Why Ya Ya's Matter More Than Ever

I worked for large national brokerage in various iterations for over 30 years. I had a lot of different bosses and colleagues during my tenure there. And I learned early on that you cannot be friends with your employees. But there was a group of women with whom I worked who made an indelible mark on my life and career, and still do to this day. It’s hard to say if we would have formed the friendships if remote work were a thing back then.

It takes a village.

I have had the good fortune, since starting my consulting business in 2020, of working with a wide range of brokerages, including various sizes and brands, throughout the United States. I get to look under the hood, so to speak, of each company. For the most part, I am not surprised by anything. And because of my NDA’s, I won’t discuss any of that here. But I will say that the brokerages I work with are well-run and operate with the highest ethical standards. I wouldn’t work with them if they didn’t. The leaders are self-aware, which is why they have hired me. They recognize they could use some guidance in areas that are not their core business lines. However, each brokerage certainly has its distinct personality, which is often a reflection of those at the top. And how the various company departments interact has sometimes caught me off guard.

When I have my first consulting calls with the leadership, I make it clear that, in addition to their relocation director, I may also need to work with their attorney, IT department, human resources department, broker of record, administrative assistants, and, most definitely, their marketing teams. It takes a village to accomplish what we are about to undertake. And I usually ask to have a call with some of them early on, so they hear from me what we might need along the way and understand our strategic mission.

I didn’t do that at the start of my consulting. I made the crazy assumption that the support departments would do what we needed them to do without question. Bad assumption. The reason I thought that is that I had such a strong bond with the leaders of the support departments at the company I worked for that when I needed something, they not only complied, they loved helping out. However, when I look back on that time, it took years to develop respect and trust with the other department heads. They are each experts in their field and a critical component of growth. But everyone has their own mission.

I have worked with clients who have marketing teams that want to exert so much control that they actually end up changing the messaging we are trying to create. My question back to them is ‘why did you hire me?’. I understand the importance of brand protection, I really do. But doing agent and consumer marketing is different than marketing relocation, referral, and affinity services to other businesses, such as relocation management companies, other brokers, and local organizations. And some departments prioritize work for the relocation department so low that we often waste a lot of time waiting for their assistance. Would they do that to a top producer? Doubtful.

Why we need Ya Ya’s.

This group of six key women was not only my allies but also became my friends. Somewhere along the way, after some departed the company, we made an effort to stay connected and took on the name of Ya Ya’s, in honor of the 2002 movie and book Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood. But a Ya Ya can be any gender. Mine just happened to be women. My Ya Ya Sisterhood consists of:

• Attorney/Executive Leader Ya Ya

• Broker of Record Ya Ya

• Executive Administrative Assistant Ya Ya

• Human Resources Ya Ya

• IT Ya Ya

• Marketing Ya Ya

• And me, the Relocation, Concierge, License Holding Company, and Internet Lead Call Center (now Consultant) Ya Ya

Through the years, we have endured many milestones and losses, such as the deaths of parents, siblings, and even a spouse. Two went on to use their expertise in other fields, and two have happily retired. We’ve experienced empty nests, graduations, marriages, divorces, and there was a cancer battle. We weathered many layoffs (both as those who implemented them and as those who were laid off ourselves), mergers, acquisitions, and massive budget cuts. We learned how to deal with whoever was the president and regionals at that moment in time, and shared survival tips. But no matter what, we operated as allies, knowing we were stronger together.

The first Ya Ya left the company in the early 2000s, and there is one who still remains. I have worked with one Ya Ya at two different companies. But what has never changed is the laughs we have when we get together. The stories flow, and it’s always fun to see who has news on any of our former coworkers, managers, or agents.

We are stronger together.

Being in charge of relocation and client services in a brokerage can be a lonely experience. There is only one of you in each company. While Relocation Director’s Council and network relationships offer camaraderie, it’s nice to have friends who understand the dynamic of running a department within your own organization. And it’s even more critical that they have your back and you have theirs. It is not about fighting for resources; it is about utilizing them to their maximum benefit.

My advice is to spend some time with the department heads in your company. Help them understand how what you do benefits their departments by bringing profit into the organization and supports the local economy. And it means the company isn’t solely dependent on agents to supply all of the revenue on a transactional basis. Once they understand that you manage accounts that can bring in vast amounts of transactions and new sources of business, they will look at you more like a high-producing agent or branch. And maybe along the way you’ll find yourself a set of lifelong Ya Ya’s.

 “There is the truth of history, and there is the truth of what a person remembers.”
― Rebecca Wells, Author Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood