Sadie Sparks already knows that she is not your average 19-year-old.
In the past five months, she has earned her real estate license, graduated from high school, moved to Dallas, and started a new career with Halo Group Realty in June. By July, she’d already closed a large deal and brokered two leases.
“I’m just trying to enjoy what I’m in and soak it up and learn from everything I go through,” she says. “There are definitely times when it’s hard, but I learn to appreciate it.”
Sparks says she has always been interested in the housing market but didn’t know where her skills would fit best. In her younger years, she considered architecture but ultimately decided that wasn’t for her. She also considered pursuing something in interior design but figured this wasn’t the best time to jump into that field.
When she began working a job last summer before her senior year of high school in Longview, her outlook on life began to change. She started earning her own money and reaching personal financial goals. Spending a fortune on college didn’t seem like a good investment. After talking with her mother, she figured why not get her real estate license while finishing school. Her plan was to move to Dallas where she saw better opportunities than in her hometown.
“I decided that I was also going to make it a little harder on myself and expand,” she says. “I want to meet new people and do something different. I don’t want to be comfortable.”
While taking courses at Champions Real Estate School, she attended a presentation from broker Nicole Piccola of Compass Real Estate, who also started at a very young age. Sparks saw exactly who she wanted to be and reached out to her.
“I was super honored and humbled,” Piccola says. “When you are so young and have this passion it’s a really special thing.”
Piccola was immediately impressed with Sparks’ drive and ambition. She also knows first-hand just how difficult it is for a young female in real estate to get started and not be taken advantage of. It’s something she still deals with today even though she’s now well established in the industry.
“When you’re young, people second guess you and question what you are willing to do and how far you will go,” she says. “You have to continue to gain knowledge so that when you are questioned, you’re on the top of your game.”
At first, Piccola considered adding Sparks to her team. However, based on where her business is now, she didn’t know if she could properly mentor her. She then referred Sparks to Kevin Caskey at Halo, the person who helped her get started in the industry.
Caskey says that he liked Spark’s determination and wanted to help her grow and become successful in real estate. He was also impressed with her social media skills and believed her marketing would do well, especially among younger clients.
Sparks says that she’s still developing her online branding but likes having fun with her Facebook, Instagram and TikTok feeds. Her goal is to meet more people whether it’s through interactive social media or just getting out there and meeting them the old-fashioned way.
As she grows her business, Sparks hopes to help as many people as possible and inspire them with their new homes. She credits her mother, Leah, for her entrepreneurial drive. Growing up she marveled at how her mom built a successful custom wall art company that now distributes items around the world.
“I got to sit back and see that I can do anything I want, and I don’t have to wait on anyone or be like anyone,” Sparks says.
