Janna Thomas
she’s from the NEFAR side
Janna Thomas is a Realtor with LMH Solutions, a division of LMH Realty. She is the president of the Jacksonville chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors and represents NEFAR as co-chair of the Realtor Builder Tradeshow.
Her job
LMH is a sales staffing and management company offering full service research and marketing support to area developers and home building companies.
“When you have small builders that have a close-out community or they need to move their salesperson to another location, but have three or four homes left, we go in and sell those homes for them and they don’t have to pay us like they’d pay an employee.”
Currently, Thomas sits in a model home in Murabella as a general real estate agent and does general real estate as well.
Why the Tradeshow?
“I knew that I would want to be involved in event planning after my year as WCR president. The tradeshow is a two-year commitment, so I knew it would keep me involved next year as well as this year. I thought, ‘Hey, it’s going to be a crazy year anyway with being president, so why not just go and do them both?’”
Working with David Wakefield
“He has a vision or idea and I figure out how we can make that a reality, implement it and get other people involved to make that happen smoothly,” said Thomas.
Dancing feet
“I began ballroom dancing at the age of 18 and bought my first home at the age of 25. Over the last 20 years I’ve been buying, selling and managing real estate, while offering my Realtor services and dance instructions to family and friends.”
Thomas has worked in real estate offices, for mortgage lenders and with builders specifically since 1994.
In 2006, she took at two-year sabbatical to open an Arthur Murray franchise.
In 2008, she returned to full-time real estate sales and property management with Buck & Buck Realty. Before LMH Solutions, she was an Internet liaison and sales and marketing associate with Mercedes Homes.
Best professional advice
“Always think you are in the shape of a funnel when you are learning. Have your arms open and take as much information and education as you can in and let it funnel in. Don’t ever block information and always be a funnel for information.”
Advice for a new agent
Market, market and market. “Put yourself out there. It is a sales position so you need to talk to people and network. It’s all about being a funnel for information and then following through and delivering that product.”
Balancing act
“I just do it. I made a commitment and I understand what’s involved, so I just do it. It’s been a little hectic. I just put everything on my calendar, show up, knock it out and go to the next meeting.”
Being involved
Thomas is the president of the Jacksonville WCR, involved in the Northeast Florida Builders Association’s Sales and Marketing Council and the founder of the Jacksonville Real Estate Leadership Group.
Family
She grew up in Jacksonville and lives in the Ft. Caroline area. She has been married to Steve Waligroski for 12 years. They have a puppy named Maximus Thomas Waligroski.
-by Michele Gillis
David Wakefield
NEFBA’s rep for the Tradeshow
David Wakefield has been a senior loan officer with PrimeLending for three years and is the Northeast Florida Builders Association’s co-chair for the tradeshow.
Why do it?
“I feel it is my duty and obligation to give back to the real estate community. I am in the industry and there is a give-back factor. The industry has been very good to me. I’m a yes man and I want to make things happen as much as I can. If there is a way for me to work it in, I want to try to work it in.”
Teaming with Thomas
Thomas and Wakefield have known each other for years through their participation in the Jacksonville Women’s Council of Realtors so working together on this venture came pretty naturally to both of them.
“David is the big idea guy and brings the big ideas in and I bring them to fruition,” said Thomas.
His history
Wakefield started in the mortgage industry in 1994 with Florida Home Loans, then worked for Fidelity National Bank until he joined Pinnacle Financial as an office manager. When that office closed, he joined CTX Mortgage for five years as a loan officer. When that company was closing, the mortgage group at CTX interviewed mortgage companies and banks together. As a group, they chose to join PrimeLending who opened an office in Jacksonville as a group with Wakefield as a senior loan officer.
His role
“I’m happier being a loan officer,” said Wakefield. “There is less stress. As a manager, there is so much babysitting and bureaucracy and my income decreased as a manager because I couldn’t maintain my production and train other people at the same time.
Advice for a new loan officer
Stay focused and don’t be afraid to network.
College
He has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from the University of North Florida.
Family
Wakefield moved to Jacksonville when he was 10 years old. He has been married to Serena for 17 years and they have three children.