4 minute read
Cover Spotlight: Jennifer Sexton & Wes Mock
Yin/Yang
Jennifer Sexton & Wes Mock
By Zachary Cohen
For 10 years, Jennifer Sexton and Wes Mock built businesses in parallel at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. When Wes entered the real estate industry in 2012, Jennifer was already a top producer, and the pair formed a friendship that eventually gave birth to a real estate partnership.
In December 2021, Jennifer and Wes joined their businesses and moved to Compass, the next step in the evolution of their careers.
“We worked together for 10 years, always having discussions about real estate and even doing deals together, but we never officially partnered together — before now.”
Beginnings
Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Jennifer earned a degree in management and marketing
Jennifer’s life shifted when she met her husband and started a family. She got her real estate license in 2000, following in her mom’s footsteps, and has been a top producer for over two decades.
Wes was born and raised in Jacksonville. He played soccer and earned a civil engineering degree from the University of North Florida. Wes started his professional life in a typical engineering setting before moving into the export business. While exporting building materials nationally and internationally, he had the chance to meet contractors and house flippers. Soon, he decided to try his hand at real estate investing himself.
When Wes got his real estate license in 2012, he intended to use it for personal deals. But soon, the market shifted, and flipping became less profitable. In the meantime, Wes began building a strong sales business.
Over the last 10 years, Wes has slowly climbed the local real estate rankings. He’s developed a niche in land development, which currently comprises over 60% of his business.
Coming Together
By 2020, Jennifer and Wes were the top two agents in their sales office. Their relationship had grown over the years into something of an informal business partnership and, eventually, a formal one.
“The partnership grew because we don’t have the same strengths,” Jennifer explains. “He has great builder relationships and a younger population, where I have more experience and maybe an older population. That complements both of our businesses.”
Creating an improved work/life balance is one of the primary drivers for their partnership.
Jennifer and Wes both have families, and teaming up has allowed them to be more present for their spouses and kids.
“We were doing so much volume that it does take control of your life. Having some free time is important, and knowing someone would be there to handle the business when we leave town or have things going on family-wise — the trust is a big deal,” Wes explains.
“It was all about knowing that I could take a little bit of downtime and someone would be there. And for me, personally, after 22 years in the business, it was a spark, a new direction,” Jennifer adds.
Jennifer and Wes have added a few agents to their team: Megan Tiliakos, Tatania Salazar, Bailie Hurst and Bobby Mitcham. However, their goal isn’t to become the largest team in Florida. Instead, they intend to continue serving their clients and enjoying time with their families. Jennifer and her husband, Brian, a longtime “voice” of the Jacksonville Jaguars, have three sons, Keegan (21), Rian (18) and Kolbe (17). Wes and his wife, Stephanie, have two daughters, Miller (8) and Amelia (5).
As Jennifer and Wes look ahead, they have an optimistic outlook. Although the real estate market is shifting, they understand it is cyclical. They are focused on the long game — building a stable business that serves clients and allows them to live a lifestyle they enjoy.
“What is great about us as a team is we have a vast knowledge of all things real estate,” Jennifer says. “We complement each other so well. Wes has a technical background and engineering experience, was a part of the housing industry and has flipped homes, and I’ve been in real estate my entire life. I have good experience and connections. It’s the perfect partnership … and we are excited to see how 2023 unfolds.”
