Ozark Living

OZARK LIVING • SEPTEMBER 2017 • 27 Addi McNeel NWA Democrat-Gazette Suzett Sparks was recently announced as the Northwest Arkansas Board of Realtors' winner for Realtor of the Year award. Sparks is the Managing Broker and Senior Vice President of Lindsey & Associates, Rogers offi ce. She is also President of the Board for the Northwest Arkansas Board of Realtors. In spite of her many professional achievements, Sparks said she was completely surprised when she was announced as the recipient for the Realtor of the Year award. "I did not expect to win at all," Sparks said. "In fact, I was trying to nominate other people." Because Sparks won Realtor of the Year, her duties next year will be to chair the committee. Sparks said that she remembered the Realtor of the Year award announcements from back when she fi rst got into the real estate business. Twenty-two years ago Sparks started selling real estate at the age of 21. She was going to Northwest Arkansas Community College when she decided to try selling. Sparks has been with Lindsey & Associates for 20 of those years. Even though Sparks was not exposed to the real estate industry early on, because no one in her household was in the business, she still felt a pull in that direction, so much so that she never really considered any other profession. Sparks said her drive and her passion for the business comes from the people that she works with and those she gets to help. "I just have a love of houses and helping people," Sparks said. "When they gave me the award I said, you know the best part is just the friendships that you make both there on the board and with the people in this offi ce. ey are my family." Sparks said part of the reason she was surprised that she won the Realtor of the Year award was because there were so many other deserving people who could have won it. "I still cant even believe that I won," Sparks said. "I know with a point system there are a lot of things that they look at, but I would have to think that there were other people who were probably more qualifi ed than me." Callie Fletcher, the Relocation Director for Lindsey & Associates, Rogers offi ce, said she has been working with Sparks since 2010 and that no one was more deserving of the award. "She does it all," Fletcher said. "Both at the board and here at the offi ce. She has been in real estate for so long, her experience and expertise is just one of a kind." Fletcher said that Sparks created the Relocation Department at the Rogers offi ce and was the director until they hired Fletcher to take her place. "She can answer any question or solve any problem," Fletcher said. "If someone thinks something is a big ordeal, I promise she can fi x it and it will all be fi ne. She has to deal with problems all day every day but she is the one that can do it." Sparks said she loves helping people, and it is obvious by the way she continuously seems to put others' needs above her own. She explained that the reason she doesn't sell homes any more is so that she isn't competing with her agents or giving herself an unfair advantage. "When Mr. Lindsey came to me and asked me to do this job, I told him the only stipulation is that I wouldn't compete with the agents," Sparks said. "I told him I want to give them all of my love and attention. I don't want to be out showing and not be available. But also, I would never want them to think, if someone called in and said 'I want a good agent,' that I took that myself." Fletcher said that having Sparks put others' needs before her own makes her one of a kind and one of the most loyal people she knows. "She would do anything in the world for anybody," Fletcher said. "She's just always there for you. You can call her at any time of the day and she'll be there. I always just say I'm blessed to know her and have her." As for the future, Sparks intends on staying exactly where she is while helping to grow and expand the company. She said her co-workers are like her family and she wouldn't want to be anywhere else. "We're pretty full here in our current space, so I think we're going to build a new building next year," Sparks said. "So my future plans are just to grow this business that I love." Suzett Sparks of Lindsey & Associates Rogers wins the Realtor of the Year award rprised e Year trying to ar will be Realtor of nto the he age of e when sociates ustry , she still onsidered r the e she gets aid. is d won with would more ociates, 10 and e at ce and ent at the take her her said. an fi x it ery day he wn. She o that she vantage. ob, I told gents," her. As for the future, Sparks intends on staying exactly where she is while helping to grow and expand the company. She said her co-workers are like her family and she wouldn't want to be anywhere else. "We're pretty full here in our current space, so I think we're going to build a new building next year," Sparks said. "So my future plans are just to grow this business that I love."

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