06/17/2026
10 YEARS.
On June 16, 2016, I received my real estate license and joined Coldwell Banker McMillan & Associates. Today marks 10 years with the same company. In an industry where people seem to change brokerages more often than some folks change cell phone plans, that’s something I’m incredibly proud of.
What’s funny is that if you had asked me 10 years ago if I’d end up in real estate, I probably would’ve laughed.
The truth is, real estate wasn’t my idea.
It was my mother’s.
She saw something in me long before I saw it in myself. In fact, she made me take the real estate course, and to make sure I actually did it, she took the class with me. Looking back, she recognized gifts and abilities that I hadn’t discovered yet.
Isn’t it funny how parents can see your future before you can?
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized something else. Sometimes the prayers your parents prayed over your life years ago start showing up in ways you never expected. There have been moments throughout this journey where I’ve looked around and thought, “This might actually be one of those prayers coming true.”
When I got into real estate, I never wanted to be a salesperson. Selling wasn’t really in my nature. What drew me to this profession was the opportunity to help people. I wanted to impact lives, serve families, and help people achieve goals they never thought possible.
Over the last decade, I’ve had the privilege of helping hundreds of families buy, sell, and invest in real estate. I’ve built a business that has exceeded anything I thought was possible when I first walked into that pre-licensing class. Not because I’m the smartest person in the room, but because God has been faithful, I’ve had incredible mentors, amazing clients, and I’ve tried my best to stay consistent even when things weren’t easy.
I’ve learned that success usually isn’t one big moment.
It’s thousands of small decisions made over and over again.
Over the years, I’ve earned my Broker’s License, became a licensed real estate instructor in South Carolina, obtained professional designations including CRS, ABR, SRS, PSA, RENE, AHWD, and C2EX, served on the South Carolina REALTORS® Professional Standards Committee, and I’m currently honored to be part of the South Carolina REALTORS® Leadership Academy.
I’ve been blessed to teach classes, mentor agents, coach professionals, and sit in rooms I never imagined I’d be invited into. What’s even crazier is that younger Thomas would’ve probably been nervous just walking into some of those rooms.
People often ask me what changed my business.
My answer is simple.
A business plan.
Not a secret script.
Not a magic lead source.
Not a social media hack.
A business plan.
The moment I started treating real estate like a business instead of a hobby with a paycheck, everything changed. When I learned my numbers and tracked my activities, I finally understood how to build something sustainable.
Because we’re not salespeople.
We’re service providers.
We’re problem solvers.
We’re guides through one of the biggest decisions people will ever make.
I’ve always believed real estate is a calling.
And if it ever becomes only about the money, that’s probably when it’s time for me to do something else.
As I recently reviewed my business plan, I noticed something interesting. One goal has remained on every version for years: owning my own brokerage.
It hasn’t happened yet.
But I know it’s part of the vision God placed in my heart.
My word for 2026 is Growth.
As I reflect on the last 10 years, I’m grateful for Coldwell Banker McMillan & Associates, Joey McMillan, my colleagues, mentors, clients, friends, family, and especially my mother, who apparently knew what she was talking about all those years ago.
Moms hate admitting they’re right.
Mine took the real estate course, 10 years of evidence, and probably a spreadsheet somewhere to prove it.
So I guess she wins this one.
I don’t know exactly what the next 10 years will look like, but I know Who is writing the story.
And I can’t wait to see what He does next.
