Jessica & Michael Ford

COVER STORY

STORY BY ZACHARY COHEN | PHOTOS BY VAST MEDIA & ASHTON MARIE PHOTOGRAPHY

A FOUNDATION OF FAITH

When Jessica and Michael Ford began dating nearly twenty years ago, they quickly discovered they were aligned in their deepest values and dreams. Both had a deep commitment to their faith and serving others. They also shared an entrepreneurial spirit that would eventually take them into several businesses together.

“We both had graduated from the same bible college, had attended the same church, and had a love for helping others. I helped start a children's home overseas, and Michael has been overseas with other projects helping underserved communities,” Jessica reflects. “The foundation of it is that we both love outreach and service. That’s how we got involved in real estate investing, too. We wanted to help people who were hurting.”

Entrepreneurs, Investors, REALTORS®

Today, Jessica is a top REALTOR® and the face of Jessica Ford & Associates with Chinowth & Cohen, while Michael is co-owner and COO, handling the backend of the business, but their entrepreneurial histories go back much further.

Jessica ran a salon business and was a top cosmetologist for many years, while Michael ran several direct sales businesses. Michael began investing in real estate in the early 2000s, and Jessica joined him after they married in 2007. The couple bought and flipped foreclosed homes through the recession, falling in love with the real estate business as well as the opportunity to serve their community. When the market began to recover, Jessica and Michael transitioned their investment business to a rental portfolio and opened SlimGeneration, a medically supervised DNA-based weight loss clinic. 

“We were helping people who were severely obese and dealing with medical challenges. We did a DNA program to get a full workup and develop a process for them to lose weight and get healthy,” Michael explains. “We did that for several years, but real estate has always been our passion as a couple.”

Following Their Passion

Real estate has long been Jessica and Michael’s passion. In 2018, Jessica was licensed and Michael joined her in a support role, beginning the next stage in the evolution of their real estate careers. Over the past five years, the business has grown exponentially. Jessica Ford & Associates closed 76 transactions for $19 million in 2022.

“What separates us as agents is our communication,” Michael says. “We are able to take clients step by step through the process. We have a system and process for everything we do.”

“Being in the cosmetology industry, you build a lot of relationships. It is easy to talk to people to find out what’s going on in their world and what their dreams and aspirations are,” Jessica adds. “So, I've always found that real estate is very much the same way. It's all about building relationships with people, finding their dreams and aspirations, and matching them with a house.”

With extensive industry knowledge and a large network, Jessica and Michael are well-equipped to guide buyers, sellers, and investors along their real estate journey.

Adding Value to Their Community

Jessica and Michael provide some unique value-added services, too. One of their unique offerings is linked to their new company, Low Demo Reno.

“We work with sellers who would like to renovate to sell for top dollar. We look at their home, price up a renovation to make it move-in ready for the next family, and then we renovate it at no [up front] cost to them. They simply pay at closing. It’s a huge value add for sellers to get top dollar for their property,” Michael explains.

Jessica and Michael are also the hosts and co-producers of American Dream TV, Selling Tulsa. Their role as lifestyle and real estate experts allows them to share inspiring stories of business owners, charities, and nonprofits in Tulsa.

“As a husband and wife team, business owners, and investors, we want to be of value to the community and pay it forward. One of the ways we want to do that is by sharing our love for Tulsa,” Michael explains. 

Jessica and Michael first connected through their shared commitment to their faith, and their faith remains a central part of their lives. They are involved in various nonprofits and other local organizations, including their church and a new program they created, Backpacks for First Responders. This organization provides backpacks for children that have been removed from their homes for domestic or substance abuse. Inside the bag are different toys and tools to support the child during the transition.

“Our legacy is all about paying it forward to the next generation,” Michael says. “We are, more than anything, faith-based — living right, doing right, using our gifts and talents, and teaching our children to be that way. Ultimately, we are here to help our fellow man.”

“We want to serve people and to love people well. We are here to show love to people, to show them that we care and they do matter. We love our community,” Jessica says.

Family Spotlight

Jessica and Michael have two children, Juliana (12) and Destin (8).