Franchisenehmer/in Norma Madrigal Turkington - RE/MAX Elite

I’ve been a licensed Realtor since April 2007, right around the same time I ran the Boston Marathon—two of my proudest accomplishments, mainly because I survived both. After moving to the South Padre Island/Port Isabel area in 1996, transitioning into real estate felt like a no-brainer. I had spent most of my adult life in outside sales, and what’s more "outside" than the beach?

However, with two young daughters to raise, my real estate dreams had to take a backseat for a bit. In hindsight, that backseat was more like a first-class seat on the "waiting-for-the-right-time" train. The universe must have had a good laugh, though, because when the time finally came, the market decided to take a nosedive. Classic timing, right? Despite the market’s best efforts to sabotage my career, I made the most of it, earning RE/MAX’s Executive Club award every year since I became a licensed Realtor. I guess you could say I’m the "come-back kid" of real estate.

In 2012, I had my best year yet, earning the 100% Club award—because sometimes the universe isn’t always out to get you. By 2013, I was on fire, doubling my sales and making everyone wonder if I had a secret stash of magic real estate pixie dust. 2014 wasn’t any less impressive, with a 60% increase in sales and my crowning achievement of becoming the top-selling agent in the area, earning RE/MAX Platinum status for the first time. 2015 and 2016? Well, let’s just say they were like winning the real estate lottery, earning me both the coveted RE/MAX Hall of Fame award and Platinum status.

Fast forward to today: I'm still living the dream—selling resort and investment properties on South Padre Island. And by "living the dream," I mean getting paid to hang out on the beach and convince people to do the same. It's a tough job, but someone has to do it!