Ozarks Profile: Sara Rast

Tell us about your company.

Rankin Company is a commercial real estate brokerage, which was established by Tom Rankin in 1990. We specialize in the sale or lease of retail, office and industrial buildings as well as the sale of land and investment property.

Specifically, what do you do?

I am in charge of all of Rankin Company's marketing, from creating brochures to designing marketing plans and collateral materials for listing presentations; executing the ongoing mailings; maintaining and updating our Web site, as well as the Web sites we also display our listings on; building and maintaining a comparable sales/leases database; and gathering demographic information for target marketing and listing presentations. In addition to my marketing duties, I am also responsible for assisting with the bookkeeping duties for the properties we manage.

How did you arrive in this position?

I first heard about my position here at Rankin Company from the SMSU Career Center Web site where I was searching for a job after I had completed my MBA. So, I applied for the position, and was interviewed and then hired. I joined Rankin Company in January 2003.

What challenges do you face in your work?

I would say my biggest challenge at work is budgeting my time. This line of work requires large marketing projects to be put together, often with very limited time. It then becomes a challenge to balance a rush project with my other everyday activities.

How are you addressing those?

I just have to try to prioritize and work as fast as I can to get things done.

What is the most surprising thing you've learned about the real estate field since joining Rankin?

I think the most surprising thing I have learned about the real estate field is its overall complexity. The real estate field is governed by so many laws and regulations that require a real estate agent to wear so many different hats, that it is truly amazing.

What's the best part of your job?

The best part of my job, without a doubt, is the people I work with. I am a truly blessed person because I really enjoy my job, and the people I work with are like family and are very good to me.

Tell us about your family and spare-time interests.

I have very limited spare time, seeing as when I am not at work, I help out my parents with their construction company, Rast Construction, in which they are building homes for sale. Other than that, the rest of my time is spent with my family and friends.