Over the course of their marriage, Ellen and Jim McLemore, along with their three kids, lived in approximately 12 different homes. Ellen McLemore moved to Louisiana when her husband’s job relocated her family. When she found out she was pregnant, she said that they did not “know a soul,” and she struggled to find a doctor.
Ellen McLemore said that she understands the feelings that accompany moving to a new place and feeling unfamiliar with the people or the area, driving her to become a real estate agent.
Stepping stones to real estate
Ellen McLemore attended Wesleyan College and received a degree in music education. Her passion for music and teaching led her to direct adult and children choirs as well as teach piano and music classes to elementary-aged children.
Shortly after Ellen and Jim McLemore got married, Jim McLemore’s job as chief financial officer for community banks relocated the growing family quite frequently. The McLemores lived in Washington, D.C., Dallas, Texas, Macon, Georgia and Lafayette, Louisiana.
“It was really sad every time I would move, and now, looking back, I’m grateful for it because I’ve made so many friends that I can just call and we pick up where we left off,” Ellen McLemore said. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
The McLemores moved to Athens in May of 2020, just as the city was shutting down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With limited options to teach music, she took this as an opportunity to explore a new passion: real estate.
“The choice was either sit around and twiddle my thumbs and pine away, or jump in and do something else,” Ellen McLemore said.
Ellen McLemore began to pursue a career in real estate because after living in so many houses and becoming increasingly familiar with the industry, she “fell in love” with it, she said. Also, her husband Jim McLemore encouraged her to pursue her real estate license.
“He was like, ‘We want to get to know as many people as we can, and you’ve always loved real estate, so why don’t you go for it?’” Ellen McLemore said.
Jim McLemore said that he also felt that his wife would excel at the new career change.
“She had a lot of experience with it and seemed to be very good at it,” Jim McLemore said. “She really did have that sort of knack for finding houses and figuring out how to improve them.”
Coming into her own
After years of teaching music and directing choirs, Ellen McLemore entered an entirely new profession.
Ellen McLemore went from a regimented schedule working at an elementary school to a career that allowed her to customize her schedule, which she described as a “big transition.” Additionally, Ellen McLemore had to learn the business and financial side of real estate, with her husband stepping up to mentor her.
“I have fun doing it with her,” Jim McLemore said. “My entrepreneurial side is living vicariously through her.”
Jim McLemore said that the most important thing he thought he could teach her was the fact that each transaction is different, as well as looking at the financial implications “particularly from the standpoint of the client,” he said.
Once Ellen McLemore mastered the behind-the-scenes of real estate, her personal flair began to flourish. Ellen McLemore said that one thing she does for her clients that sets her apart is “show them the local flavor.” Over the course of her career, she has established her own unique selling tactics that involve integrating new Athenians into the community.
Ellen McLemore frequently takes her clients around Athens to introduce them to her favorite eateries as a way to get to know her clients as well as introduce them to the Athens area.
“I probably could make a lot more money if I didn’t spend as much as I do on my clients,” Ellen McLemore said. “I think that a nice meal in a restaurant that I think they’re comfortable in, is so important so that they can get the feel for the downtown.”
Ellen McLemore values a small town atmosphere in her community, and she gives back to Athens with her musical talent and experiences. She said that she fills in for the organist at Alps Road Presbyterian Church, serves on the board of the Athens Symphony Orchestra and is the vice president of the Georgia Children’s Chorus in Athens.
Jim McLemore said that he thinks it is great that his wife can continue to pursue her passion in music, even though her professional path has taken her elsewhere.
“She’s spending the vast majority of her time on real estate, but it’s good that she can continue to be involved with music because that was her first love, that was her education,” Jim McLemore said. “Instead of being somebody who is directing something directly… she can bring her experience and expertise to those organizations.”
Not only does Ellen McLemore recognize the importance of serving her community, but she also appreciates it in her workplace, which is exactly what 5Market Realty, a local full-service real estate firm, provides her.
“I felt like I needed to be with a brokerage where there were more local people,” Ellen McLemore said. “I think to be a good real estate agent in a smaller town, you really need to know the town.”
Implementing social media
Ellen McLemore said that since she is not from Athens, she set her sights on selling to people who are moving to Athens from all over the country. In order to connect with these potential customers, she uses a modern tool: social media.
According to Ellen McLemore, the idea for pursuing social media to attract home buyers came from an online coach’s advice to build her online presence. At first, she attempted to manage her Instagram account on her own, but she said that she is “such a perfectionist” and had a difficult time. Jim McLemore recommended to his wife that she hire a social media manager instead.
“I think she was at risk of spreading herself too thin,” Jim McLemore said. “Even though that’s obviously a more costly way to do it, I think it’s turned out to be the right thing to do.”
Ellen McLemore’s Instagram page has over 1,300 followers and almost 700 posts, featuring properties around Athens, Athens trivia, tips for the real estate industry and more. She said that her most popular posts are the ones that dive into the history of locations around Athens.
Through social media and dedication, Ellen McLemore has built on her past experiences to bring people an enjoyable home-buying experience.
“I can feel for families that are moving,” Ellen McLemore said. “I have that experience of what it felt like to have to move and then to find the grocery store or a doctor. I just gave my newest client my hairdresser here.”