In Good Company: Morgan Pankratov
Morgan Pankratov serves as the supervisor for our Client Acquisition Team. She was born and raised in Newnan, Georgia and attended the University of Georgia. Her dedication to the constant growth of her department and her team are just one of the many reasons why people love working with her! She constantly pours into others and for that reason, Mark Spain Real Estate is thrilled to highlight Morgan Pankratov as our next In Good Company Member!
Tell us about you, Morgan Pankratov! Where you were born, what do you enjoy in your free time?
I was born and raised in Newnan, GA where my entire family has lived for generations. I’m an only child but have a huge extended family, so I grew up surrounded by cousins who felt like brothers and sisters. From what seems like the time I could walk, I was enrolled in every group activity imaginable.
I did everything from tap dance to art class to softball, I think my parents were trying to socialize me to make me normal. I’ll let you be the judge on if it worked or not! I used to hate trying the next new activity because it meant learning something completely different than I was used to. Now I’m so thankful that I was forced to try a ton of different things because it taught me to be open to change!
Eventually, the activity that I ended up sticking with was golf and I still play! What I love about golf is that it’s not only physically demanding, especially when you’re walking 18 holes and carrying your bag, but it’s a tough mental game. As with most things in life, if you start to overthink something it will inevitably go wrong. Golf is the same.
In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family. We are always trying out new restaurants around town or discovering the latest workout class. I also love spending time with my 2 dogs, Lucy and Rooney. I’m an obsessive “Dog Mom” so I love taking them everywhere with us. We can often be spotted at Truck and Tap in Downtown Alpharetta hanging out by the food truck with our pups!
What was life like before Mark Spain Real Estate?
I lived in Athens and attended the University of Georgia where I studied Advertising. Most of my time in Athens, I worked at Chick-fil-A. I quickly worked my way up to a manager role and loved every minute of it! It was a lot of hard work and long hours covered in milkshake spillage, but it was extremely rewarding.
The most valuable lesson I learned there was that leading with a servant’s heart will always serve you well. I learned how to work with people from all walks of life, from single moms trying to get by to college kids like myself looking for opportunity. Not only that, I even met my now-husband there! I won him over while I was in my most stunning form – black rubber shoes and a headset.
After college, I continued my work with Chick-fil-A when I took a Marketing Director role for a brand new store in Atlanta. While I enjoyed it, it just wasn’t the same energy that my previous store had and I eventually began to look for something else. This change led me to real estate and eventually to Mark Spain.
When and how did you become a part of MSRE?
I came to Mark Spain Real Estate in June of 2017. I had been working for a Mega Agent with Keller Williams for just under a year as his assistant. While working for him I was alone for most of the day and was quite frankly lonely and unsatisfied with my role. I was looking for a team atmosphere where I could get my feet wet as a licensed agent and learn from the best. Mark Spain Real Estate seemed like the perfect place for me, I would be able to learn and grow while being surrounded by top agents and an amazing culture!
I worked as a Buyer’s Agent for about a year at MSRE. My business was doing okay but I wasn’t necessarily feeling fulfilled and passionate about my role. I spoke with my director, Sara Archambeau, and explained how much I loved this company but that I couldn’t continue on as an agent. She was extremely understanding at a time where I was feeling like a complete failure.
Sara suggested a role in the Inside Sales Department. I wasn’t super familiar with that team but was looking for something more stable where I could have more influence, so I went for it. After speaking with Eric Lutz, the ISA Director, we came to the conclusion that an ISA role wouldn’t be right for me. I ended up being offered a Supervisor position over the Inside Sales team and was thrilled! I was finally back in my comfort zone, managing people, and was ready to get started!
What is your favorite part about the people you work with?
I love the fact that everyone working here has come to us from different walks of life! We are able to create a unified culture that supports everyone’s goals. On my team, I have members whose backgrounds range from a teacher to a recruiter to a real estate agent, and they all contribute something different! It’s great to have all of these different points of view and be able to come together as an integrated force.
What have you learned the most from working at MSRE?
Patience! I’m naturally a direct and impatient person. I’ve never been one to try to sugarcoat a message, and for the most part that has served me well in life. I’ve always been the person that someone goes to if they want the sometimes harsh truth. However, in my current role, I’ve realized that you need to somewhat mirror your approach to your team members.
Not everyone can receive a message in the matter of fact way that I naturally deliver it. I’m in no way perfect, but I do try to be more understanding and patient leader. That probably wouldn’t be the case now if I hadn’t been able to learn from the leadership team.
What are your passions in life outside of work?
Exercise! Exercising is almost like my meditation. If I’m feeling stressed or need to clear my head, I’ll make my way to the gym. It’s a way to great way center myself and burns some calories along the way!
What is a hidden talent that you have?
I can clog dance! No, we don’t wear wooden shoes, for some reason that’s always everyone’s first question! It’s very similar to tap dancing, and I did it competitively for 12 years touring around the southeast.
Who inspires you in life?
My mom! She was promoting female empowerment before it was popular, working her way up in the tech industry which is known for being a primarily male-dominated field. She has a passion for helping other women grow in business, and I hope to follow in her footsteps. My mom has taught me to prove people wrong when they doubt you and persevere when you feel beaten down.
What are you looking forward to this year, Morgan?
I’m looking forward to fine-tuning our department’s skills. Our focus is on quality. We are moving full speed ahead when it comes to ensuring that every lead is treated with the best service. 2019 has been amazing so far, and I can’t wait to see what 2020 brings for us!
From the team
“Morgan is such an incredible asset to ISA and the entire MSRE team!! She truly cares about the company and making our department the best it can be to help grow the business. She supports a fun culture and environment and keeps us excited to come to work each and every day wanting to do our best to surpass any and all expectations! I greatly appreciate her positivity, humor, knowledge and so much more that she gives us consistently! We are so blessed to have her!!” – Shelby Lamkin
“Morgan Pankratov is a gifted leader and possesses a drive and determination to see that her team gets the support needed to be successful. She’s passionate about her role and the people she supports. This manifests itself in the way that she holds herself and team accountable, and is constantly seeking ways to improve on yesterday. Morgan has a personality and passion that breeds energy and drives culture. The team would not be the same without her, we love you Morgan!” – Eric Lutz
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Mark Spain Real Estate is grateful to serve all of Metro Atlanta and Athens in Georgia, Charlotte and Raleigh in North Carolina, Orlando and Tampa in Florida, and Nashville in Tennessee!
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