I once heard it said that people remember you, not by what you said, not by what you did, but by the way you made them feel. I cannot think of another person that this statement applies to more than Tina Niemann.
If you haven’t already heard, Tina passed away on June 14, 2013 after suffering a heart attack. The last time that I saw Tina, was at a luncheon at Bellerive Country Club. Tina saw me and came over and said “I just had to come over and speak to my favorite REALTOR “. Was I really her favorite REALTOR? I don’t know, but what I do know is that she made me feel like I was. Tina had the unique ability to make everybody feel good and I have to say she was an inspiration for me.
Tina worked with Prudential Alliance REALTORS. She was recognized as one of the top real estate salespeople in St. Louis. This recognition was based on the amount of sales she did each year and throughout her career. But that is only part of the story of her success. What I think is most amazing about Tina, is how she did her business. Tina was able to make everybody feel good when they were around her. Even when a real estate transaction was heading the wrong way. Whether you were the buyer, seller, or the other real estate agent on the transaction, somehow it was going to be OK. As a result, Tina was able to be highly successful, highly respected, and highly loved. And this is in an industry that many would say is “dog eat dog”. And.. in full disclosure.. I want to add, she beat me out on a number of listings! And she did it graciously.
Last night, I taught an ethics class at the St Louis Association of REALTORS. The class was mostly comprised of newly licensed agents who were taking mandatory ethics training. I mentioned to them that if they are able to run their business like Tina did they will have a great future. Our industry really lost a great one.
Here’s a great article from the St Louis Post-Dispatch on Tina Niemann. Here’s some of my takeaways from the article.
- “She did worry about getting older. She thought people might forget about her or even “think that she had died,” recalled a daughter, Mary Ciapciak of Ladue. So 20 years ago, when she turned 60, Mrs. Niemann started placing ads on shopping carts and checkout lanes at Schnucks markets.” – Her age was not a factor and I believe she accomplished her objective of not being forgotten.
- “During her 32-year career, her firm says, she sold some 2,000 homes totaling more than $700 million in sales. She appeared regularly on lists of the area’s highest-selling real estate agents.”
- “Mrs. Niemann often said she would never retire. At the time of her death, she was negotiating three sales contracts.” Wow, I love that she was doing what she loved up to the point the good Lord took her home. We should all be so lucky.
Tina leaves behind 11 children and a gazillion grand kids (not sure on the real number – but you get the point) – She was well loved and lived a great life. She will be missed.
About The Author: John Williams
John is a real estate broker helping buyers and sellers in the St Louis Missouri area. John has been recognized as a top selling professional. In 2008, John served as the president of the St Louis Association of REALTORS.
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