Monica Hale

By Ayana Bryant Photos by Randall Lee Makeup Artist: Francys Patricia Alanis - Eyelashes: Candace Thompson Stylist: Ty Jackson - Hair: Cierra Vance Yates

At a very young age Monica Hale understood that her life’s calling would be to help people. In what capacity exactly? That was to be determined. However, life experiences, unexpected struggles, and a powerful, prophetic voice would all eventually lead her to finding her true purpose.

Today, the wife, mother, and businesswoman is the owner and CEO of Plush Homes Co. Realtors.

Monica was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. After gaining fifteen years of experience in property management, Monica decided that she’d conquered that field and wanted to elevate her career to the next level. In 2013, Monica enrolled herself in real estate school. While this was an exciting time in her life, things didn’t go as planned. When she took the real estate exam, unfortunately, she did not pass the first time around. This hurdle discouraged her, but she didn’t let the dream die there. Monica remained focused on her goals and pressed toward the mark, returning to sit for the exam four years later.

In 2016, Monica met a woman who she said “prophesied over her life.” “This woman spoke love and light into me, giving me the encouragement and confidence that I needed to realign myself with God and my true purpose,” she shares. That prophetic word was just the push Monica needed to restart her journey for her real estate license. After many nights of studying along with a sincere determination to succeed, Monica passed her real estate exam in July 2017 and began working at her first brokerage. The remaining pages of Monica’s story would now start.

Within the first thirty days at the brokerage firm, Monica sold her first home. She continued to push herself and eventually became the top producing agent as she continued her real estate journey with another brokerage. While still working in property management and working at the brokerage part time, Monica decided it was time to commit to her dreams fully and follow her purpose. So, in August 2019, she quit her fulltime job and began her journey to becoming an Executive Broker. Three months later, she passed the Arkansas Real Estate Broker Exam and began building her legacy.

As Monica set her sights on her future, things began to happen pretty fast. In June 2020, she launched Plush Homes Co. Realtors, operating as its Principal Broker. Things were set in place and Plush Homes Co. Realtors immediately claimed

its place in the real estate arena. With a growing staff of 25+ agents, this brokerage is well equipped to handle any future home buyer’s needs. They currently offer commercial property leasing, credit repairs, transactions with both sellers and buyers, and listings.

When asked what she loves most about her company, her answer was “building it from the ground up.” “I enjoyed starting from scratch. From picking the name of the company to finding an IT (Information Technology) person, and even securing the location; the whole experience was more rewarding than franchising another company,” says Monica. Although the Covid 19 pandemic negatively impacted many businesses and industries, real estate wasn’t necessarily one of them. Monica says the pandemic was more helpful than anything for her company and ironically gave her business a boost. “All of a sudden, there were so many buyers that surfaced, mainly due to the low-interest rates,” says Monica. The demand eventually became more significant than the supply leading to a shortage in inventory within the real estate market, not only in Arkansas but also around the country. This trend has continued as the inventory of homes remains lower than the number of prospective buyers searching for homes.

“I enjoyed starting from scratch. From picking the name of the company, to finding an IT (Information Technology) person, and even securing the location; the whole experience was more rewarding than franchising another company.”

While her journey has involved a few challenges, Monica says she wouldn’t have it any other way. “The journey I’ve traveled hasn’t been easy, but it has been rewarding. This profession isn’t for everyone; however, if you can commit yourself to pushing through the difficult times, you can and will be successful,” she shares. “The biggest piece of advice that I would give to anyone who is considering a career as a Realtor is to stay encouraged. It’s important to always congratulate and reward yourself for your accomplishments. You may have to work harder than others at times, but don’t give up. If you fail at something today, it doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road. Pick up the pieces, dust yourself off, and try again.”

Moving forward, Monica hopes to expand Plush Homes Co. Realtors throughout the United States. “I won’t name what states we are considering at this time, but there are a few specific places that we have our eyes on,” she says. “Who knows, Plush Homes Co. Realtors might even become a franchised company one day. Let’s see what God has in store for us!”

While Monica is the owner and CEO of Plush Homes Co. Realtors, she wanted to give a huge thank you to her co-CEO’s Destinee and Delvin Hale. They were the driving force behind her motivation to start this amazing business! She shared that if it had not been for her daughter and husband, there would be no Plush Homes Co. Realtors.

To find your dream home or for more information on this great black-owned business, visit their website or contact them directly.