CHRISTY DEGENHART

It’s been said that a great real estate agent is also part psychologist, and that’s certainly true of Christy Degenhart. As a Sales Broker with Re/Max Realty Affiliates in Gardnerville, NV, Christy’s built a successful career drawing on her psychology education, marketing background, emotional intelligence, and exceptional customer service. She’s developed a thriving client base serving former California residents who are moving outside of the Lake Tahoe area for its spectacular beauty, slower and safer pace of life, and lower real estate prices. Last year, she personally closed 48 transactions valued at more than $28 million. She ranks in the top 1.5% in the nation for sales volume, was voted #1 Real Estate Agent for over 7 years by the Record Courier (a local paper), and was voted in the top 20 of all female REALTORS® in northern Nevada for 2020 and 2021. Her bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in marketing and communication helps her understand her clients and provide the best service possible. As a licensed broker, Christy is committed to going above and beyond.

“Building a sense of community here starts with me,” she says. “I’m a relationship builder. Most of my clients become lifelong friends. I love going out and about and running into them wherever I go in the community.” According to Christy, it’s an honor that people trust her to navigate them to the next stage of their lives, particularly when that change is a difficult one. “If the reason they’re moving is a happy one, that’s great: I can facilitate happy all day long. But I also love helping people who may be not in the best of situations by bringing them peace of mind and helping with the entire process from beginning to end. I want to make the experience of purchasing a house special for them. That’s what makes me happy: giving my clients a wonderful experience that they weren’t expecting.”

Christy also works hard to differentiate herself from her competition with the most up-to-date marketing and communication tools. She relies heavily on social media and video to target market her listings to a specialized audience, and she’s currently the only real estate agent in the area who’s using videography with drones. She’s also creating a You Tube series of 2-minute videos so people can better visualize what each of the different neighborhoods looks like so that they know what it’s like to actually live there.

An active supporter of the community, Christy has found a number of fun and creative ways to help those in need. She’s been a celebrity waiter to help the homeless, sponsored a hot air balloon to provide children and families with grief counseling, done a Dancing with the Stars event for charity, and volunteered for the Carson Valley Arts Council and the Carson Valley Arts Foundation.

As she plans for the future, she’d like to mentor other agents in a new and novel way. “I want to create a training program for buyer’s agents to teach them how to pick up on their clients’ emotional cues and become aware of what they’re feeling: all the little things to look for to read someone. That’s is something that I’ve never seen a training program teach.” There is also a strong possibility that her son--who is now 17 and already making plans to become a buyer’s agent—might carry on her torch by partnering with her current buyer’s agent. “In the next 10 or 15 years, I will start to phase out and retire, and I can see the two of them together taking over my company. I look forward to that.”