Spotlight on Melissa Griggs-Webb, Elliman’s New Austin Sales Manager

By Grace Cassidy Before she began a career focused on helping people buy and sell their homes,  Melissa Griggs-Webb wasn’t able to enjoy much time in her own—working in sales training and marketing in the technology industry required her to travel year round. Nearly two decades since getting off the road and into residential real estate, she has found a new home at Douglas Elliman in Austin, Tex., where she will lead the brokerage’s efforts to build its brand after entering the market last year. We caught up with Griggs-Webb, who was among the 2021 class of Women in Austin Real Estate award winners, to find out how she got her start in real estate, how she negotiated the challenges of the pandemic and why she enjoys being a manager. Melissa Griggs-Webb When did you get your start in real estate and what brought you to the field? I started my career in 2003 after I decided to leave the high-tech sector.  My job required 100% travel prior to real estate, and I wanted to get off the road. I thought I would get my license and make and manage my own real estate investments until the next high-tech opportunity came along. I loved the real estate business, running my own business and never having any two days be the same. I am still energized by the industry. How did your previous professional experience guide your approach to real estate sales? My extensive sales training and marketing background is what drew me to real estate.  It allowed me to understand the sales cycle and have the patience to build relationships with my clients and help them with their needs. You saw Austin’s pandemic real estate boom up close. How did you manage that experience? I spent the first few weeks reaching out to all my staff and agents checking on them and making sure everyone was safe and healthy. After the market started picking up and many families decided to relocate to Austin, I spent lots of time educating the agents on healthy protocols on how to show properties safely and effectively, whether they were working with buyers or sellers. Our primary goal was to make sure our agents and their clients were safe. After we understood the safety protocols, we then educated our staff and agents on how to effectively run their business remotely. From Zoom meetings to how to shoot a video for a showing, I coordinated a number of classes. My days were extremely busy while we worked from home. What brought you to your new position at Elliman, and what challenges are you looking forward to facing? I was not looking to make a move to Elliman or any other brokerage when Peter Hernandez, President of the Western Region at Douglas Elliman, reached out to me. After several conversations with him and the Western Region leadership team, I decided to make a move. My primary reason was the opportunity to work with these influential leaders. Their passion, knowledge and experience were appealing to me. Growing the Douglas Elliman brand in Texas, especially in Austin, will be a challenging endeavor because the brand is newer in Austin. I find this new position intriguing for these reasons. What is the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received? The best real estate career advice I have received was from my first mentor about how to get transactions to close—always take care of your client’s needs first, always be professional, communicate and treat other real estate professionals as you would like to be treated. What has been the highlight of your real estate career? This is a very hard question, as I have had highlights at various times of my real estate career. When I sold real estate, I enjoyed finding the perfect home for my buyers and helping my sellers get to their next chapter. After I moved into management, I discovered how much I love helping agents set and achieve their goals. I can’t explain how fulfilling that is for me. It fills my bucket! Explore your next move in Austin.