REALTOR® Profile, Margo Wheeler
When Margo Wheeler started her real estate career in 1993, she brought with her 20 years of military experience. Having advanced to the position of First Sergeant during that time, Wheeler knew full well what it means to take care of soldiers and their families. She also knew that she wanted her second career to be one that wasn’t restricted to certain hours, and where she should set and achieve her own financial goals.
“Real estate was ideal because I had a sphere of influence that included many military families,” says Wheeler. “When I went through the experience of purchasing my own home here, I knew real estate was something that I really wanted to do.”
A John L. Scott broker since 2016, Wheeler says the company has taken an active role in helping to support a more diverse, inclusive industry. For example, she says the company offers the At Home with Diversity course to brokers, and at no cost. “Lennox Scott put a phenomenal diversity initiative in place,” says Wheeler. “As a result, diversity, equity, and inclusion are now hallmarks of what John L. Scott Real estate is all about.”
A military relocation specialist who holds NAR’s MRP designation, Wheeler says her strong suit is working with both active duty and retired military members. A past national president of the Women’s Council of REALTORS, she gets quite a few referrals from other agents—an honor that she doesn’t take lightly. “Anytime you refer your son, daughter, or other family member to a broker or agent,” says Wheeler, “it's because you know they’re going to be taken care of.”
Having served on NAR’s Diversity Committee; served and chaired WR’s Diversity Committee; and actively involved with the Tacoma-Pierce County Association Diversity Committee, Wheeler also teaches NAR’s At Home with Diversity course. For her, diversity means acknowledging, accepting, and respecting one another as unique individuals, regardless of their customs, qualities, or traditions.
“It’s not about tolerating, but rather accepting, appreciating, and moving from prejudging or prejudice to curiosity,” says Wheeler, who adds that the industry is making progress in this direction, but that there is still room to grow. “NAR is doing a better job than it has in the past. We’re on a path now where we can make a difference.”