Lori Horner Enters Third Year with Watters International Realty

Before Lori Horner discovered Watters International Realty, the real estate professional had worked in just about every corner of the industry. At different times she had worked as a property manager, buyer, seller, and renter — “a little bit of everything,” she says.

That diversity of experience may be what clued Horner in to Watters International’s unique value in the industry when she learned about the brand three years ago.

Unlike traditional agencies, which essentially provide branding and a home base for otherwise wholly independent and full-service agents, Watters International uses a team model, allowing owners to build staffs of specialists to work together on accounts.

Horner discovered Watters International Realty in 2015, when she was catching up with her cousin from Austin, a real estate professional named Chris Watters who had recently begun licensing out his agency model.

“I knew Chris was in real estate, but I wasn’t totally up to date on his business,” she said. “When he told me about Watters International, I was instantly intrigued.”

Horner says part of her interest was in the growth of Chris’s business, which had been founded at the height of the Great Recession and expanded substantially in the five years since, but the main thing that grabbed her attention was that team model.

“With most brokerages, you’ve got one agent over here doing their thing, then another somewhere else doing their thing, and they are essentially each their own business,” she said. “With Watters, it’s like a family, and everyone is working together. You’ve got a listing agent, a buyer specialist, transaction coordinator, etcetera. That was very appealing to me.”

Horner opened her Watters International Realty office in June of 2015, and though she had never owned her own business before, she quickly found her footing thanks to the brand’s comprehensive support structure.

“Chris and Bradley [Pounds, Watters International President and Chief Operating Officer] made sure I had everything I needed to succeed,” Horner said. “They came out to my office in Amarillo, they were always personally available by phone and email, and with anything we ever needed, they were ready to help us. And it wasn’t just Chris and Bradley, there is a whole support team that has been fantastic.”

Horner started out with a team of just two, but she invested fully in the Watters model and quickly built up a full team of nine.

“I was wearing a lot of hats when I first started,” she said. “I was a listing agent, a team lead, I answered phones and just about everything else. But the business took off quickly, and as we’ve grown, I’ve been able to focus more on working on the business rather than in it.”

Now Horner says she is more focused on high-level operations, like deal negotiations and management. Even as she grows her team, she says Watters International’s training programs allow her to focus on the business while her new agents learn the ropes.

“Watters University is a program for new agents to learn the systems and culture inside and out, and it’s been an amazing resource,” Horner said. “Everyone on our team receives fantastic training, and I don’t have to spend their first weeks walking them through each and every process.”

By June of 2017, Horner’s Watters International Realty office had become one of the top 10 realtors in Amarillo, and a year later, she’s continuing to grow the business.

“Right now our range is about 20 to 30 miles outside our office, and there are so many more opportunities for us beyond that range. We’re bringing some more people on our team, and we’re going to look into some of the smaller towns surrounding Amarillo that we haven’t broken into yet.”

As Horner grows her operation, she says just three years ago she never dreamed of owning a business, let alone one of the most successful brokerages in Amarillo. Now that she does, she says she’s right where she wants to be.

“I was not looking to own something for myself when I started talking to Chris,” she said. “I just wanted to learn about what he was doing and maybe get some tips. But I got involved, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”

Lori Horner is eager to share her experience with anyone interested in Watters International Realty. For more information, reach out to Lori directly at [email protected].