Tom Ball, Realtor®
He is an achiever and a leader. He was an Eagle Scout, captain of his high school football and basketball teams and Student Body President. He went to college on an academic scholarship and graduated in 3 years with a 3.9 average. His first job was being a CPA with the 2nd largest CPA firm. He retired the first time at age 35 with millions in the bank after serving as Executive Vice President and the Chief Operating Officer of the US subsidiary of a major European pharmaceutical company.
Equally, He has known loss and failure through the death of a child, business failure, personal bankruptcy and four rounds of cancer.
His life experience is highlighted by diversity with lots of ups and downs. The child of a soldier, he grew up a Military Brat all over the world. He has lived in or visited 49 states and 28 countries.
He is a veteran having served as an Army medic. First as an ambulance driver for a MASH unit and then in an infantry battalion aid station. He was discharged as an E-6 after six years of service.
He is a spiritual pilgrim. He has served as a Baptist Sunday school teacher, lay evangelist and Deacon. He has served as an Episcopal adult bible study leader and Vestryman.
He is a public servant, having served in volunteer leadership roles with Goodwill, Volunteers of America and the United Way. He has served in leadership positions in trade associations on both state and national levels.
He is a husband to Suzy, his bride of 50+ years. He is a father to two wonderful daughters who have given him two great sons-in-law, five grandchildren and three step-grandchildren. He has two rescued fur babies – Bella and Ruffles.
He is curious. He has had a wide range of hobbies and interests including: model railroading; photography; horticulture; painting portrait, still life, and landscape in oil and acrylic; family genealogy; reading mysteries and thrillers; writing an unpublished thriller set in Bon Secour during the oil spill; cooking; RVing in a motorhome; restoring antique autos and building hot rods. His current project is a Viper Red ’34 Chevy 3 window coupe with a blown 454, 6-speed, and independent front and rear suspension.
He is a serial entrepreneur. Since he un-retired at age 36, he has started and developed twelve businesses. Most were successful. Two were real flops. One hit a home run. Each one contributed to the development of his negotiating, sales, marketing, and managing skills.
He is different from other real estate agents. When he began his Encore Career as a Realtor in 2015, he received excellent training as a new agent in how “everybody” should sell real estate. And for a time, he relied on these “everybody” techniques. Until he realized that there were better ways to serve his clients. Ways that gave them better results. Today his approach is labeled unique. He’s not like “everybody” else. His strategies and techniques integrate the skills he developed over a successful business career and produce superior results for his clients.
He is a servant. Years ago, his daddy taught him this leadership lesson. “The troops eat first.” If you’re a veteran, you know exactly what that means. Satisfaction of a leader’s personal needs and desires come after the needs and desires of those he is responsible for. Selling real estate isn’t about ‘me’. It’s about serving his clients. Selling their house quickly for the most money possible. Helping them find the perfect new home for their family. Helping them become rich through investing in real estate.