Legendary Status
A prestigious honor underscores COMPASS Realtor Tammy Harrison’s devotion to going above and beyond for buyers and sellers.
Tammy Harrison feels fortunate to have spent more than 20 years as a leader in real estate, but anyone who has worked with her is not surprised by her longevity and success. She still gets the same satisfaction out of the work—educating clients, easing their minds during the challenging process of buying or selling a home, and guiding them to positive outcomes. In many ways feels like she was meant to be in this profession.
“There are careers and there are callings,” she says, “and I really feel called to do what I do.”
Harrison has felt that way ever since her college days at the University of Georgia and Campbell University in North Carolina. After graduating from Campbell, she envisioned starting in real estate right away. Some words of advice from her beloved father, however, led her to delay those plans and gain some life experience first: “You’ve never bought a house, you’ve never sold a house, you’re not yet dry behind the ears. Get some experience before you jump out there.”
She went on to enter the work force with various roles in corporate management and did quite well. A turning point came in 2001, when her father passed away unexpectedly.
“I was working for Xerox at the time as a solutions manager, and I couldn’t focus,” she recalls. “It was just too much for me, and then my mom got sick on top of it. Real estate school was supposed to be a diversion. When I started selling real estate, I knew very quickly that this was what I wanted to do with my life, and I have not worked a day since. I’ve worked hard, but it doesn’t feel like work. I’m extremely blessed to do what I do.”
Clients feel the same way about working with Harrison, a Realtor at COMPASS RE who focuses her business on the Main Line and surrounding communities. Such rave reviews are likely why she has received a rare distinction: Five Star Professional Legend. Five Star is a national company that uses objective research methodology, including extensive customer surveys, to recognize the top professionals in certain fields such as real estate. To reach Legend status, an individual must be acknowledged 10 years in a row.
Harrison has now been honored every year since Five Star came to the Philadelphia market. She is one of a precious Realtors in all of Pennsylvania to have earned the Legend designation. The 2023 Five Star Professional Legend list will be published in the October/November issue of Forbes.
“This award is about customer satisfaction, and that’s why I’m in this business,” says Harrison, who has built a loyal client base thanks to happy customers singing her praises to friends and family members. “When I started, the one thing I said was that if I make every single transaction that I do one that people will want to refer me for, at some point my business will run itself and I won’t have to spend money paying for leads. It’s been successful in theory and in practice, and along the way one of the things that I think is amazing is that I’ve found this whole real estate family.”
One of her clients even came up with a name for this group: Tammy’s Tribe.
“They love me and I love them,” she adds. “Now I’m beginning to sell houses to my clients’ kids. It’s like I’m the family Realtor, and it’s wonderful.”
Feeling as close to her clients as she does, Harrison is more concerned about their long-term prospects than her own financial success. She is determined to be honest and upfront about everything, especially when it comes to news a client might not want to hear. She makes a point of letting a client know about any drawbacks that pertain to a property—a long commute to the office, for example—or any issues that might require a future investment, such as a new roof.
With so many real estate agents in the market, Harrison differentiates herself through her many years of experience. She is also trained as an associate broker.
“Most people appreciate that I’m a professional and I’m educating them,” she says. “I’m constantly talking about what I see and how it’s going to impact the house, how it’s going to impact the outside, how the house is going to shed water—all those kinds of things that people who are buying a home, especially in the beginning, aren’t thinking about. They’re thinking about how pretty it is, how nice the kitchen is, and how they’re going to renovate the bathroom. They don’t think about the old pipes or the knob-and-tube wiring until you bring it to their attention.”
When representing sellers, Harrison has the empathy to understand that a couple might be emotional about moving on from the house in which they raised their family. Her background in sales and marketing has influenced her skill for pricing a home properly.
“I believe very strongly in determining who is the right fit for a house and then marketing to that,” she says. “In other words, if a home would be more suitable for a family than a couple, then you market it for a family. If the home would be better for somebody who would enjoy fixing it up, you market it that way, and highlight the fact that the house has good bones and you can make it your own. How you market can be just as special and specific as the people who are out there to buy your home.”
Harrison utilizes a three-dimensional digital walk-through tool called Matterport for all of her listings. She also offers to give video tours to buyers who are relocating from another city, which was especially helpful during the pandemic. She cannot say enough about her team, including a network of lenders and inspectors. Even after a transaction is complete, clients tend to rely on her for her recommendations for skilled contractors they can trust.
While some Realtors might see it as a burden to solve problems even after the sale is complete, Harrison loves nothing more than to create lasting relationships with her clients. She will continue to take that approach in a business that feeds her passion.
“When I close with somebody, it’s so exciting to see how excited they are,” she says. “Depending on where they are with their life, I see how else I can help them and put them in touch with professionals who can help them through whatever they need. I have clients who call me whenever something goes wrong in their house. I could go through a litany of different situations they present to me, but that’s what I want. I think that’s part of what makes me special.”
Tammy Harrison
COMPASS RE
(610) 822-3356 | (610) 520-2500 call or text
tammy.harrison@compass.com
COMPASS RE
(610) 822-3356 | (610) 520-2500 call or text
tammy.harrison@compass.com
Photo by Nina Lea Photography
Published (and copyrighted) in Suburban Life, September 2023.
