Two Knoxville real estate professionals sit down to talk about service, roots, and what it actually takes to build a career that lasts in East Tennessee.

Casey Irwin and Lisa Dockery join host Rob Howard (@KnoxvilleRob) for their first-ever podcast appearance as candidates for the East Tennessee Realtors Board of Directors. What starts as a candidate conversation turns into something better: two honest Knoxville stories about how a career gets built.

Casey is a multi-generational East Tennessean whose family came from Loyston Point, land now under Norris Lake. He grew up in Norris, studied psychology and public health, and never planned on real estate. An executive assistant role with a commercial developer changed that. From putting out signs and lock boxes for Lucas Ho and Sharon Lang, he went on to open Keller Williams franchises, serve as a team leader in Washington DC, lead an office through COVID, and co-found Keller Williams Young Professionals, which grew into one of the largest chapters in the nation.

Lisa is a Knoxville native, a Karns High School graduate, and an interior designer by training. She has moved 18 times in 33 years, which means she has lived the buyer and seller experience from nearly every angle. She is also 20 years strong with Fantasy of Trees, the holiday event that has raised more than a million dollars in each of the past two years for East Tennessee Children's Hospital.

What we talk about:

• Growing up in Norris, Karns, and Polk County, and why deep local roots still matter in real estate
• How a psychology degree and an interior design background both turn into daily tools in this business
• Why volunteering and showing up generates real business (including a referral Rob traced back to a Keller Williams RED Day project)
• The reality of an industry where agents quietly disappear, and why a phone call can change that
• What the Realtor Party did to get real estate declared essential in Tennessee during the shutdown
• Knoxville's growth, the traffic complaints, and the Nashville commute that cures them
• Standard Nuclear in Oak Ridge, small modular reactors, data centers, and where East Tennessee is headed
• Why the Market Pulse report is required reading for investors and developers

Rob also shares the principle behind 23 years in the business: be out amongst 'em. Not cold calls. Not expireds. Showing up, staying in touch, and caring about people long enough that they call you when life changes.

Realtor members: voting for the East Tennessee Realtors Board of Directors runs September 16 through 18. Watch your inbox for the association email. If you unsubscribed, call the association and ask to be added back, and subscribe to the Market Pulse while you are at it.

About the host: Rob Howard is a Knoxville real estate broker with Keller Williams, host of A Knoxville Podcast, and author of Seller Secrets and the Frank Merchant mystery series. He has been helping people find their place in East Tennessee for more than 23 years, with about 90 percent of his business coming from past clients and referrals.

Thinking about buying, selling, or investing in Knoxville? Start at KnoxvilleRob.com or call 865.385.9070.

More episodes at RealKnoxville.com

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