Dallas' diva of real estate, Jennie Ling of Henry S. Miller Realtors, has been named the company's top producer once again. It's a designation she's worn for 10 of the past 12 years. Ling was named best of the best out of 1,000 Henry S. Miller sales associates during the company's recent Achievement Gala in Dallas. And lest you think she's ready to take a break after all of that hard work, guess again. Ling isn't slowing down for a minute -- not even to savor this latest achievement in a long list of accolades.

"Jennie continues to be an outstanding asset to our company," Virginia Cook, president of Henry S. Miller Realtors, told the Dallas Morning News. "Having earned this honor so many times doesn't mean it gets any easier. Being the top producer takes a consistent, disciplined approach to business on a daily basis. It means being in constant contact with her customers and clients."

Instead of resting on her laurels, Ling seems to have risen to the challenge that this latest honor has handed her. "People want to know how I am going to help them sell their homes or find them a new home," Ling says. "The success of my clients is really what matters -- not my awards or trophies.

"When clients want Jennie Ling, they get Jennie Ling," she adds. "I believe that my clients deserve no less than my personal attention. There are no substitutes for enthusiasm, knowledge, and the sincere desire to please a client."

And Ling certainly has the knack for doing that. She has one of the highest repeat-customer ratios in the industry, generated from her insistence upon taking her clients through the entire transaction herself, without relying on a team of assistants. She calls 'em like she sees 'em. Take, for example, her advice to buyers ("If you like it and can afford it, buy it"), and her advice to sellers ("You need to look through the eyes of the buyer").

Ling began her career with Henry S. Miller Realtors in 1975 and didn't waste any time getting her feet wet in Dallas' residential real estate market. Since 1976 Ling has been a multimillion-dollar producer. In 1980 she opened the company's Preston Royal office as vice president, a position she also holds in the company's Highland Park office, which she opened in 1992.

Published: March 4, 1998

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