While Lisa Cannon from Century 21 Alliance Group has been in the real estate business for 34 years, it was always on a part-time basis mostly working with friends and family. Recently, a career switch has prompted her to take on a more full-time role as an agent for the Valparaiso-based realtor.
Cannon, who is originally from Lake County, moved to Valparaiso with her family when their children were young.
“We’ve been in Valpo ever since our kids started school,” said Cannon of their families move from Lake to Porter County. “The main reason we wanted to come to Valpo was because the schools were well known.”
Cannon started as a young mother working in direct sales which allowed her to choose her own hours. She became a manager of the Northwest Indiana region for a direct sales company and, around that time, also decided to go and get her real estate license.
“I’ve had my license for 34 years but I’ve never done real estate full time because I had other jobs,” Cannon said.
Getting her real estate license proved useful as Cannon would work with friends and family who were looking to buy or sell their homes over the years, and from there more clients came based on the referrals she had received.
In 1992, Cannon started working at Valparaiso University Law School and was there until May of 2016 when the department went through some downsizing. This prompted Cannon to get back into real estate now at a time when she could devote all of her time and effort into the industry.
“I told my husband, ‘maybe this is time that I get back into real estate and devote a little more time to it,” said Cannon. “I kept my continuing education up every year and I had never inactivated my license so that I could sell or buy for family and friends.”
Cannon has known Century 21 Alliance Group owner, Jeanne Sommer, for some time and this has helped allow her to keep one foot in the door of real estate while also working full time at Valparaiso University.
“Jeanne and I have known each other for many years and she had always been flexible in allowing me to use her offices on a referral basis,” said Cannon of her time doing real estate on the side.
In speaking about the real estate industry and making that her central focus nowadays, Cannon said, “I think in so many lines of work people aren’t always happy. Working with lawyers for 25 years it’s usually contentious and I’m thinking that in real estate it’s often their first time owning a home or they’re moving up to something bigger, and it’s a very happy time in their life.”
“I always felt like I was a service-oriented person,” she said. “The law school allowed me to serve my students in helping them to find jobs. Now, I’m looking to help people find homes that meet their needs. That’s usually a happy time and to go to a closing and hand off the keys to someone’s dream home is pretty fulfilling.”
Having transitioned into real estate full time this summer, Cannon is working to get her name out there through connecting with past clients and getting to know her neighborhood and the Valparaiso community.
“The cool thing is that Jeanne always encourages us, when we start the business, to send out postcards announcing that we’re in the business and I’ve just recently done that,” Cannon said.
“I know it will take some time to build up my business but I’m at a point where I have the time and flexibility now. It’s certainly more competitive and I’m still sort of determining my niche. I definitely want to concentrate on neighborhoods around me because in today’s world we go to our jobs and then we pull into our garage, close the doors and so few people interact. I’m thinking this is finally a way that I can get to know some of my neighbors and introduce myself.”
To find out more about Lisa Cannon and Century 21 Alliance Group, click here!