advertiser spotlight Susan Marquez 601-460-4675 / TheChandlerGroupMS.com / 145 Republic St. #111, Madison, MS 48 • MARCH 2024
When she graduated from Brookhaven High School, Christi Chandler headed to Ole Miss to major in communications and marketing. “Honestly, I envisioned being a news reporter. I wanted to be a journalist.” After she graduated, Christi landed a job doing public relations work for a nonprofit. “I worked for the March of Dimes before getting a P.R. and marketing position with Neel Schaffer, an engineering firm with offices around the southeast.” Her next stop was at Millsaps College in Jackson, where Christi did public relations work for the college’s graduate program. The Millsaps position required a lot of travel, which was fine before Christi and her husband Blair started having children. “I didn’t want to be on the road with babies at home.” She did some copywriting from home for a while before helping her husband with his job. “My husband is a mortgage lender, and I started doing P.R. and marketing work for him,” says Christi. “I got to know a lot of the real estate brokers because I would deliver promotional gifts to their offices. I began to think what it would look like to be on the selling end of that equation.” It took a while for Blair to jump on board with the idea. “He wanted to be careful to create a boundary between his work and mine.” Christi got busy taking a real estate course online. “I had to do it that way because I had littles at home.” She got her license in 2017. “I honestly thought I would do real estate part-time,” she laughs. She quickly learned that to be successful, real estate should not be considered a part-time endeavor. It is, however, something that allows her the flexibility to attend kids’ events. “I can always be where I need to be.” After a short time, Christi found that she enjoyed working with other agents in a more collaborative role versus solo, so she was determined to build a team. To form a team, she had to obtain her broker’s license. So, by late 2018, she became a broker associate. The Chandler Group opened in the fall of 2022 as a small, local, boutique brokerage that specializes in residential sales. The business is located in the beautiful Town of Lost Rabbit in Madison, where Christi says she strives to be the most trusted and respected real estate agency in Central Mississippi. “We represent buyers and sellers throughout the area,” says Christi. Staying small allows each agent at The Chandler Group to provide hands-on service. “We believe each client deserves white glove service, and to accomplish that goal, we need to focus on the family within.” Christi states that each agent in the brokerage has been selected not only on sales but also on their professionalism. “We acknowledge the fact that our brand depends on our salesforce.” “I love producing, but getting to know people makes it so worthwhile." Christi says that when she moved into an area with a lot of new construction, she got to know a lot of home builders. “I learned the construction aspect of the business. In our small group, each agent specializes in different areas. From new construction homes, custom homes, luxury homes, starter homes, patio homes, investment properties, relocation, and more, we have someone who can fill each need. We like to think we are a residential one-stop-shop of the top agents in the area that have been handpicked to meet specific real estate needs.” Christi’s favorite part of the business is the relationships she develops with her clients. “I love producing, but getting to know people makes it so worthwhile. It’s especially fun to work with first-time homebuyers. Those are the most fun closings due to their excitement.” Christi says she has the honor of working with people on the full spectrum of life. “I see couples who are buying their first home, those with growing families who need a larger home, empty nesters who want to downsize, and grown children who are selling their parents’ home when they pass away. I respect those times and give each client the care they deserve.” When she isn’t working, Christi enjoys spending time with her family and traveling. Christi and Blair have two children, daughter Baili, who is seventeen, and son Phen, who is sixteen. Hometown MADISON • 49
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