by Tina Rubin for Top Agent Magazine

Nicki Conway’s heart is as big as her business, which has everything to do with why she’s one of Sarasota’s leading agents. In real estate, Nicki found the one thing she was meant to do.

“Everything I had done in my life led me to real estate: I love architecture; I had been in marketing; I sold high-caliber printing products to corporations and advertising agencies; and then my husband and I owned a building supply business, where I managed a sales team. When we sold our business, I thought, Now what do I do? We had purchased and sold several homes, and I was fascinated by the process. When I was a child, my mother, who was a Realtor, would take me on listing appointments . . . so I had a good feel for the business. I thought I would love real estate, and I do. You finally find that one thing.”

“That one thing” includes people. Nicki loves helping clients through the process of buying or selling a home, and her joy in life is mentoring new agents, teaching them how to be successful selling real estate.

Her own success began with her website when she started her career in 2003. Leads came in immediately, and her first year she sold about $10 million. Then she discovered a new lead-generation company. They were a start-up, but she took a chance on them. She got one lead after another, and in two months, she had hundreds! Wondering how to take care of them all, she decided to build a team of referral agents within her brokerage. After that, business increased each year by a couple of million dollars.

Today her business comprises about 70 percent buyers. Her listings increase yearly and come mostly from past clients who are ready to move up or scale down. “It’s all about keeping a good database and building your pipeline, and then having a system to keep in touch,” she says.

Nicki uses a monthly system to keep track of her past clients. One month they’ll receive a quarterly market analysis; the next month, they’ll get a phone call or lunch invitation; the next month, an email. She also sends birthday card and “friends” clients on social media, commenting on their activities. From these activities, she has clients she’s sold five times over.
Sarasota and her Islands is a vacation homeowner market with lots of international buyers, especially from Europe and Asia. To be a well-rounded Realtor, Nicki felt it was important to be in those places, see them, understand the attitudes of people from other countries.

Of her many accomplishments, she’s proudest of her two children: a son who is an Award–winning Broadway musical producer/investor and a daughter who is an FBI counterterrorism agent. Having come from an underprivileged background and large family—eight siblings—she’s also very proud of what she’s done with her business.

To give back to the community, Nicki donates a portion of all her commissions to the Children’s Miracle Network and spends some of her time at Habitat for Humanity, helping rebuild homes for those less fortunate.

She’s also an avid walker, committed to three to five miles a day. “It’s important to stay fit, and walking reduces stress tremendously,” she says. With Sarasota’s beautiful parks, waterfront neighborhoods, bay, and beach, the time passes quickly, especially in the evening, when she takes her two dogs with her. It all contributes to the other thing she loves: telling and showing people all about her town!