From the Stage to the Sale, Nancy Reagan Finds Success with Wit and Humor

The moment I received an email from Realtor Nancy Reagan agreeing to an interview, I eagerly picked up the phone to call her. It rang twice and before I could speak, the voice on the other end joked, “What took you so long?”

A trained stage actress, Nancy clearly knows her way around an opening line. Raised in East Texas and educated at Stephens College in Missouri and Syracuse University in New York, she moved to New York City to study at American Academy of Dramatic Arts. As a member of the American National Theater and Academy, Nancy appeared in off-Broadway productions for several years before moving her acting career to Houston. There,  she performed at Nina Vance’s Alley Theatre. The lady’s certainly got chops!

After leaving show business, she pursued a distinctly different line of work as the owner of a public relations and advertising firm. Then 18 years ago, she came out of retirement to take on yet another industry – real estate. Now, she brings her amazing and impressive array of experience to the team at Ebby Halliday Realtors.

You come to Real Estate as a third career. What drew you to becoming a Realtor?

“I love to travel so I got a real estate license so I could work and plan my time off without problems. And I like people, so it worked. I’ve been a Realtor for 18 years now.”

I’m fascinated by your history as an actress, but since this is about real estate, I’ll try to stay on topic. How do you use your stage experience in your work as a Realtor?

“Good stage actors are trained to listen well. Listening well, I think, is key to any success when dealing with different kinds of people. And in real estate, it is necessary to listen ‘between the lines.’ This keeps you from being caught off guard when the buyer or seller changes how they think, react, or respond. I know this sounds strange, but being an actor trains you on how to react or not react to situations.”

So what you’re saying is, you have a good poker face. What about a sense of humor? Would you say that humor helps in your work?

“Good heavens, yes. Without a sense of humor you can’t get through life. And laughter covers up a lot of pain. I’ve used humor with clients when it was appropriate to help them relax or to find a way to enjoy the process more.”

Motivated by the happiness and appreciation of her clients, Nancy is driven to provide the best possible service. To her, taking hands-on approach means always being available and building a relationship of trust during one of life’s biggest financial decisions. Though Nancy has worked with clients all over the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, she specializes in the Dallas neighborhood of Les Jardins and areas south of Interstate 635.