Her Spot: Closing the Deals

HER SPOT!!

CLOSING THE DEALS, BAKING THE COBBLER, AND GIVING BACK

“To truly get a sense of another’s Essence, one must do their genuine best to envision from Whence they came.” – Seneca

To understand Crystal Swearingen’s driving passions - reversing decades of poverty within her lineage, while striving to create Generational Wealth for those she holds dear, in addition to consciously seeking to strategically Empower Women at every turn - requires going deeper into the psyche of this Wichita-born, Lawrence-bred dynamo.

Beating the odds after seeing many friends and relatives succumb to the harsh realities of gang life, as well as drug and alcohol addiction, Crystal came to Lawrence to attend The University of Kansas and fulfill a lifelong dream of being a journalist.

What Swearingen did not plan on was Life throwing down the inevitable fork in the road. Pregnant at twenty-one, working two and three jobs (even starting her own child daycare out of her home to help make ends meet), and attending school full-time, she married and would have three daughters – Brittany, Adrianna, and Halle – over the next decade.

Challenges continued to play a part in her life. After a divorce in 2014 - with no prospect of commission, due to the havoc of completely reorganizing her family structure – and coming faceto-face with her daughters relying on her to provide, she found the resolve to begin networking and learning from Top Realtors and International Agents around the country, many of which she still calls on to this day.

After attending Local, State, and National Conferences, and learning that there was no ‘one size fits all’ approach to Real Estate, she decided to follow her intuition and focus on what she felt most passionate about, which was educating prospective homebuyers and collaborating with professional investors throughout the real estate process, as well as helping each individual achieve their respective goals.

A natural next step for Swearingen became to pursue her own company, aptly named Crystal Clear Realty. As Founder of the only Minority-Owned Real Estate Brokerage in Lawrence and the only Residential Real Estate Company on Mass. St. in Downtown Lawrence, she holds multiple first-time home buyer workshops in Douglas, Johnson, and surrounding counties. In addition, she has helped mentor new agents and plans on using her passions to create an inviting, unique, and innovative Boutique Firm with Concierge Services for clients near and far.

Working with homebuyers and investors from around the country, Swearingen has showcased her ability to communicate and get the job done for clients, who many times purchase investment properties sight unseen! She explains, “In this day and age, technology really allows me to work for my clients at all times. Whether it be showing an apartment building via Facetime to a West Coast investor, setting up an online, showing scheduling for a homebuyer after putting the kids to bed, or writing contracts and getting electronic signatures that can be completed from clients’ mobile phones, I’m able to be accessible and available whenever my clients need me.”

Though 2014-2017 were increasingly productive for her, resting on her laurels in 2018 just didn’t mesh with Crystal’s style, as her desire and willingness to both learn and grow continued.

Faced with sacrificing time, energy, and money in the short term to invest in both herself and her longer-term future, Swearingen now faces 2019 with the preparation and quiet excitement of a seasoned pro.

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Swearingen made the courageous choice in the second half of 2018 to ‘Go All In’ with her chips and fully bet on herself.

Creating four businesses in the last 6 months of 2018, she opened the only African-American owned business on Mass. St, Crystal’s Spot Café & Lounge. She founded the above-mentioned Crystal Clear Realty and chose to house it in the upper offices of the Café, figuring many clients would enjoy stopping in, relaxing over a cup of coffee, and discussing their specific needs in a welcoming, personalized environment.

In addition, Crystal helped conceive of and create The Spot Mag (also housed inside the Café, and which you happen to be reading right now), focused on Celebrating Women In Business and standing as one of the only combination African-American AND female-owned, mid-tier magazines in the Midwest. Oh, and by the way, you can now purchase her delectable, homemade cobblers served every weekend at the Café on her newly formed e-commerce site, crystalsfamouscobblers.com.

ability to produce a hearty laugh. With her trademark, enthusiastic smile, she says, “Laughter and helping everyone feel at ease comes naturally to me. I’m always looking for ways to relate to people, from the first-time homebuyers who seem nervous about the purchase process to the seasoned investor looking at ten-plus properties a year. I always strive to be approachable, knowledgeable, and an active listener, so I can help clients and customers reach their goals, whatever they may be.”

Through all of the trials and tribulations of the last three decades, as well as the hard-earned accolades that have come her way, Crystal remains filled with both humility and an ever-present Swearingen continues, “I’ve always wanted to help other people achieve and reach their goals. With Crystal Clear Realty, I hope to recruit, train, and motivate agents who really want

to make a career they can be proud of in Real Estate. Being a Boutique Firm located in the Heart of Downtown has its advantages. We plan on having regular office hours, and if you ever see the “Realtor On Duty” sign up, come on in. I will ALWAYS love to talk to you about the Housing Market and Real Estate Investing!”

Family remains a central component in Swearingen remaining grounded, as she emotionally reflects, “My daughters are the most important thing in this world to me! Making them proud and giving them a sense of security are my first priorities. From picking them up every day after school to making sure we have some semblance of a routine - even with Crystal’s Spot, crystalsfamouscobblers.com, The Spot Mag, and Crystal Clear Realty being operational now - finding time for them to feel both appreciated and heard is my primary, daily goal!”

Crystal’s most identifiable qualities when you first meet her remain a gen-

Brittany, Adrianna and Halle Swearingen

uine kindness and an undeniable resilience and Strength of Spirit. She sincerely believes the daily struggles she looks back on helped forge the gratitude and the character she counts on everyday, be it in cherishing her family, nurturing her friendships, or overseeing her business ventures. Developing trust and working relationships across many sectors with personal and business relationships alike remains incredibly important to Swearingen.

She reflects inward for a moment and adds excitedly, “People sometimes ask me how I have time to do the baking for Crystal’s Spot along with the Real Estate Company, as well as tend to the additional businesses. Well, that’s the main reason I decided to house Crystal Clear Realty and The Spot Mag inside the Café - so I can work while I bake! I make calls, write contracts, schedule showings, sell ads, and bake Peach Cobbler, all while preparing for our events on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at Crystal’s Spot! It’s amazingly symbiotic!”