Today we’d like to introduce you to Shari Whay.
Hi Shari, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I always had a feeling real estate was something I could do well, even before I fully understood what being a Realtor meant. I would sometimes see listings in my neighborhood with neglected yards, fallen-over signs and would think, I could do better than that.
I stayed home with my kids and worked part-time at Phillips Furniture store in Kirkwood, where I’d quiz every realtor I could. Every one of them told me I’d be great at it. So when my kids hit high school, I quietly saved up a secret stash (my husband didn’t believe I could do it), paid for my classes, my laptop and got to work.
That was 12 years ago. I went from stay-at-home mom to building a thriving real estate career serving South St. Louis City and West St. Louis County.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not. Six months into my new career, my husband of 25 years and I separated. I was newly single at 50, terrified, rebuilding my entire life and creating a business at the same time.
Fortunately, an older agent in my office asked me to become her business partner. She wanted to begin to travel and slow down the pace of her life. We worked together for almost four years, and then unexpectedly, she passed away. And again, I found myself on my own. And to some extent starting my career over this time as a solo agent.
I became very focused. I started reading marketing books, mindset books, listened to podcasts, anything that could help me grow and become successful.
During Covid I found my way into an online mastermind group with real estate agents from all over the country. We would spend hours together on an audio app, with top agents from across the country coaching us on systems, strategies and how to get to the next level. That group changed my life. We still meet every morning, attend conferences together, and this fall 12 of us are heading to Connecticut to deep dive into Cowork by Anthropic and how AI can help us better serve our clients and grow our businesses. They are truly an amazing group of people. I very fortunate to have them in my life.
We’ve been impressed with Shari Whay, St.Louis Realtor with Real Broker, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My business is built on one simple belief, every client deserves exceptional service and every home deserves to be marketed like it matters. Because it does.
I work with both buyers and sellers across West St. Louis and St. Charles County, with the majority of my business coming from listings in the $450,000 to $800,000 range. I specialize in luxury buyers and sellers, relocations, and downsizers.
When I take a listing, I am already thinking about one thing, how do we get you the most money possible at closing? Everything I do is built around that goal. It starts before we even go to market. I recommend pre-listing inspections to every single one of my sellers. The majority of deals fall apart during the inspection phase, and most of that is completely avoidable. Get ahead of it, fix what needs to be fixed, and you will almost always walk away with more money at the closing table. I also connect my sellers with trusted stagers because how a home looks and feels when buyers walk through the door matters enormously.
Once we are ready to list, I use AI to identify the buyer avatar for your specific home — who they are, what they care about, and how to speak directly to them in every piece of marketing I create. This isn’t guesswork, it’s strategy.
And video is non-negotiable. Period. Most buyers today find their next home online, and a great video isn’t a luxury, it’s the difference between your home sitting and your home selling.
For my buyers, the process starts before we ever look at a single house. I begin with a deep dive consultation where we talk through their goals, timeline, budget and ideal areas. I want to fully understand what they are looking for before we step foot in a home. I also leverage HeyLeo, an AI-powered home search tool exclusively available through Real Broker, to match buyers with the right properties in a smarter, more targeted way. I have a strong track record of writing contracts that get accepted — and in this market, that matters.
I have a special place in my heart for relocation clients. I relocated here myself from Portland, Oregon, and I remember exactly how overwhelming it felt — not just finding a home, but rebuilding your entire daily life. Finding a pediatrician, a dry cleaner, baseball teams for my boys, music lessons. The things you took for granted suddenly don’t exist anymore. I understand that stress personally, and I make it my mission to alleviate as much of it as possible for every client making that same journey to St. Louis.
Something I hear a lot from clients is that they always knew they could reach me. That means everything to me. When you work with me you get me, not an assistant, not someone you have never met. I am with you from the very first conversation all the way through closing and beyond. That is just how I operate. The majority of my business comes from referrals and repeat clients, and that is the metric I am most proud of. It tells me I am doing something right.
I also want my clients to actually enjoy this process. Buying or selling a home is a big deal and I want them to feel confident, excited and taken care of every step of the way.
One thing I am really proud of lately is my social media. Four years ago you could not have paid me to put myself out there online. Now it is honestly one of my favorite parts of my business, it is a powerful way to connect with people, sharing what I love about St. Louis, and showing up authentically every single day. It has been a really fun evolution.
Outside of real estate I serve on the board of the Central West End Association, a community I care deeply about.
What were you like growing up?
I grew up in Southern California, in the San Fernando Valley, but I never really felt like a California girl at heart. Every summer my parents would send my sister and me to Akron, Ohio to spend time with our grandparents and cousins, and honestly those summers shaped me more than anything else. The green trees, the sweet corn, and being with my family, I was hooked. When it was time to choose a college, Ohio State was the easiest decision I ever made. The Midwest had my heart and it still does.
My parents raised us with a strong work ethic and I carry that with me every single day. I was a curious, creative kid with a lot of friends, and I think that curiosity and love of people is exactly what led me to real estate all these years later.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://shariwhay.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shari_whayrealtor
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShariWhayRE/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shariwhayre/
