As we say goodbye to 2024, we want to take a moment to recognize an industry trailblazer and influencer, Sherry Chris, as she departs her role as Executive Advisor for Anywhere Brands and Co-Chair for What Moves Her. With over 40 years in the real estate industry, including 18 at Anywhere, Sherry has been a pivotal figure. We asked her to share her knowledge, wisdom, career journey, and memories with us.
Read on – and good luck, Sherry, on your next chapter!
- Can you share with us your career journey and how it led to you leading two global brands at Anywhere?
I originally started my career in banking and finance, and then I bought my first house. The process was interesting; not everything went smoothly, which prompted me to change direction and get my real estate license. That was back in the 1980s – typewriters and pay phones were the technology we used. Over time, I learned that my skill set was better suited to guiding agents to provide exceptional service, and that’s how my leadership journey began.
Originally based in Canada, I moved to the U.S. in 2003. I first joined Anywhere (formerly Realogy) in 2006 as Chief Operating Officer of Coldwell Banker, and it wasn’t long before I was asked to launch the Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate brand, which debuted in 2008. In 2019, I took on the additional responsibility of the ERA Real Estate brand, and I, along with the team, worked to create efficiencies and best practices across both brands.
One of my strengths is thriving in an environment with so many stakeholders like we have at Anywhere. So much of our success comes from building relationships, both with the staff helping to run our brands and the brokers and agents that ultimately fuel our business. In April 2023, I stepped down from my CEO role and began a very rewarding journey as an advisor to Sue Yannaccone and others.
- What are you most looking forward to for our industry?
I am looking forward to a better way of helping consumers buy and sell real estate. The relationship between the agent and the consumer is more important than ever. The past few years have been eventful for real estate – many changes have been implemented in our industry, and it will continue to evolve in the years to come.
As an industry, we need to work together to continue to fulfill the desire for homeownership and make the American Dream available for all consumers. This is no small task, but I believe it can be accomplished, and I want to continue to play a role in building an environment of trust and optimism for agents and consumers alike.
- What is the best piece of career advice you ever received?
I have a few pieces of advice I would like to pass along:
- Believe in yourself, first and foremost. Wake up every morning telling yourself, “I am the best person for this job,” and demonstrate that you are.
- Treat everyone with kindness and respect. We may not have the same viewpoint, but we are all human beings. Make a point of doing something kind each day – buy a coffee for a stranger, notice something great about someone and let them know.
- Lastly, opportunities present themselves every day. Opportunities to make a difference, do a better job, put a smile on someone’s face. A wise person once told me, “luck is a form of intelligence – it is being able to identify an opportunity and act upon it.” Are you feeling lucky today?
- And one piece of bonus advice: open yourself up to mentors, embrace individuals who will help you, and hold yourself accountable to be your best.
- Tell us your favorite Anywhere (or brand!) memory.
My favorite memories include my first day at Anywhere, circa 2006. I remember walking into the building for the very first time as a new team member, ready to make a difference. And of course, the launch day of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate on July 23, 2008. The party was in San Francisco, and the excitement of launching a new brand in real estate was palpable.
And my third memory is shutting down our Madison office on March 13, 2020, at the beginning of Covid. Who could forget the uncertainty around it? But most importantly, who could forget how our leadership team stepped up brilliantly and guided our staff, our broker owners, and agents through a global pandemic! We truly led the way and should be proud of that and everything we did for our industry each and every day. I am grateful and proud to have played a small role in it.
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