There’s no shortage of real estate agents in Northern Nevada, so how does one set themselves apart when opening a brokerage? Tayona Tate, a licensed real estate broker and owner of Next Home/Your Picket Fence Group, says it’s all about how you treat people.
With 23 years of experience in real estate, Tate struck out on her own last year, opening a brokerage franchise called Next Home.
“Our motto is humans over houses,” she said. In fact, that mentality helped Tate choose Next Home over other options. She said she felt the company aligned with her beliefs about serving people from all backgrounds. Approaching its one-year anniversary, Your Picket Fence Group is booming. She came up with a tagline years ago to represent the American dream, purchasing a home with a literal or figurative white picket fence.
While the brokerage is new—about eight months old—Tate has decades of experience selling houses in the area where she was born and raised. Her experience purchasing her first home set her on the path to real estate. A young, Black mother, Tate said the agent she worked with seemed to have specific ideas about where Tate, 20 at the time, and her husband could purchase a home. Instead of listening to her needs, he made decisions based on age and race.
“Real estate is and can be a beacon for other facets of life.”
“If you’re going to tell me that I’m not going to be something, I’m going to show you that I am,” she said. Tate knew she could do better.
“Our reach is pretty broad,” she said, adding the brokerage services Reno, Tahoe, Sparks, Carson City, Gerlach, Gardnerville and beyond. They have four agents splitting the territory but are looking to grow. “We hope not to exceed 25 agents.”
Regardless of what area is being serviced, the process is the same. Tate, who still sells, and her agents want to meet people where they are, embrace their cultures and find homes that suit their wants and needs. As Reno becomes a more diverse city, Tate said she believes there is a need for agents who make an effort.
She calls it meeting people halfway. “If your client is coming from a different country… it’d be nice to honor and dignify them in their native language,” she said. That’s why Tate makes it a point to learn small phrases and familiarize herself with other cultural celebrations like Ramadan and Diwali.
“I have clients who were single moms, or I have first-generation homeowners,” Tate said of her clientele. Sometimes, those buyers need a special touch, to be listened to instead of directed. For Tate, it’s about treating humans as humans and not a paycheck. “Ninety percent of the agents I know really care about their clients.”
To best serve Reno, Tate decided to center her business in Midtown. She said many real estate offices rent spaces in south Reno to appeal to a specific demographic. Because Tate is focused on helping all, she chose Midtown as a way to be central. Her brokerage sells houses all over the city—and beyond—but the central office location, she believes, helps with accessibility and attracting a variety of clients.
“The city is changing, and so are its demographics and ideas,” Tate said. And she intends to grow with it. Tate said her marketing strategies reflect that. While she won’t give away her secret recipe for marketing success, she did share that it involves using platforms that may not be typical for real estate and other unconventional marketing strategies. “We’re being a little bit more organic.”
Tate also said she is the first Black woman in Nevada to own a brokerage.
“There are adversities that can be faced and overcome,” she said, referencing her own experiences in Reno real estate and becoming licensed at age 21. “If they aren’t trying to give you a seat at the table, then build your own table.”
