DREAMS FROM MY MOMMY

WELCOME

Good morning! I hope you’ve got your coffee and your cozy spot ready, because today we’re going somewhere tender.

This last week would have been my mother’s birthday. Every year when this date rolls around, I can’t help but think about all the ways she shaped who I am. So today, I want to talk about the lessons Mommy baked into my bones. I’m talking about the ones she taught me when she was sitting on that bench at Lenox Mall. The ones she taught by loving big and observing bigger. The ones that still guide me in every aspect of my life as a daughter, a mother, a friend, a partner, and as a real estate agent.

Y’all may not know it, but my mother has always been on my shoulder, whispering in my ear for every deal, every negotiation, and every connection I make. And I am so grateful for that presence, so let’s get into it!

THE REALITY OF REAL ESTATE MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Giving Tuesday Wednesday

As we enter this season of gratitude and giving, I want to share something deeply personal with you. This year, I’m fundraising in support of the Alzheimer’s Association, a mission that means more to me than I can put into words. My goal is to raise $75,000 by April 1, 2026, and by December 1st, I am supposed to be at $25,000. Right now, I’m at $14,000, so I’m reaching out for your support.

If you feel moved to give, whether personally or in the spirit of giving this season, your contribution will fuel care, support, research, and hope for families navigating this devastating disease.

👉 Donation Link

Every dollar truly makes a difference, y’all. And with December 2nd marking the annual Day of Giving, this is the perfect moment to include the Alzheimer’s Association in your end-of-year generosity.

From the bottom of my heart, thank every last one of you for being part of my community, for the love you show, and for standing with me in a cause that touches so many lives!

STORYTIME WITH GLENNDA

The Lessons That Last a Lifetime

There are people whose influence feels like wallpaper. What I mean is that you don’t always notice that influence, but it’s right there, covering every inch of your life.

Let me say this clearly: my mother was not wallpaper. Oh, my stars, no. Mommy was brilliant neon. She was bold and bright and unforgettable. She poured so much love, attention, curiosity, and fire into me that it’s impossible to separate the woman I am today from the woman who raised me.

I want to talk about her today because every single day in this business (and in my life), whether I’m negotiating an inspection, sitting across from a nervous first-time buyer, or talking a seller off a ledge, I hear her in my head. In tribute to her, I want to share the lessons she taught me and how they still show up in my real estate world.

Love People Big, But Believe Them When They Show You Who They Are

Mommy loved with her whole entire soul. When she loved you, it was loud and obvious and unconditional. But if you crossed her? Well, that was it. She believed that people show you who they are, and your only job is to pay attention. 

In real estate, this concept is everything.

If a lender is always “running behind,” if a co-op board is dragging its feet on purpose, if a contractor flashes you that cheesy “would I lie to you, hon?” grin that gives you a pit in your stomach, she taught me to trust my gut. People tell you the truth through their behavior long before they say it out loud.

Now, the flip side is just as true: when a client gives you their trust, their vulnerability, and their excitement? You give that love right back to them. You go big, you go loud, and you go all in.

Be a Master Observer: The Real Work Happens in the Listening

My mother was the Forrest Gump of Lenox Mall. I mean that in the best possible way, too. Sit her on a bench, and suddenly she’d be best friends with anyone who sat beside her. I am not kidding. Whether she was shooting the breeze with Dominique Wilkins’ mother or chatting up Katarina Witt when she was in town during the ‘96 Olympics, Mommy was holding court like she was born for it. But here’s the thing: people talked to her because she listened to them. She treated every stranger like they were the only person in the room. 

In real estate, listening is the superpower nobody teaches you.

Clients will tell you everything... if you give them the space to do so. They'll share what they fear and what they hope. If you let them, they'll confide what they can’t say directly because they don’t want to look foolish. They'll let you know what's really motivating their move.

My mother taught a master class in being heard. She knew that when someone feels heard, they also feel safe. Clients make their best real-estate decisions from a place of emotional safety. Mommy didn’t just listen to words; she listened to people. And every great agent I know does the same.

Connect the Dots Because That’s Where the Magic Lives

My mother could take a scrap of information and build a bridge from it straight into someone’s heart. You like basketball? Oh, well, she happens to know a lady whose son plays for the Hawks. You’re in town for the Olympics? Well, now you’re sitting next to her on a mall bench, making lifelong memories. (Again, these are true stories!) She made tiny pieces of information feel like destiny the way she tied it all together to fill in the blanks. 

That is the exact job in real estate. We’re not just matching beds and baths. Oh, no. As agents, we're connecting human stories to the right homes, neighborhoods, schools, and futures. For example, when I introduce a relocating family to a neighbor who’s also from Chicago? Or when I pair a nervous seller with a stager who instantly puts them at ease? Or when I remember that a client’s father has mobility issues and I steer them toward a ranch instead of a two-story? In each case, that's my mother’s voice in my head saying, “Punkin, listen close enough, and the dots connect themselves.”

Treat Everyone With Dignity, No Matter Their Station, Style, or Story

My mother lived through the pre-Civil Rights South. She had zero tolerance for people who didn't treat others well. When racists at the Alabama gas station refused to fill her tank because she was traveling with my babysitter, Mama Eva, my mother was furious. Furious enough to drive on fumes before she’d let hate win. 

In real estate, respect isn’t optional. Respect is the whole damn job. You treat the luxury buyer and the $200K buyer with the same warmth. You treat the agent on the other side of the deal like a partner, not a rival. You treat inspectors, appraisers, and lenders as professionals whose work matters. Real estate has ego traps everywhere, and Mommy taught me to sidestep every single one.

Be Curious: Knowledge Is Power (and Professionalism)

My mother read the entire newspaper, every day, cover to cover, even the parts she didn’t care about. She believed in knowing things simply because the world required it of you. We're in a business that’s constantly evolving. In a blink, interest rates can shift. Zoning can change, and market conditions can pivot after one damn day in the stock market. You can’t be a great agent if you aren’t a great student of what's happening. Being curious about our industry is part of our fiduciary duty.

Mommy didn’t do “uninformed.” And neither should we.

Own Your Decisions, But Don’t Chain Yourself to the Bad Ones

Mommy was bold. She was the original exclamation point of a person. She made decisions (some brilliant, some not) and owned them all. But she never believed you had to die by a bad decision. She believed in course-correcting and moving forward if something went off the rails.

In real estate, we have to recalibrate. Sometimes we price a house too high or we trust the wrong lender. Sometimes we say yes to a client when our gut is screaming, "No!" But she taught me that it's fine to pivot and start over.

Confidence Comes From Someone Believing in You First

Mommy believed in me with a force that could have moved mountains. That belief became the foundation for my entire career. When I walk into any room, she's still in my head saying, “Glennda Baker, you are capable. You are worthy. Stand up straight and go do it.”

She taught me what confidence is. She is why I can pour that confidence into my clients. People make better decisions when they feel supported. And if I can be for them what my mother was for me, then I’m doing my job right.

The Legacy She Left Me, And the One I Try to Leave in Every Deal

There isn’t a single part of my real estate career that isn’t shaped by my mother’s love, her fire, and her curiosity. She taught me to see people, to hear them, and to love them enough to tell them the truth. Because that’s what real estate really is: the business of people. Every contract, every showing, every open house, it's people.

Thanks to Mommy, I know exactly how to show up for every single one of them.

GLENNDA’S GURU

Welcome, Jason Waugh!

I am so excited to welcome Jason Waugh this week! Many of y’all already know that Jason is the president of Coldwell Banker Affiliates. But if you’re not familiar, he leads the marketing, franchise sales, and operations teams that support more than 100,000 agents in 2,700 offices across 39 countries. (OMS!) Before that, he grew one of the top Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brokerages from 600 to over 1,000 agents in just four years. So believe me when I say that this man understands growth, leadership, and strategy on a level most of us only dream of.

What I love so much about Jason is that he’s not just a big-title guy. No, ma’am. He’s a people-first leader who truly understands what brokers and agents need to succeed in any market. He’s smart, he’s grounded, and he’s super passionate about giving our industry the tools to thrive. And that is why I’m thrilled to have him as this week’s guru!

Thank you, Jason!

GLENNDAISM

Today’s Words of Wisdom

GLENNDA BAKER & ASSOCIATES

Space, the Final Frontier

If there’s one thing I want you to know about this home at 2792 Achillea Way SW in Marietta, GA, it’s this: she is spacious in all the ways that matter. 

You’re not squeezing around corners or wondering where to put people. Oh, no. This house breathes. From the moment you step into that soaring two-story foyer, you feel it. The rooms are oversized, the sightlines are long, and everything flows the way real life actually works. You’ve got space for working, space for gathering, space for guests on the main level, and then (OMS!) you’ve got an entire terrace suite that lives like a second home.

In a world where so many houses feel cramped or compromised, this one gives you room to live boldly, comfortably, and expansively every single day!