Why Melanie Heicklen Left the Real Estate Industry to Join Mainland

Melanie Heicklen joined Mainland in April of 2019 and has already solidified her place as a vital member of the account management team. Heicklen grew up in New Jersey, just outside of New York City. While Heicklen struggled to find her niche in school, she discovered that her confidence and strong communication skills made her well-suited for sales and media relations. 

Melanie attended the University of Colorado in Boulder where she majored in Journalism and Media Studies. “My people skills turned out to be my greatest asset in the workforce because I knew how to leverage personal relationships and interface with clients in a way that really drives results and growth,” said Heicklen. 

Heicklen’s family is in the real estate business, and it was an industry within which she always felt a certain level of comfort. During school, Heicklen worked several internships in the real estate industry, and after graduation landed a job with The Corcoran Group—a powerhouse of New York real estate. 

“A big part of real estate is helping people to envision their lives,” said Heicklen. “It’s very aspirational—you’re selling people a lifestyle.”

Following her time at the Corcoran Group, Heicklen got her first taste of agency life at a small, 12-person firm in NYC. It was there that she started working in branding, website development and marketing for real estate. “When I moved to Chicago I wanted to recreate a similar environment,” said Heicklen. “I was interested in surrounding myself with high-achieving, intelligent and goal-oriented people, but I also wanted to solidify relationships and create some roots of my own in a new city.”

After reaching out to No Limit Agency after a brief stint with a home services franchise, Heicklen realized the culture-driven community was exactly what she was looking for. 

“Something that I learned through my prior roles was that I definitely wanted to do something interactive and relationship-forward,” Heicklen said. “I think the real estate industry really set me up for that in terms of learning how to establish those personal relationships. At the end of the day, marketing is marketing, whether you’re selling a fitness brand or a penthouse apartment. You have to find common ground with your audience.”

By working with primarily franchise brands in her role with Mainland, Heicklen has found a calling through which she is allowed to not only form those relationships with clients, but to propel them forward toward growth through strategic marketing, content creation and public relations efforts. 

“What I love about Mainland is helping local business owners find success and realize their dreams,” Heicklen said. “We find what makes an individual interesting and what sets them apart from the competition, and through that we create their stories and tell them to the world.”

“There’s a lot of emotionality that you invest into a business alongside your finances,” Heicklen continued, “and I love being a part of that transformation for franchisees.”

Heicklen regularly speaks with business owners who have overcome huge obstacles, served in the armed forces, experienced a physical transformation through fitness and more. “Being able to manage that relationship and be the one that helps them find a tangible piece of success is so special to me. For many of our clients, the work we do for them could result in the first time seeing their name in print. That’s a huge milestone that we get to be a part of.”

“I think the biggest part of finding the right career path comes from identifying your strengths,” Heicklen concluded. “Evaluate a job not just based on your career goals, but how it caters to the community that you fit into.”