Meet Shawn Phillips
Shawn Phillips was born in Kansas City, Missouri but grew up in California. She was her parents first child. Her father was a writer, and her mother, a bookkeeper. Before she was two years old, she became the big sister to fraternal triplets: two sisters and a brother. Looking back, Shawn says that being the older sister/little mother had a huge impact on her life as she—to this day—tends to gravitate towards being a caregiver type and at the same time an optimist and free spirit. Shawn and her husband of over thirty years moved to Charleston about seven years ago and have three sons, two daughters-in-law, their youngest son’s girlfriend, and, of course, two grandsons. She and Bob are extremely proud of their family and feel very blessed.
If you know Shawn, you know she is all about the family. Together, they run and own Time Well Spent Tea Room in Summerville. Shawn states that sharing this endeavor has brought their family even closer together. Nestled in the Flowertown section of Summerville, they are the only Victorian-style tea room in the low country. Serving delicious lunches, desserts, and teas, they have become a destination for celebrations anything from birthdays to weddings, and hold old-fashioned high teas. Time Well Spent Tea Room is a unique place that has been in business for over twenty years.
Shawn and her outgoing personality make her not only likeable to those she encounters, but memorable as well. She has a genuine love for helping people. Her real estate career provides an outlet to help people find the home of their dreams and share her beautiful spirit with her clients. Shawn willingly took the plunge to leave her job as a hospital administrator to start her dream career. If you ask Shawn what she does, she’ll tell you she considers herself a dream maker. “Doesn’t everyone want to live in the house of their dreams?” she added. But what made Shawn stand out from other realtors for us at Focus on Fabulous was several aspects. First, she is conscious of her responsibility to help people make a good and fair deal, and it is important to her to always act with integrity. Shawn believes that over time, investing in real estate is a sound financial decision whether for personal use or as a business decision, but regardless she does not stand for cheating others. Shawn goes the extra mile to treat every client as if they are her only client, giving them individualized attention. As I was looking for a home, she treated me like I was a member of her family. She was honest about every house, and I could tell she was not just trying to make a sale. She wanted to help me find, and ultimately purchase, my home… no matter how long that took or how many we had to see. You can see the gratification and sense of accomplishment in her face when she accomplishes this goal that makes her heart sing.
Another aspect of what sets Shawn apart from other realtors I have known is that this not just a hobby for her. She takes it very seriously. Yes, she’s an experienced, full-time licensed real estate practitioner who sells real estate from Edisto to Summerville, but she genuinely wants her clients to be thrilled with their purchase. Her son and partner, Trevor, started their own company Coastal Lifestyle Properties, LLC which is affiliated with Brand Name Real Estate brokerage. Shawn says, “No one person has it all, and I am fortunate to team up with my son whose strengths complement mine.” Together they ensure their clients can reach an agent at any time. It is a personal pet peeve of Shawn’s when agents don’t answer their phones or get back to people. Shawn also brings her history to play. As someone who has relocated several times, buying and selling her own personal houses, Shawn relates to her clients even beyond the house hunting into the frustrations of closing paperwork. She is knowledgeable about what is needed from her realtors and attempts to provide that or better for her clients. Her love for the city and the lifestyle is one she thoroughly enjoys sharing with others.
Shawn has the patience of a saint. Her patience with people relocating here and finding just the right community for them is as important to her as it is to her client. Leveraging her past experiences, Shawn prides herself in providing outstanding client service, availability, personal touches, multi-faceted marketing, financial acumen, and skilled negotiations. She does not take for granted the level of trust given to her by a client and considers it the greatest compliment she could receive as a professional and the foundation of her practice. Her dedication to each client is evident before, during, and yes, even after the sale! Shawn runs her practice on one simple philosophy, a quote from Winston Churchill: “We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.”
To Shawn, being a great realtor means being a servant leader with clients, fellow buyer agents, and everyone she encounters. Shawn works to serve others and their best interests. Every day is a new adventure for her in this career, and that is part of why she thrives so well and loves it so. Each day brings new challenges and opportunities. Typically up at six each morning, Shawn hits the ground running, sometimes working seven days a week. She told us she wakes up each day and thinks someone out there needs my help. This motivates her to get up, get dressed, and get busy. Her bubbly personality is infectious, and you can tell that she makes the process fun. “If it isn’t fun, I don’t want to do it. Luckily, I’m easily amused,” Shawn chuckled. But through all the free-spirited, fun of the job, Shawn stays calm and professional and works to make every transaction a win-win.
As you can see Shawn Phillips, realtor, entrepreneur, restaurateur, wife, mother, grandmother, (we think fabulous woman extraordinaire), is anything but typical. Her favorite quote is one by Emily Bronte: “I have dreamed in my life, dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas; they have gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the color of my mind. A strong believer that we live the life we choose, Shawn ended on this note, “I had dreams of what I wanted out of life, and I have made choices that reflect my priorities. Life is a beautiful adventure, and I have been blessed to share my journey with amazing people.”
Contact Shawn at: Dreambigshawn@gmail.com