the best in the industry in her area. She took everything she learned and ran with it. Eventually, all the way back to Wisconsin.
A Bright and Burning Purpose
Once Alison was back in her childhood community, she was working for a real estate team, striving to make a difference in her hometown. Eventually she started her own realty group and founded Compass.
Alison says, “I really felt a strong calling to help people stay the course in life, family, and business. By starting my own company, I could do that in a way that made sense to me.”
Part of Alison’s vision through Compass is to not only help her clients achieve their dreams, but to help her agents do the same. She adds, “At the heart of every business decision I make, I ask the question, ‘Does this make sense for my REALTORS®? Will it not only drive our business forward, but serve them in a helpful way?’ I believe you can own a big business and still put your people first, help them thrive, and still make a living yourself.”
Besides serving the 12 agents who work alongside her at Compass, Alison also finds purpose in serving anyone who crosses her path. She feels a strong sense of gratefulness that she can do the things she feels called to do. One of those being the devotion to helping others fan the flame of their own bright and burning purpose.
Alison says, “I’m thankful for every day. I get up super early to put in the time to cultivate my best self. Getting up early also helps me prepare for opportunities to help people become who they are meant to be. One of my favorite things in life is helping people see how awesome they can be!”
One perk of being the boss at Compass Realty Group is the chance Alison has to come alongside amazing people, hear their stories, and help the agents obtain a life they love. In all areas of life…family goals, finances, the pursuit of travel, raising kids, and doing a job they love.
Roadblocks and Challenges
Alison knows that balancing both growing and running a business while working as an agent at the same time can be tricky. She finds this is one of her biggest professional challenges.
However, getting tripped up by challenges has never really been her thing. When it comes to encountering a roadblock, Alison’s philosophy is to, “Just push them over.” She does this through her strong problem-solving skills. Not that she has all the answers. But she can get fairly creative in looking at a problem from a different angle to come up with a solution.
She says, “Sometimes to get around a roadblock we need to create a ‘new road’ so to speak. The phrase, ‘It’s never been done that way,’ doesn’t resonate with me. At Compass, we try to forge new ways of doing things that might get people to say, ‘Even though it’s never been done that way, maybe it could be or should be.’”
Another challenge that Alison encounters but really enjoys are people who stretch her. She adds, “I love working with people who ask tough questions, savvy sellers, investors, and people who know what they want. It’s my job to step up and meet their requests and help them.”
Not a One-Woman Show
Although there are many blessings Alison is thankful for in her life, one of the biggest blessings is her support system of people who care for her. She knows she hasn’t achieved her accomplishments so far all by herself. It has required encouragement from many.
Married to Ben, she admires his patience, ability to build anything, the quality of his work, his faith, and the pride he has in his work and family. Alison says he balances her out with his calm and quiet ways. His willingness to excel behind the scenes makes the couple a balanced pair that does life well together.
As a mom to five children, Alison loves how uniquely different each of her kids are from one another. She finds them amazing and inspirational.
Another big part of Alison’s support system are her parents. She says, “They have been my biggest fans. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
She really appreciates being surrounded by so many amazing people, (friends, team members, community members) who allow her to be herself and teach her so much.
A Foundation of Wholeheartedness
Being a broker and an agency owner really plays to Allison’s strengths. And her passions. And her beliefs. This much is clear.
What is also clear is Alison knows Compass needs to stay the course to always be driven by purpose. She has big goals in 2023 for Compass and all the agents that are along for the ride.
Believing in God’s timing of events, Alison knows she’s also not called to just sit on the sidelines, waiting for opportunity to show up. She likes to do things with a sense of urgency because life is complicated and wonderful and sometimes hard. She urges people to, “Go after life and become who you were meant to be. Answer the call. Wholeheartedly.” These are the principles Compass was founded on.
Helping You Navigate Real Estate
If you have a home you would like to sell, or have real estate goals that include buying a home or property, please contact Alison. She would love to go to bat for you in the world of real estate. Please call her at 228.363.2478 or email her at blanchard.alison@gmail.com.
