It Takes a Village: Sponsor Profile
When asked about West Village Realty, you’ll find that Sarah and Wendy (founders and owners) will talk more about the people they impact than the real estate they sell. For the team at West Village Realty, being connected to the community and investing in causes that they are passionate about have become not just an idea but a practice built into the fabric of their company. Causes like mental health, foster care and education are important to Sarah and Wendy, and the ability to give back to these communities are a driving force behind what they do.
But a mother-daughter real estate brokerage wasn’t always the plan. While Wendy has been in real estate since 2004, her daughters Sarah and Hannah earned degrees in photojournalism and education respectively. However after college her daughters caught the real estate bug and decided to join Wendy in what has become the family business. Having been at a few bigger brokerages they learned what they liked and didn’t like about being in real estate and 2 years ago sought to venture out on their own and build a brokerage that had all the great things they loved, and thus, West Village Realty was born.
From left to right, Sarah Harnett, Wendy Foil, Hannah Shireman
West Village Realty itself signifies their dedication to their roots as well as their vision of how they can be a part of something bigger than themselves. The word West comes from Wendy’s maiden name, and serves as a reminder to them that the West family has a long history in real estate, including great-grandmothers, aunts and uncles. The word “Village” signifies not only their office in Prairie Village, KS but also the idea that it takes a village to create a better future.
On the real estate side, this means making real connections with clients, and ensuring that they earn the trust of all those that they help.
“You really do get us, and we are very hands-on and very engaged with our clients,” Sarah said when asked why people choose West Village Realty. “We don’t look at it like a transaction, it’s a relationship. We really care about our people.”
The mentality of putting people first has served this team well. Two years into this journey they are ranked in the top 1% of realtors in Kansas City with over 2,000 homes sold. They are proud of the fact that not only is the business healthy and thriving but they are able to use it to give back to those who have invested in them and the community around them by hosting over 100 client appreciation events, and donating both money and time to causes like Startland EDU.
With an unending number of deserving causes and organizations it’s sometimes hard to decide where those limited resources can go. But for the West Village Realty team it all goes back to relationships and passions. That’s where the other family industry comes into play. As mentioned before, Hannah has a degree in education, and that might seem out of place in a family with a long history of real estate, but it seems like everyone in the family who isn’t a realtor is an educator. Sarah’s husband and Wendy’s husband along with some other close and extended family have all served as educators in some fashion or another and the ability to support organizations that are doing work in education is another way that these women honor those around them and who came before them.
But for Sarah, supporting Startland and the Social Change Internship (SCI) isn’t just about the work that is being done now, but the systems and opportunities that programs like these create for those who come next. As a mother of two daughters and an owner of an all-women real estate team, she understands that the work that these students are doing today have a very real impact on the lives of women who will come after them, including her own daughters.
“I have two daughters and know how important this generation is to impacting the world and the community and it starts with things like SCI, ” Sarah said, thinking about the connection between the work the students in the Social Change Internship were doing and her own daughters. “I just think it’s so amazing, and I already see a little bit of that in my girls. Caring about others. They care so much about people.”
Some more about Sarah and Wendy (Hannah couldn’t join us for this conversation):
Q: What is your favorite Pop-Tarts flavor?
A: Wendy - Cookies and Cream. Sarah - Brown Cinnamon Sugar
Q: When was a recent time in which you were inspired by someone?
A: Sarah’s third grader has recently gotten into running and decided that she wanted to run a Thanksgiving 5K. She worked hard at it, training after school and in her free time to build up to running in a race. Come Thanksgiving she hit the pavement and completed her 5K with mom!
Q: Why should the community invest in Startland EDU?
A: Sarah “The way that this work permeates. It affects each of us, especially education and especially youth. That’s our future, so it just feels like we are planting seeds and if we’re giving in the beginning stages with kids and youth there is so much more of an impact. There’s something so uplifting about being in that environment. There’s hope. It just feels hopeful.”
In the end, this mother-daughter team has committed to a path that builds not only a business but also a village, capable of investing in and supporting causes that they are passionate about. We are thankful to have them as part of the Startland family. To get involved like they did check out our get-involved page on our website and consider making a donation. Thank you to Sarah, Wendy and Hannah and the whole West Village Realty team for your support.
