Michael Sargent, Controller for Keller Williams Capital Properties (KWCP), is a one-of-a-kind person who loves music, exploring and enhancing his culinary skills, and enjoys giving back to his community. His diverse interests led him to several roles early in his career that prepared him perfectly for what was to come when he joined KWCP in 2017.
An exciting and eventful career path
When Michael was planning his next steps post high school, he attended the University of Colorado Boulder, where he gained a BA in arts, science, and music, as well as a minor in business administration. Both of his degrees have helped him immensely in the real estate industry. The knowledge he gained allowed him to have a creative outlook on problems but understand the rules of corporate business. During his time in college, he began working at Apple. He first worked part-time, and because he loved his role so much, he began working full-time as an Apple Inventory Control Specialist. He truly enjoyed his time at Apple and remained there for 8 years. After that, he transitioned to Sweet Green, where he led as a Head Coach for almost 6 months. At the time, he did not know that the leadership skills he would acquire at Apple and Sweet Green would help him immensely as a Market Center Administrator (MCA) at KWCP.
Michael stumbled across his first opportunity at KWCP when he became a real estate agent for the Wise Property Group. During his time at the Wise Property Group, he was introduced to KWCP when he attended one of the KWCP Market Center Meetings. Many people at the meeting noticed Michael’s natural talent for skillful leadership, and when it was mentioned that KWCP was looking for an MCA to run their Fairfax Market Center, Michael was intrigued. He applied in hopes that his leadership skills and business administration degree would make him an ideal candidate. A short time later, Michael was interviewed and hired by our very own, Joe Martin.
The Creation of KW Central Finance
Michael quickly adapted to his role as MCA at the Fairfax, VA Market Center. Due to his trained eye in both the creative and business space, Michael noticed something missing from the KWCP enterprise. He believed that implementing a central finance system within KWCP’s structure would ultimately help all KW Market Centers leverage a strong financial foundation for their individual brokerages. He launched KW Central Finance in 2018, and it has taken off. This new business has helped to ensure consistency within KW and has lessened the stress of the MCA role. By leveraging KW Central Finance, the MCAs who participate are able to direct operations and support recruitment efforts in a much less cluttered role.
Michael is proud that over his career, he was able to learn more about himself and how to take his knowledge and skills and apply them in a huge way. His biggest career takeaway is that “many people feel a career needs to look a certain way or be a certain way; in reality it is the culmination of experiences you have and how they lead you to be successful in your current role”.
Michael’s Personal Life
As seen so far, Michael has various interests that have enhanced the course of his life. While he has been appreciative of his life path, he knows that sometimes others need a helping hand, so he volunteers with multiple organizations. His favorite place to volunteer is Habitat for Humanity because it is immensely rewarding for him to see hard work pay off. He also volunteers at the Washington Area Bicyclist Association and the Choral Arts Society of Washington.
Michael is also proud to be a father and husband to his favorite people on earth, Jack, Olive, and his wife Dani! Olive is 6 months, and Jack is 3 and a half years old.