Samuel Nathan Hall started out as a political and community organizer in Jefferson City, Mo., and Washington, D.C. In 2009, he returned to St. Louis to take over his family’s construction and remodeling business, expanding it to include historic renovations and development projects. “I got into real estate five years ago, after being recruited by several agents I regularly worked with,” he recalls. His team, J. Warner, the Warner Hall Group, has been with Dielmann Sotheby’s for a year and a half now. Hall lives in the Hi-Pointe/DeMun area with an English bulldog puppy named Cassius Clay.
[keeping the world safe for clients]
As a kid, I wanted to be an FBI or CIA agent. Guess that’s why one of my favorite shows is Homeland.
[first sale]
I showed a young couple more than 75 houses before we finally found the perfect place in West County.
[biggest sale ever]
Last summer, we helped an amazing couple buy a $2 million-plus place in Ladue and sell their home in Kirkwood for one of the highest prices paid per square foot.
[on the right track]
Last year, after much hard work and many long hours, I became the top-selling realtor in the metro area after only three years in the business. To accomplish such a feat in such a short time made me feel I truly had found my calling.
[experience counts]
I’m told my background in remodeling, construction, marketing and communications offers my clients great value.
[common ground]
Selling a house for top dollar isn’t too different from running a political campaign. In both cases, you’ve got to advocate for your client to the best of your ability and focus on the end goal, rather than getting bogged down by surprises.
[public image]
Neither Phil Dunphy from Modern Family nor the cast of Selling New York is a good example of what a real estate agent should be. To excel at this job, you need to be more than an affable character nice to work with, or a shark who’s addicted to ‘the deal.’ You need to be an expert in all aspects of your field, and you must be equally as willing to talk a client out of making a mistake as you are at convincing them to act on a rare opportunity.
[stress relief]
I reset by pushing my limits athletically. I run and cycle, compete in triathlons, love yoga, hiking and camping, and enjoy mountain climbing.
[what it takes]
If you’re considering a career in real estate, know you’ll have to work twice as hard as you expect, and you’ll have to stay with it at least a year before things start to click.