Lori Brackeen

RISING STAR

PHOTOS BY LILY CHRIS PHOTOGRAPHY | STORY BY ZACHARY COHEN

Giving it Up to God

In June 2021, Lori Anne Brackeen set off to rebuild her life. Formerly a school teacher in Shawnee, Lori left behind her career in the wake of a divorce. She chose Tulsa to begin again, setting out to build a financial foundation for her family that her teaching career couldn’t provide.

Nearly three years later, Lori is thriving; she’s quickly become one of Tulsa’s fastest-rising real estate stars. Yet, her success doesn’t paint the entire picture. Lori has overcome countless obstacles on her path to freedom and success. 

Giving It Up to God

Lori’s choice to leave the school system for real estate wasn’t an easy one. She still loves teaching.

“Giving up teaching was a really hard thing for me. I love children,” she says, her emotion evident. “I prayed, ‘God, if I’m supposed to give up teaching, you need to take it away from me because I can't quit it.’ I loved my school. I loved my career. But I had a principal that was very unprofessional. She made the school I loved something that made me sick to my stomach when I pulled into the parking lot. As I saw it, God was taking it away.”

Lori’s next prayer was for God to show her the next step on her professional path. That’s when she ran into a friend who also happens to sell real estate. This friend suggested Lori sell real estate, planting a seed that would soon blossom. 

“Over the course of the next few months, God made clear my path, telling me, ‘You should go sell real estate’ loud and clear,” Lori continues. “From there, things just fell into place. My house in Shawnee was on the market, in the height of everything selling fast, for 11 months, but it  sold in perfect timing for us to plan our move to Tulsa. The perfect house came to us, and it all fell into place. I knew God was saying, ‘This is what you're supposed to do!’”

Once a Teacher, Always a Teacher

Once she set out to become a REALTOR®, Lori was determined to succeed. While her path hasn’t been without obstacles, her clarity and faith have helped her persevere. She became the RE/MAX Rookie of the Year for the state of Oklahoma in 2022. As the market slowed in 2023, she focused on building sustainability in her business.

Lori has relied on many of the same skills she sharpened in the classroom to succeed in real estate. She focuses on education, puts care into her relationships, and is an expert at problem-solving in difficult situations. Lori also keeps her love for teaching alive by donating a portion of every commission to the Tulsa Public Schools.

“I'm big on education. I take every class I can. Knowledge is power. I feel like a lot of my value is in my knowledge and that I'm level-headed and patient,” Lori shares.

“Building a client base, I'm also building friends, a sphere of people around me that I didn't have when I moved here. I knew next to no one! Now, I have great people to work with, great clients, and great friends. I couldn't ask for more.”

Looking Ahead

As she looks ahead, Lori aspires to continue growing her business. Her five-year plan includes teaching within the brokerage. On an even longer time scale, she hopes to build a legacy of kindness and loyalty. 

“This world could always use a little more kindness. I like to run my real estate business with that in mind,” Lori says. “I hope people remember me as a kind person who gave it all I had.”

Beyond Real Estate

Outside real estate, Lori is devoted to her family. Her son, Carson (23), has autism, and her youngest son, Brady (16), attends high school. Lori is currently writing a book about having a child with autism and aspires to start a support group for moms like herself.