People of South Walton: Stewart Haire of Homes on 30A
It didn’t take long for Georgia native Stewart Haire to adjust to the “Florida style.” He recalls, “It was my first job out of college and my first appointment selling homes for D.R. Horton. I was quite young and eager, with my navy blue suit, tie and shined shoes. I took one look at my client in khaki pants, untucked shirt, and flip flops, and I knew right away I was out of place and overdressed.” The young man from Albany had some learning to do! “It was the first lesson of many, and one I never forgot. In sales, it’s not about me, but about my customer, and not about my needs, but about my clients’ needs. I’ve learned and I’ve grown, but my focus has always been to anticipate the needs of my clients,” he says.
Stewart moved to the Emerald Coast in 2005, but it wasn’t to get into real estate. “My degree was in finance. I graduated from Georgia Southern with every intention of building a career in the banking industry,” he recalls. After arriving in Destin and interviewing with a local bank, Stewart got an immediate offer but asked for a little time to think about it. “I was trying to decide between Atlanta and anywhere else,” he says. Perhaps it was the beautiful white sand or the Emerald Coast coastline or the relaxed lifestyle. Whatever the influence, it didn’t take but a few days for Stewart to know he wasn’t going to be a banker!
“I got the Real Estate bug almost from the moment I got here, he says. “I was just drawn to the business. My first mentor, was a salty old-timer, Phil Woolley with Exit NFI Realty, who steered me towards D.R. Horton builders, who were just getting started in Northwest Florida at the time.”
He settled into his first job right in time to welcome Hurricane Katrina to the Gulf Coast! It wasn’t the best of times, but D.R. Horton turned out to be a great place to “cut my teeth” in the business, Stewart remembers. “I met many of the key players here on the Panhandle and developed relationships, and friendships really, that have broadened my knowledge base, ultimately to the benefit of my clients,” he explains. Along the way, Stewart earned his MBA in Finance from Columbia Southern University in 2009.
He ventured out on his own in 2013, initially with Karen Smith & Hilary Farnum at Beachy Beach Real Estate, then with Erin Oden of Coastal Luxury, and finally teamed up with Karen Holder at Homes on 30A. “Both Karens, Erin, and Hilary were instrumental in my development,” he says, crediting “their encouragement and support” as crucial in his transition from the relative security of D.R. Horton to a “Brave New World” marketing luxury homes. “In many ways I was made for the luxury market. I speak finance, many of my clients are investors, and I’m very comfortable with the numbers. I’m also comfortable telling my client when the numbers do not add up. Always, I try to get back to the basics and understand the needs of my client. Are you raising a family, are you investing for a profit, or are you buying a slice of paradise? In each case, the answers may vary, but people still just want the facts.”
Stewart Haire has come a long way from “The Good Life City” of Albany, Georgia, and the overdressed eager 21-year-old fresh out of college. As our interview closed, I ask one last question: “Stewart, on that first appointment, did you make the sale?” He nods and says with a smile, “I did….”
Stewart Haire is a Sales Associate with Homes on 30A. for more information, call 850-687-4450, visit www.stewart.30apropertysearch.com or email: stewart@homeson30A.com
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