Legendary Leader: Jean Marie Giegerich

By Dr. Kasia Suarez Photography By TresPiña Photography HMUA By Hair & Make-Up By LuLu

Jean Marie Giegerich is dedicated, motivated, and a firecracker. She is not afraid to take the bull by the horns. Friends say she is short and spicy, with loads of care and a huge heart. Jean Marie has had a passion for people and for the real estate industry for over four decades.

Jean Marie is an independent broker/ owner of Weichert REALTORS® – The Place of Houses and the Commercial Division in Corpus Christi. She got into real estate 43 years ago, to help pay for her college education. She quickly learned time management skills and a hard-working attitude. Jean Marie worked real estate part-time while going to college, having a family, and supporting four other businesses.

By the time Jean Marie had earned her degree in interior design, she had also made some real estate investments. Two days after graduation, she had five job offers. When she had

her final interviews for the new opportunities and heard the yearly salaries she was shocked.

Jean Marie shared, “I looked at them and said, ‘You want me to work from eight to five to make this much money in a year? I make this much money selling real estate part-time in one month!’ That’s when I realized I had to rethink what direction I wanted to go.”

She accepted a position as vice president and division manager of a home-building company. Jean Marie worked with Hughes Development, helping design, develop, and sell the subdivision at Steiner Ranch. After Steiner Ranch was on its feet, Jean Marie was asked to divide her time between Austin and Corpus Christi so she could work on a new development in the Coastal Bend. For two years she spent half of each week in Corpus Christi and the other half in Austin; allowing her to pursue both interior design and real estate.

In 1994, Jean Marie was asked to go back to Austin full-time. However, she had fallen in love with the potential of the Corpus Christi community. Her children were off to college and living quite independently, so Jean Marie made the decision to stay in Corpus. She really wanted to work to help the area grow and develop.

“I have watched some very professional people come into this community over the last 30 years. They have been focused on higher standards and building this community, as well. I will remain dedicated to that,” explained Jean Marie.

Jean Marie is a second-generation American. One of her parents was Irish/English and the other was German, and both were raised during the Great Depression. Frugality and ethics were important to Jean Marie’s parents, and she valued the character they instilled into her.

In the early 1990s, Jean Marie had opened up her boutique brokerage, The Place of Houses. She planned to stay small so she could maintain the culture she had created. When the Weichert Group approached her about joining their franchise in 2015, she was initially reluctant. Her office manager did a little investigating and found, to her delight, that the Weichert

Group had the same mindset, high standards, and service mentality that Jean Marie did.

“Having a quiet, deep relationship with the Lord is paramount in my life,” said Jean Marie. “When I tithe, I never run out of money. I think that if truly successful people would be honest with the rest of the world, they would agree.”

Jean Marie believes reading contributes to her success and enjoys reading on an iPad or from an actual book so she can smell the pages! She jokes that agents say she made them read and memorize every line of every contract. In addition to reading for her own personal growth and professional development, Jean Marie reads the Bible, especially verses that have helped her push through events in life.

Weichert gives Jean Marie the tools she needs to train her team, including more marketing options for their sellers and high standards for how to behave with each client and each other. Her team has the tools they need to stay strong, despite the nationwide changes in the past two years. Additionally, the agents at Weichert Realtors, The Place of Houses, and the Commercial Division already have, or are earning, their GRI (Graduate Real Estate Institute).

“It’s like having a family,” said Jean Marie. “They are unbelievable! After every power hour meeting, I get a lump in my throat. I have watched each one of them encourage, love, and support each other in everything they do,” Jean Marie shared.

Yvonne, the team’s recruiter, is entrusted with connecting with new teammates and finding the perfect fit. She doesn’t look for the right numbers, she looks for the right attitude. Yvonne is attentive in discerning how well individuals get along with others – their personalities and their attitudes toward serving others.

The key to her success has been the blend of the work ethic her father instilled into her, and the spirituality that was instilled by her mother. From a young age, Jean Marie learned the importance of working hard six days a week, as well as the importance of setting aside time for God and giving back to Him.

One truth that stands out to Jean Marie is from Psalm One, where it states, “Blessed is the person who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers…” The point of this psalm is the promise, which says if you do this, then everything you do will prosper. Jean Marie believes that life really is that simple. She also appreciates 2 Chronicles 7:14 and Jerimiah 29:11. Even in the toughest times, Jean Marie found herself walking into an open church, opening up the Bible, and having some of these verses seemingly pop up at her. That’s grace!

Jean Marie said her heart motivates her for everything she does. When she is not working, Jean Marie likes to walk the beach, read, or spend time with family in Austin. Jean Marie’s family is her “why.” They have kept her going all these years, and she has taught them the importance of investing in real estate. They purchased a VRBO in Lake Travis as a family and learned the importance of preparing for the future by making investments to support their lives. Ninety percent of the items in their lake home, including materials and appliances, were purchased from Corpus Christi vendors.

“Real estate is a hard business,” said Jean Marie. “People think REALTORS® look like movie stars, and they have no idea we have to sweep and move couches full of

roaches. We do what it takes to help a client. I also do whatever it takes to help agents, teaching them the importance of the four Fs: faith, family, fitness, and finances.”

“My job is to give back to a business that has been so good to me,” said the woman with the reputation of being a small package with a big boom. “That is why I continue to go full speed, supporting my agents, and giving back to the community. I have no desire to quit. Ever!”

My job is to GIVE BACK to a BUSINESS that has been SO GOOD to me.