Ozarks Profile: Janet Parsons

What is your job?

Agent, ReMax/Janet Parsons Team Realty.

Tell us about your organization.

ReMax, former-ly House of Brokers, has been in Springfield since 1979. The company's tar-get sales area is Springfield and Greene, Christian and Webster counties. ReMax, headed by Max Perryman, reported 50 agents, $197.3 million in gross sales and nearly 2,000 transactions in 1999. Parsons has been an agent with ReMax for 12 years. She established Janet Parsons Team Realty her staff of four within the company about five years ago, she said. |quot|I was the first in Springfield to use the team aspect in real estateI have hired specialists to show houses for me. I also have a courier and somebody who does my advertising for me. Instead of trying to do everything myself, I've found people who are very good at what they do. I mostly concentrate on the listings.|quot| Parsons said the team concept in real estate is quite common now, and she attributes her success to ReMax's allowing her to establish her team. Parsons said she'll end this year with 250 transactions.

What is your educational background?

Parsons has a bachelor of science degree in physical education from Missouri Western College in St. Joseph, which she attended on a tennis scholarship. |quot|I intended to teach and coach basketball before I moved to Springfield.|quot| She said she sold real estate and substitute-taught while waiting for a permanent job to open up in the Springfield school system, then decided to make real estate her career.

What jobs led you to your current one?

Parsons began her real estate career with Jones |amp| Company, where she stayed for 10 years before moving to House of Brokers in 1988. House of Brokers became ReMax four years later.

What is the best part of your job?

|quot|I think if you go to work every day at a place you enjoy, then you don't ever have to work. The greatest part is meeting different people all the time and making a lot of wonderful friends.|quot|

Give us some personal information.

Parsons is 54 and is from Mountain Grove. She has a daughter, Jeanna Edwards, and a son-in-law, Craig Edwards. She enjoys gardening and traveling, and she recently returned from a trip to San Francisco. |quot|My favorite trip this year was to New Zealand. It was beautiful and a wonderful lesson on service over there, because the people absolutely love their country and they love what they do they don't accept tips for anything. It's kind of refreshing.|quot|

by Melissa Wilson