Century 21 Broker / Owner Lives and Works by the Golden Rule
by Joan StablefordDennis Russell President / Broker of the Century 21 Alliance Group in Hoover, lives by several simple principles. They all amount to one well-lived philosophy: "Do the right thing all the time and you will be successful."
A big strapping man with a megawatt smile, Dennis has led his life as a Realtor®, broker, entrepreneur, and husband with great character. Just shy of 40, he has been receiving accolades from his peers the past few years, and with good reason-- he lives his life by adherence to strong principles, which demonstrate his love of country, his family, and his devotion to God.
Dennis is proud of his service to his country and his family's record of military service. A six year veteran who served during Operation Desert Storm, Dennis' office is filled with mementos and memorabilia from his military past and that of his dad, Sr. Master Sgt. Carey Russell. Dennis has his U.S. Army dress uniform cap on display in his office, as well as his late father's folded American flag, dog tags, and Senior Master Sergeant's stripes.
The Russell family's service to this country goes back seven generations. Dennis has traced his family's military roots to 1775, the year the U.S. Marine Corps was founded. His ancestors have even served under General George Washington and in the Civil War.
"Not many family's can claim that," he said with a soft laugh.
Dennis Russell
In 2004, when Dennis called the U.S. Air Force to arrange military honors for his father's funeral, the man with whom he spoke told him his father "was one of the very last of a special breed who served in World War II, the Korean Conflict, and in Vietnam." The Air Force exceeded Dennis' request, arranging a 21-gun salute, a special Air Force flyover in the missing man formation, and a hidden bagpiper to play in honor of his father.
Very much a family man, Dennis surrounds himself in his office with numerous photos of himself with his wife Roxanne. They married in 1993 and it has been a great match ever since, he said. They fist "dated" while attending a party, Roxanne, who was there with someone else, had an argument with her date and asked Dennis, whom she knew, for a ride home. He gladly agreed and took her home in his Jeep. A sentimental romantic, Dennis says, "I still have that Jeep because we took our first ride in it together."
In fact, Dennis became a REALTOR® in large part so he could have more time with Roxanne, who has suffered from health issues. The flexibility of real estate allowed Dennis to be with Roxanne whenever she needs him. "I feel blessed to be sharing my life with her," Dennis said, with a beaming smile.
Blessings from God, and recognizing them, play a large part in Dennis' success as a REALTOR® and as a husband. "I don't hide my faith," he says. It's not unusual for him to lead his team in prayer after a sales meeting. "If that offends some agents, they don't have to participate. But I believe it helps keep me focused on our goals and on our true priorities in life," Dennis said.
For example, every day, he reads inspirational messages from the Rev. Billy Graham and others such as Lou Holtz, Max Lucado, and James Dobson. He believes that these personal readings help keep him positive, in a world which can seem increasingly negative.
"There's enough negativity in life. When you read positive books, positive thoughts come into your mind," he said.
Beyond country, family, and inspiration messages, Dennis, an avid ex-jock, says he became a better REALTOR® by learning to persevere, even under stress, when he played football for a junior college in Mississippi.
"Playing football and other sports (baseball) taught me an important life lesson - never give up, no matter what. That is even a great life lesson," he said.
This year, Dennis was named Mississippi State University's Birmingham Alumnus of the Year. (He is the youngest ever nominated for the university's National Alumnus of the Year.) He has also been nominated to Birmingham Business Journal's Top 40 Under 40, with winners to be announced in July.
Earlier in his career as broker at Century 21's Trussville office, he led the team there to the Centurion Award, Century 21's highest accolade. Currently, Dennis is president of Century 21's Greater Alabama Brokers' Council, leading the 38 Century 21 brokers throughout the state.
"This has been a great experience. I have been able to meet and link up with the other brokers in Alabama. It's been a great learning experience, learning more about them and their business," Dennis said enthusiastically.
Dennis is honored by these awards and recognition, but they cannot replace his enthusiasm for his team of agents at his century 21 Alliance Group Hoover. In 2005, the company was named the number one Century 21 office in Alabama for production and sales.
"Business is like sports. Our business here is like a team and I teach them that you need a winning attitude with one goal in mind - to be successful. Our goal is to help customers. If we are committed to our customers and committed to our goal, then we will be successful," he said.
Dennis especially enjoys coaching younger, less experience agents. "When you first start out in this business, the learning curve is very high. New agents can almost drown under learning all of the paperwork and details. I try to be here to help them in any way I can," he said. "They have to remember that our purpose here is simple: to put buyers and sellers together. If we do that right, we have done our job," he said.
Dennis enjoys helping his agents grow their business. With 41 agents and still growing, his office atmosphere matches his personal beliefs and style.
"I don't care for interoffice politics and petty office issues. Everyone here knows that the focus is helping the clients and getting business done," he said.
The ability to adapt to continual changes in modern real estate is key to maintaining that focus, he emphasizes. "Real Estate is continually evolving, especially with technology and the consumer. As a matter of fact, Century 21's slogan is 'Agents of Change'," he said.
When Dennis brings a new agent on board, he advises them that they have to like change, because the entire field of real estate is continually evolving. Century 21's relocation service now generates new customers, and a new construction department that Century 21 added a few years ago allow agents to work directly with builders on site. The Alliance Group - Hoover's Relocation Department is directed by Cathy Bice, CPR, whom Dennis calls "a proven leader in relocation." His "right hand" is Chris Wigfall, who directs all contracts "and does an incredible job." Dennis is also co-principle in CARTUS Mobility, a relocation company.
Dennis has seen his share of change in his own career. He recalls with a laugh being trained by a veteran agent who did not have a cell phone or even a calculator.
But he learned the business through his mentor's techniques of listening to the customer and servicing their needs. He learned real estate the same way he learned his first civilian job after the Army, at a pharmaceutical company. He was encouraged to apply for the job by a fellow soldier and was told little else.
"I went and talked to this man and I got the job - I didn't even know what the job entailed, but I had one," he said with a laugh. His work was as an internal auditor, traveling the country and the world, calling on physician offices, ensuring that the company's products and samples were helping patients. He and Roxanne traveled to remote locales including Puerto Rico and Alaska.
The worldwide travel was quite a change from small-town Mississippi, where Dennis grew up on a farm in Noxapater, population 750, "I traveled far and wide with that job to many different cities. It was a great experience for a small-town farm boy," he said.
But once Roxanne began to have health problems, Dennis wanted to be closer to home and have a job that gave him more flexibility in his schedule, so he could attend to her needs. The couple moved to Birmingham to be closer to UAB. When they sold their home, he met a REALTOR® he really liked and decided he would give this career a try. The rest is history.
Dennis and Roxanne are very much a part of their community and Dennis believes in giving back through volunteerism. He volunteers as a T-ball coach at the YMCA, helps out at Habitat for Humanity, and is member of the American Legion Post 911. He also has volunteered in the Read Across America program for the past decade, and serves on the board of Easter Seals.
"Eater Seals is a great organization which does excellent work every day. For me and Roxanne, it is a very personal cause," he says.
Dennis Russell, the REALTOR®, has set high standards for himself in his life and in his work. He expects his agents to do the same. His advice to them is simple: "Do the right thing every day. Work hard, but remember to do the right thing. If you do that, you will be successful and always proud that you took the high road."
Courtesy Broker Agent Magazine