When the 2026 RealTrends Verified rankings were released, Susan Gregory earned one of the highest honors in residential real estate: the No. 1 ranking in Tennessee for individual agents by sales volume in her category.
For Susan, the recognition is the result of more than three decades of hard work, resilience, and a commitment to serving clients at the highest level.
A Career Built on Persistence
Susan's path into real estate wasn't a traditional one. After working in the banking industry, she realized something important.
"If I can sell banking products, I think I can sell real estate."
But there was one challenge: she couldn't afford to leave behind a steady paycheck. To bridge the gap, she accepted a position with a home builder that offered a salary while she learned the business.
That decision would change the course of her career.
While working for the builder, Susan was introduced to one of Middle Tennessee's top real estate leaders, Rick Bell. Eager to make an impression, she scheduled an interview.
Rick sent his sales mangager to meet with Susan. The interview didn't exactly go as planned.
During a lunch meeting at Shoney's, Susan accidentally spilled salad dressing on herself and walked away convinced she had blown her opportunity.
Most people would have moved on.
Susan didn't.
She sent a hand-written thank-you note. She made a follow-up phone call. When she still hadn't heard back, she typed a detailed letter explaining why she wanted the opportunity and promising to give 110 percent. After no response, she called again and left what was to be the a final message.
That persistence caught Rick's attention.
When he finally called her back, what was expected to be a three-stage interview ended with one interview and being hired on the spot.
"Anyone who follows up the way you did for a job interview will definitely follow up with our clients" is a perfect fit", he told her.
Becoming "The Cleanup Kid"
Susan quickly built a reputation for taking on challenges others avoided.
She was assigned to struggling subdivisions and unsold lots—communities where sales had stalled and momentum was lacking. Time and time again, she turned them around.
Her success earned her a nickname: "The Cleanup Kid."
One of her biggest opportunities came when she was assigned Sullivan Farms, a flagship community that would become a defining chapter in her career.
Within a year, and sharing a porta-potty with the builders, Susan had more than 110 homes under contract.
The achievement solidified her reputation as one of the most effective new-home sales professionals in the market and laid the foundation for the business she would build over the next 30 years.
Lessons Through Adversity
Not every chapter was easy.
After years of success, Susan experienced one of the most difficult moments of her career when leadership changes led to her departure from a company she had been deeply devoted to.
Looking back, she now sees the experience differently.
"I don't think I would be where I am today had I not gone through that," Susan says.
The setback became a turning point, reinforcing a lesson she has carried throughout her career:
God has a plan, and in time, it reveals itself.
A Foundation That Still Serves Her Today
Susan credits her 5 years in onsite sales with giving her an invaluable education.
Working directly with builders taught her how homes are constructed, what belongs in a contract, how to navigate challenges before they become problems, overcome objections and how to guide clients with confidence.
