Ginger Wilcox: Leading through change
The president of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate is focused on moving forward. "You can spend your energy fighting what’s happening, or lean into it."
Key points:
- Wilcox started her real estate career at age 19, and just wrapped up her first year as the leader of a major national brand.
- In times of change, look at what's working "and take advantage of the opportunities that come into play," says Wilcox.
- Her priorities include helping agents learn how to talk to consumers about the NAR settlement (and how it impacts them), and growing the BHGRE brand.
As Ginger Wilcox looks back on her first year as president of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, she thinks about timing. Particularly, how … interesting, one might say, it was to begin leading a global real estate franchise during one of the most challenging markets in decades.
Agents have been battling high interest rates, low inventory and historically low transaction volume. It's still unclear when the market will meaningfully change, she says. So, she and her team are busy ensuring that BHGRE's roughly 12,000 agents have the training, resources and coaching necessary to be adaptable to change.
"I've led during Covid, during market ups and downs," says Wilcox. "You can spend your energy fighting what's happening, or lean into it, to see what's working and take advantage of the opportunities that come into play. My focus is around that mindset, helping our affiliated agents win the transactions that are happening and increase their market share."
And agents have been confronting more than a tough housing market — the real estate profession has been the subject of increasing scrutiny, and some consumers have questioned agents' value. But Wilcox continues to remind agents that people want homes — they need homes — and they put value on having a trusted advisor to help guide them through the process.
"Real estate has always been about relationships," she says, "and through relationships, you build trust."
Full speed ahead
When Wilcox replaced Sherry Chris as president of BHGRE in June 2023, she was frequently asked what it was like to fill the shoes of the longtime leader and real estate icon. Wilcox acknowledged that it was an incredible opportunity, but that wasn't her focus. She was looking straight ahead, not behind.
"My thinking was: 'How do we continue to evolve into the future, look at where we were when I stepped into the role and what we will do moving forward?'"
Wilcox and her team have been concentrating on three key areas: Preparing agents to explain to consumers how the NAR settlement impacts them (in a way that instills trust and confidence); expanding BHGRE's reach; and determining how to lean into the connection with partner Dotdash Meredith — the publisher of Better Homes & Gardens magazine — and a brand that has earned consumer's trust for more than a century.
On-the-ground experience backed by big-business savvy
For much of her life, the conversation around the dinner table has been about real estate, Wilcox says. Her mom is an agent, and she has fond memories of dropping off flyers together and "opening doors" as a five-year-old in pigtails. At 19, Wilcox earned her real estate license and went on to launch an award-winning online real estate brand and brokerage.
She then spent several years in Silicon Valley at the intersection of tech, finance and real estate. An early employee of Trulia, Wilcox contributed to a successful IPO and the company's subsequent acquisition by Zillow for $3.5 billion. She was part of the founding team of a venture-backed mortgage startup and was involved in IPOs for companies in various industries, including mortgages and wireless telecommunications.
Those multi-faceted experiences taught her to be an innovative thinker. "Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate is an enormous brand," she says. "But it's early in our phase as a real estate brand. How do we take advantage of that brand opportunity and tie in the connection with real estate? How do we leverage my background as a top-producing agent with a deep understanding of the business, as the wants and needs of our agents are evolving?"
'I've been in their shoes'
It helps to have an idea of what agents are going through, Wilcox said. "I've been in their shoes, and it makes it easier for me to understand the challenges they face and think of the right solutions we need to serve them in different markets."
As she looks to the remainder of 2024 and into 2025, those solutions will continue to include investments in technology, training and tools to support brokers and agents through the changing industry landscape. All the while, focusing on growing brand awareness and reach, maintaining — and building on — consumer trust in the Better Homes and Gardens brand, and helping agents demonstrate their value.