Above, Gretchen Coley
Gretchen Coley grew up poor, waiting tables and doing menial chores to pay her way through the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She took her degree in finance to Wall Street, where she interned long enough to realize that neither trading nor the New York vibe suited her taste for gracious Southern living.
Returning to Raleigh, she spoke to a Realtor® friend who, she said, was meeting great people and earning more money than Coley dared to dream about. So, she got her license in 2000 and began looking for work, only to find that nobody wanted to hire a totally inexperienced agent.
“But I was determined,” Coley said, “and I finally found a builder willing to take me on if I could sell three of his least desirable houses.”
She not only sold them, Coley said, she became his top salesperson, ultimately selling 200 houses in the neighborhood she helped him develop.
“I learned early that everyone needs a home, and I loved the challenge of helping them find the right one,” Coley said.
A trailblazer in the luxury home market, she joined the Allen Tate Company in 2016 and by the time she joined Compass in 2021, she had created a team, which today consists of 14 agents and eight staff members serving the North Carolina triangle area of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. In 2024, the group closed 313 transaction sides and over $214 million in sales.
Barbara Pronin: Gretchen, how do you manage this large a team?
Gretchen Coley: We have a mandatory weekly business meeting to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Also, I believe real estate is all about contact, so every agent is required to spend some part of every day in the office. Frequent interaction builds morale and camaraderie, and the understanding that we are pulling together in ways that promote everyone’s success.
BP: And you have eight staff members?
GC: Yes. They are our behind-the-scenes heroes. They do our videography, social media, transactional management–all the marketing and support activities we need so that we in the field can get out and do what we do best.
BP: What is your criteria for taking on new agents?
GC: We have a very diverse team, mostly experienced but also newer agents who I am excited to mentor. Primarily, I look for people who are passionate about the business and driven to succeed, who are client-obsessed and intentional about growth.
BP: Tell us a little about the region you serve.
GC: Raleigh is called the City of Oaks because of all the trees and greenery, and the entire Triangle region boasts a great all-seasons climate, lots of recreational opportunities, and great schools. But more than that, we are a welcoming community blessed with gracious southern hospitality. We smile at strangers and have a very high level of social engagement.
BP: Are your sales today mostly residential?
GC: Yes, but I still collaborate with builders and developers–everything from initial land acquisition to marketing whole new communities.
BP: What is the average sale price in the Triangle?
GC: The average is $468,000, but many of our most desirable listings sell for well over $1 million.
BP: What makes The Coley Group the leading Compass team in the Triangle area?
GC: Apart from market savvy and concierge-level service, our claim to fame is our Best of Raleigh video, blog and podcast. It’s our secret sauce, a weekly series we began to produce so that we could connect with our community during the Covid pandemic. It’s all about southern living, designed to inform and entertain–food, health, people, lifestyle, unique retailers and services–truly the best of everything the region has to offer. We have so far done more than 60 episodes, and we’re proud to say we have more than a million listeners.
BP: Remarkable.
GC: We also gave $78,000 to non-profit groups and charities last year. We like to put our time, money and energy into the region that has given us so much, and which is still evolving and growing.
BP: After 25 years in the business, Gretchen, what keeps you coming into the office every day?
GC: I love people, I love meeting new people–and my team is like family to me. I am blessed to have achieved so much more in this life than I ever thought I could, and I find joy in seeing others succeed by helping our customers find their dream homes.
BP: What is the best advice you have for newer team leaders?
GC: Take on agents who share your passion and your deep commitment to succeed. Give them support and treat them like family, but also hold them accountable for meeting their own goals.
The Coley Group Listing
1406 Hunting Ridge Road
Raleigh, North Carolina
5 Bedroom, 6 Baths
4,343 square feet
Listing price: $2,675,000
Photography by First Impression NC
To see the full listing, click here.
To learn more about The Coley Group, visit https://thecoleygroup.com/.
