About

It isn’t often that you meet someone like Laura. Her warmth and authenticity immediately draw you in. But it is her joyful and calm personality that really sparks your desire to get to know her. An outstanding student academically, her talents and skills did not end in the classroom.

Focused and determined by nature, Laura planned to join the Army long before graduation. Serving her country for four years, including an eleven-month deployment to Iraq, she finished strong by returning to her home state to start her college career. Regarding her time in the military, Laura said, “My time in the Army was beneficial to me on a very personal level. It allowed me to jump onto the fast track toward adulthood and establish my independence with grace and dignity.”

While staying focused as a full-time student, Laura also worked as a civilian employee for the Department of the Army. Her undaunting drive continued to shine through as she attained both her bachelor’s degree and her master’s degree in Business Administration from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville - in just four years.

After experiencing a rewarding nine-month civilian deployment to Afghanistan in 2013, Laura realized that she was no longer content with a cubicle job. With a fascination for real estate, she decided to purchase and flip her first investment property. But her experiences and natural instincts had helped to develop exceptional communication skills. “I love meeting people and found that my ability to really listen to them helped me to tap into a unique understanding of their needs,” said Laura. This desire to interact with people prompted her to steer her focus in real estate toward working more directly with people that were looking for help and direction.
Laura’s interest in real estate took a new turn. Her desire was to create win-win situations by purchasing properties in any condition while helping the sellers through the process. This new path proved to be the perfect career fit for her. As she puts it, “I’m there to listen to what people want and/or need to move on from their real-estate related challenges. Although the business objective is to buy property, my first goal is always to listen and determine what it is I can do to help the sellers.”

After meeting a GHREA Invest Advisor, Laura was soon introduced to Grant Hickman, owner of GHREA. It didn’t take long before Laura realized that she and Grant held a very similar mindset regarding real estate investing and life in general. “I knew this company was right for me. Grant and his company have a passion for helping people while also succeeding in business. I could also see that Grant was personally interested in supporting me on my continuous journey of personal growth and development. It was clear to me that we were on the same page concerning the things that are important to me – taking care of my clients, customers, and business partners while also taking care of myself,” said Laura.
A great addition to the GHREA Invest family, Laura looks forward to continuing to help people thrive by resolving their real estate needs.