Meet Devon Doran: How This Single Mom Found Success in Real Estate 

Devon Doran owns a successful independent real estate brokerage in Wasilla, Alaska, that opened in 2018 and now houses over fifty agents who focus on residential, commercial, and property management. But not all success starts where you think. For Doran, her real estate career started as a fluke. 

After graduating from college at the age of twenty, her next few years were a whirlwind. “I got married at 21, had a child at 22, and was divorced that same year.” Following this series of events, Doran’s focus shifted to one thing – providing for her daughter. She began studying insurance with the intention of focusing on sales. However, her plans changed when a friend mentioned that she was stepping down from her role as an assistant to a very successful real estate agent. “That sounded interesting to me, so I asked if he would hire me in her place.” Five years later, she had worked her way from assistant to a high-performing real estate agent in his company.

After that five-year span, she decided it was time to find the next opportunity. “I was a good agent, but I always found myself drawn to more leadership and education opportunities.” In an effort to pursue her passion for educating others, she started educating other agents at the brokerage and she quickly realized that she had a gift for teaching others. 

She did so well that In 2017, Doran was offered to hold the position as the President of the Alaska Association of REALTORS which gave her the opportunity to travel and find new ways to conduct real estate. “I found out different ways that brokerages were being managed and it made me ask myself a question – am I going to be the person to bring these changes to Alaska?” In October 2018, Doran answered her question by partnering with her mother, Katherine, and opening Signature which initially housed only 5 real estate agents. That market only holds about 400 agents in the Mat-Su Valley so Signature had a very small market share.

Signature now has over 50 agents, was named part of the top 10 real estate brokerages in Alaska, securing the ninth spot on the list in 2021 despite being one of youngest brokers in the state. This kind of success can only come from one thing: a commitment to success. 

So, how can one reach this success like Doran did? 

Take Advantage of Mentors And Coaching

“Just opening this business alone was hard. When I first started, I wasn’t sure that we could do it. But people believed in me, and this allowed me to find success,” Doran said. 

When you have others mentoring and encouraging your endeavors, it takes off some of the burden and leads to better success. 

Always Be Resilient And Curious

The constant craving for new information goes hand-in-hand with resiliency according to Duran. Continually learning new things or finding new ways to conduct business will create a resiliency in yourself and lead to a successful business. “I have always been a resilient person. But the coaching helped me hone that in for business,” Doran said. In addition to helping her build her business resilience, her mentors taught her to be curious. “I’ve always been pretty headstrong about doing things a certain way and not changing, but they helped show me the importance of being open to new ideas.” This curiosity has led her to build a stronger understanding of her clients needs and her agents as well. The end result has been a better ability to help them meet their goals through education, creativity in closing deals and more.

Strive For Excellence

Striving for excellence in every aspect will ensure quality work, quality employees, and a quality business. Doran only hires the best of the best as agents for her brokerage. She doesn’t look for agents who make the most sales, but she hires them based on the quality of their service offered to customers, having the best negotiation skills, and knowing the best tools to get offers accepted. The key to a successful business is having successful people involved with your business and excellent employees. 

Doran strives to always believe in herself while pushing both her agents and herself to be resilient, excellent, and curious. To learn more about Devon Doran and her success as the owner of a successful real estate brokerage in Alaska, visit her website or you can follow her on Instagram.