Brent and Vickie Clark

COVER STORY

STORY BY ZACHARY COHEN | PHOTOS BY KENNETH BAUCUM PHOTOGRAPHY

A Rising Tide

"A rising tide lifts all boats."

-unknown

Before Brent and Vickie Clark launched their real estate careers in 2012, they owned a European antique import business. In that business, they imported some of the most unique antiques from France and served the Tulsa community through their interior design prowess. 

In 2011, however, a confluence of events caused Brent and Vickie to change course professionally, leaving behind over 14 years in the import, retail, and design businesses to begin a new career in real estate. 

“A couple of things happened all at the same time,” Brent reflects. “The antique business was changing and people were buying more imported, lesser-quality new furniture and accessories. And then, we had a flood in our store, which forced us to close down and reevaluate.”

Brent and Vickie remember the challenges of this period well. Their sons were just 7 and 10, and suddenly, they were both looking at starting new professions. But real estate felt like a natural next step, so despite the apparent hurdles in launching a new business, they dove in head first, supporting each other on the home front and growing the business together.

“Like any new business, they say it takes three years to get traction. That first year was really hard on us, although we were fortunate that our past business clients crossed over, and we were super motivated to succeed,” Brent recalls.

Brent and Vickie were named Rookies of the Year at their brokerage in 2012, and their career has continued to ascend. In the decade-plus since their real estate careers began, they’ve solidified their standing as some of Tulsa’s best.

“The keys to our eventual success? Sweat and blood,” laughs Brent. “But more seriously, we had a strong self-employed business background, which really helped us. In our previous business, we worked on weekends and many holidays. We were already disciplined and had the small business tools and knowledge to help propel us quicker, so we could focus 100% on learning the real estate industry.”

“We took the time to learn, to listen, and explain everything to our real estate clients,” Vickie adds. “From the very first transaction, we focused on providing excellent service with a hands-on approach. We take care of our clients — that’s what is most important.”

Today, Brent and Vickie, along with their partner Rob Schmidt, lead the RISE HOME Real Estate Group at McGraw Realtors, a group of 13 agents. They deliberately use the term group instead of team to highlight the culture of RISE HOME as a collaborative group of experienced agents.

“We are helping each of our agents grow their own businesses within our group, so it's a  different dynamic than most real estate teams. All our RISE HOME agents utilize our group resources, tools, technology, marketing, and admin support to build and manage their own business. When a client works with an agent in our group, that client gets 100% of that agent,” Brent explains. “We are built on experience and knowledge. We pride ourselves in offering  exceptional service and the very best marketing tools for our listings and the best resources to help our buyer clients find their dream home.”

In the past two years, the RISE HOME Real Estate Group has closed over $100 million in real estate transactions. Brent and Vickie feel honored by their personal and group achievements, but find their greatest fulfillment through helping their clients with their real estate needs, goals, and dreams. 

As Brent and Vickie look ahead, they envision many more years of real estate success. They want to be known for more than their professional accolades and awards they’ve accumulated. They want to be known for helping people live a better life, putting their family first, and being honest human beings.

Family First

Brent and Vickie have always prioritized family life. Their older son, Christian, will graduate from The University of Oklahoma with an economics degree in May and was recently married. Their younger son, Cameron, is finishing his freshman year at Lewis University, where he plays lacrosse and studies business. Brent recently obtained his real estate license in Illinois and is building a RISE HOME Group in the Chicago area, where Cameron attends college.