2 agents for the price of 1: Ager and Healey bring double the expertise

AMY AGER AND BEA HEALEY, LAH REAL ESTATE

When Amy Ager and Bea Healey began working together at LAH Real Estate in Mountain Brook, they adopted the slogan, “It takes two to make a dream come true.”

And over their careers, they have certainly made a lot of dreams come true for clients.

The two Mountain Brook natives blend their unique styles, backgrounds and personalities to help their clients get what they need and want from the often-difficult process of buying or selling a home — especially in a turbulent market.

The women have been friends for 35 years and have worked as a team at LAH for more than 15 years.

Becoming Friends

The women met in 1988, Healey says. They were both young mothers living on Clarendon Road in the Colonial Hills neighborhood in Mountain Brook.

“We had kids the same age and were part of a strolling group,” Ager says. “We spent every afternoon with the kids playing or strolling or taking them to the zoo or the park.”

They quickly formed a strong bond.

“Amy is one of the kindest people I know,” Healey says. “ I have never heard her say a bad thing about anybody.”

“Bea has a very outgoing personality,” Ager says. “She is very loyal, and she is funny, too. She is just fun to be around.”

A New Career

The origin of the women’s careers in real estate came one night when they went out to dinner with some of the other mothers in their group.

Healey recalls the moment their unique partnership was born.

“I was sitting next to Amy and she said, ‘I'm thinking about going to real estate school.’ Before it got out of her mouth I said, ‘I’ll do it too.’”

The women completed their real estate training and began working for LAH in 2007, Healey says.

“We went into it as a fun thing, and then we realized we could make a career out of it,” Ager says.

The women almost always share listings and work as a team.

“It’s like you get two agents for the price of one, and we can bounce ideas off each other,” Ager says.

“Occasionally we will do something without the other, but we really like working together,” Healey says.

Working Together

Ager and Healey both believe that honesty and transparency are the keys to working with their clients successfully.

For example, the women tell sellers the best strategies for selling their houses quickly, even if it might not be what the sellers want to hear.

They also help buyers see both the strong points and drawbacks of each house they visit.

The women’s different personalities work together well in this process, they say.

“Bea and I really complement each other,” Ager says. “I'm more of an emotional person and maybe more of a people pleaser, but I don't like to have any kind of confrontation. Bea has a great personality, but she can be more direct. She can say the tougher things because sometimes tough things have to be said.”

For example, in helping a seller, “Somebody has to tell them to take that tacky picture off the wall or we won’t sell their house,” Healey says, laughing.

“Our personalities are so different,” Ager says. “You get both sides of the equation.”

Both women are very dedicated and detail oriented, Healey says.

“Amy goes over every detail with clients and makes them feel comfortable with her,” she says.

Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest financial decisions one of their clients will make in their lifetime, so Ager and Healey work to de-stress the process and make it a positive experience.

“You sit down with someone and explain what is going to happen, what you expect and how we will deal with all these situations,” Ager says.

The women also remain in close touch with clients

Amy Ager

► CALL: 205-915-3944

► EMAIL: amyager@lahrealestate.com

Amy Ager is a graduate of Hollins College with a B.A. in business and economics. She has three children and five grandchildren with one more on the way. She enjoys playing golf, and is very active at her church, Cathedral Church of the Advent. She also volunteers with the Red Mountain Garden Club and the Linly Heflin Unit. She lives in Crestline.

LAH Real Estate

► WHERE: 2850 Cahaba Road, Suite 200

► CALL: 205-870-8580

► WEBSITE: lahrealestate.com throughout the process.

“We are always available for them to call us, and we answer our phone and emails,” Ager says.

Coping With A Hot Market

It has certainly been important for Ager and Healey to help reduce stress for clients — especially prospective buyers — in the red-hot real estate market in Mountain Brook and other communities the last couple of years.

There were multiple offers on most houses, and the houses were usually sold very quickly.

“It was crazy because you had to go in with your best, cleanest offer you could make,” Ager says. “It usually went to a cash buyer with no contingency so they could close quickly.”

In most cases, buyers couldn’t ask for an inspection or they could lose the house they wanted.

“Buyers had to make a huge decision with a lot of unknowns,” Ager says. The market has slowed down some “but it’s still very competitive, and buyers have to be really ready to make a decision.”

“There is not a lot of inventory so when something comes

Bea Healey

► CALL: 205-533-3329

► EMAIL: beahealey@lahrealestate.com on the market it is kind of a feeding frenzy,” Healey says. “I try to encourage people to put their best offer out there. Don't regret not offering $2,000 more to buy something.”

Bea Healey and her husband, Tim, have three daughters. She graduated from The University of Mississippi with a degree in education. Her favorite hobby is knitting, and she volunteers with The Friends of O’Neal Library, including the group’s annual book sale. She lives in Crestline.

Buyers should also know what they can afford to pay and have a general idea of what their monthly payment will be, she says.

A Satisfying Career

Both women say that they continue to enjoy what they do for a living.

“I think it’s the satisfaction of helping somebody with such a big, important, life-changing decision,” Ager says. “I feel like we make a difference in their lives.”

“This was a very natural fit for me,” Healey says. “I love to meet people. I love helping people. I really love the interaction with people and finding out what they like and digging around and finding something they didn’t know they would want and they say, ‘Oh my gosh. How did you know this?’”

Both women say they have often made good, long-lasting friends through helping clients.

Home At Lah

The women are very happy working at LAH, Ager says. “I know it seems like a cliche, but it does seem like family,” she says. “I think the agents all want to help each other. There's a lot of comradery.”

They also receive great support from the company.

“They give the agents a lot of support,” Ager says. “We have a marketing dept that is very helpful. Our brokers are always available to help us.”

Serving your bonding needs for businesses and individuals since 1963

E stablished in 1963, Bates, Roberts, Fowlkes & Jackson Insurance in Irondale is a full-service agency offering home, auto and life insurance policies for its personal clients, as well as tailored business packages for commercial and professional clients.

The firm represents a carefully curated group of reputable, financially sound insurance companies and places policies with the companies that offer their clients the best coverage at the most competitive prices.

Bates, Roberts, Fowlkes & Jackson also provides bonds for a wide variety of clients, with Lee Headrick serving as the manager of the company’s bond department.

Headrick works daily with attorneys, paralegals, property managers, business owners, contractors and other professionals to fulfill their bonding needs.

“We want our clients to trust they can call if they need anything, and we strive to be there for them through thick and thin,” Headrick says.

“This year is our 60th anniversary,” she says. “Good service and happy customers are why we are still going strong and it means everything to us.”

The industry veteran is passionate about the importance of bonds to our economy and also seeks to dispel some misconceptions about them.

“I want to change the way people think of bonds,” Headrick says.“I want to change that.”

“Bonds touch our lives daily,” she says. “Your home was built by contractors who were bonded, it is kept comfortable by service people who are bonded, your employer has your benefits protected by bonds and you may have had occasion to use a notary who is bonded.”

Public officials, colleges, hospitals, nursing homes and investment advisors are bonded, Headrick says.

A type of bonding called surety bonding covers many things, she says. They include those that allow businesses to be licensed with the state, contractor bonds for work to be completed, court bonds to assist with probated estates, as well as bonds for the care of an elderly parent, judicial bonds for appeals and temporary restraining orders, bonds for lost checks or titles, and notary bonds, she says.

“Bonds may be invisible on a day-to-day basis but are tied up in a number of things that make the world run,” Headrick says.

Headrick explains that a bond is essentially a three-party contract.

“We — the bond company — insure you to another party that you will fulfill your obligation to them on time and in good faith,” she says. “The bond protects the other party and makes them more comfortable with the contract or appointment as there is a financial amount backing the contract should you fail at your obligation.”

“Each bond is a way to help a person, a business or a family,” she says. “Each bond is important to that person and has its own story. I want to make it easy for my customers.”

Headrick works directly with clients to get their bonds quickly so they can go about their work.

“As department manager, I attend to every detail of the bond so it is timely and accurate,” she says.

“As independent agents, we have many markets to find the right fit and source exactly what you are looking for,” Headrick says. “We have options for E-Signing applications and payments by credit card. We can write bonds all over the United States, and most bonds can be issued within a day or two.”

Headrick says that she is passionate about her work.

“I am goal-oriented and friendly, so I truly love what I do,” she says. “Nothing makes me happier than talking to our customers and helping them get what they need.”

“Lee has a great attitude and work ethic, as well as excellent product knowledge and great people skills,” says Bubba Bates, the president of Bates, Roberts, Fowlkes & Jackson and a native of Mountain Brook.

Headrick has done a “tremendous job” as the firm’s bond manager, Bates says.

“Lee is well connected with the Birmingham legal community, and she has brought in a large number of new clients to our agency,” he says. “Lee is proficient in getting bonds turned around in a prompt manner, and the attorneys and paralegals that she works with really like this.”

“I love helping people, and I also love a challenge,”

Lee

Headrick, CPIA, CISR

► CALL: 205-518-8923

► EMAIL: leeheadrick@batesia.com Office

► WHERE: 1812 Sixth Ave. S.

► CALL: 205-956-0563

► WEBSITE: batesia.com

Headrick says. “It’s super satisfying when I can find a solution to help someone with a bond.”

Headrick is originally from Colorado and moved to Alabama in the late 1980s.

She has 23 years of experience in surety bonding and has earned the CPIA (Certified Professional Insurance Agent) and CISR (Certified Insurance Service Representative) designations.

Headrick said that she is proud to be part of the insurance industry and a part of Bates, Roberts, Fowlkes & Jackson.

The agency prioritizes “family, relationships and service,” she says.

“I work with a great group of agents who genuinely care about their clients, and when you love what you do, the

All

► Appeal

► Court

► Contract

► Detinue

► Fidelity

► Performance

► Probate

► Redemption

► Supersedes

► Surety

► TRO

► Trust service shows,” she says. “Our business serves amazing communities in Mountain Brook and all over Alabama.”

The people at Bates, Roberts, Fowlkes & Jackson work well together, Headrick says.

“We have an excellent team,” she says. “We all work seamlessly together to take care of all of your insurance and bonding needs, making every effort to get you the best coverage possible.”

Bates, Roberts, Fowlkes & Jackson also provide the personal touch.

LEE HEADRICK – BATES, ROBERTS, FOWLKES & JACKSON INSURANCE“Part of being a small business means that we can provide clients with personalized service,” Headrick says. “We are not so big you can’t get a person on the phone, but big enough to provide all your insurance and bonding needs.”

Away from work, Headrick says that she enjoys dancing, hearing live music, hiking and camping with Bill, her husband of 35 years, and their Goldendoodle Pete. She has two adult children, Lauren and Jon.

Please reach out to Lee, she is excited to help with your next bond!