Rising Star: AMBER TAYLOR

Written by Michelle Williamson

Bold City’s DREAMCATCHER

Although Amber Taylor, Herron Real Estate equity partner, has been an agent for little more than a year, she’s already reaching for the top spot among ‘Bold City’s Best’ REALTORS®. Right now, she’s in the top five of Jacksonville’s Bold City Best competition by the Florida Times-Union. In 2020, her first year as a REALTOR®, she closed three million dollars in sales. So far in 2021, she has surpassed three million in two months’ time… and still has more closings scheduled on her calendar.

Reaching number one is not most important to Amber though. “I’m a dreamcatcher,” she says. She helps her clients catch their dream of buying and/or selling a home. Making her clients’ dreams come true is her top motivation. Recently, this “dreamcatcher” helped a couple, Brian and April, find and close on their dream home. “Brian and my husband, Keith, are lifelong friends,” Amber shares. “I was excited to be able to help them.”

The couple’s dream was to live on the water, so Amber focused her attention on helping Brian and April find their perfect home. “It was the first house we looked at,” Amber laughs. “They knew this house was it. It was on the St. John’s River and perfect for them.” But with bidding wars the market norm, placing the winning bid was uncertain at best. The couple sent their offer, then Amber, knowing the high stakes, jumped into action and went the extra mile. Unbeknownst to Brian and April, Amber wrote a letter to the home’s listing agent sharing the couple’s story; their shared dream of living on the water and love for the house—and the couple won! After Brian and April officially won the bid process, Amber sent the duo her letter as a keepsake.

After closing, the seller shared with Amber that her letter about the couple sealed the deal. In the midst of this crazy market with multiple offers coming in, the letter was the differentiator that led to Amber’s clients (and friends) winning.

KNOWING HER WAY AROUND

Both Amber and Keith grew up in Clay County, so Amber has extensive knowledge of the area. But living somewhere a lifetime also means knowing the people, the places, and the vibe—all aces when helping either a local find the perfect new home and neighborhood or newcomers to Florida find their dream home and assimilate into a brand new community. Amber has helped clients from many states, most recently Georgia, Pennsylvania and Washington, make Jacksonville home. Amber also knows her way around the real estate market; she knows what works, which is an asset to her clients. “Everyone has a story,” she says. “It is important to know clients’ stories, especially in this market, to not only help them find the right home but to help give them an advantage.”

She’s also flexible. “Clients appreciate my low-pressure sales focus, patience, and ability to listen, to really hear what they want,” Amber says. “I strive to make the home-buying or selling process fun, easy and stress-free. I’m right there to alleviate any concern or answer any questions.”

At the top of her goal list is to earn her clients’ trust. Ultimately, this hometown agent wants repeat clients and referrals, and she knows only a great experience provides those.

EVERYONE HAS A STORY.

FROM HEALTHCARE TO REAL ESTATE

Before receiving her real estate license in 2020, Amber worked at a local hospital as radiologic technologist for nine years, and then as a mammographer for two years. Her transition to real estate might seem like a huge shift, but Amber sees similarities between the two.

“In the hospital, you’re always doing more than one thing at a time, always. And not one person’s situation is the same as another. You have to get creative in X-ray to figure out how to best deal with the situation at hand,” she shares. “The same goes for my buyers and sellers; they’re each different. Not one transaction is the same.”

Real estate became attractive when the Taylors were expecting a baby, their fourth son, and Amber wanted to be home more.

“Real estate seemed the best option,” she remembers. “Working nights at the hospital and missing out on dinner and bedtime with my family was just not the career I wanted anymore.” Keith is busy, too. He is a fireman, in the Army National Guard, and he teaches paramedic classes at St. John’s River State College. “Keith and I discussed it, and we believed real estate was the best choice for us.” Then the couple reached out to longtime friends, Christine and David Herron of Herron Real Estate. Aided by Christine’s guidance, Amber began taking online classes to acquire her real estate license. A few months later, David and Christine asked the Taylors to join them as Herron Real Estate equity partners.

While Keith currently remains in his roles as fireman, active in the Army National Guard, and teacher, he joins Amber at her events. By the end of the year, though, Keith expects to have his real estate license. Then the two plan to work as a team.

Laughing, she says, “I think we made a good choice.”

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

When the Taylors first considered real estate, they didn’t envision where they would be today. Amber loves her real estate career and being home more with her four boys: Kayden (14), Weston (5), Gavin (3), and Dawson (2). Her outgoing personality and natural inclination to meet new people and help others have helped propel her to success quickly. She is proving herself a rising star in her new career.

For Amber, the icing on top is, of course, her clients. She is honored to have the opportunity to listen to her clients, help them find their dream home, and catch it!

It is important to know clients’ stories, especially in this market, to not only help them find the right home but to help give them an advantage.