The Power of Caring: A Real Talk on Real Estate with Chris Meadors

mgraziano45
May 9
4 min read

When someone tells you they care, it can feel like a throwaway line. But when Chris Meadors says it, you believe it – because he backs it up with every move he makes.

On this episode of Adventures in Business, Amani and Mandi sit down with Chris, a lifelong award-winning Marriott sales executive turned real estate executive. He shares how he got into real estate, why it’s been a career he’s passionate about, and his best advice for anyone selling or buying in the near future.

How Chris Meadors Left Marriott for Real Estate

Chris spent over a decade climbing the corporate ladder at Marriott. He’d reached a respectable income, rubbed elbows with GMs, and checked many career boxes. But something didn’t feel right. Ultimately, he realized: even when you’re the general manager, someone else (the hotel owner) is still calling the shots.

At the same time, his family was planning a move from Alameda to Napa. His wife had just left her corporate job. And during one fateful commute, Chris asked himself the question that would change everything: “What if I quit, too?”

Within two weeks, he and his wife had moved in with her parents (a bold move at age 35 with a child in tow), and he jumped into real estate with zero guarantees of a paycheck.

The Risks, the Realities, and the Rewards

Chris admits that when you’re used to a W-2 mindset, it’s hard to see what’s possible as an entrepreneur. He figured if he could just make $100K again, he’d be fine. What he didn’t expect? The limitless opportunities that would open up once he started working for himself. The ceiling was so much higher, and he’s now found a career that feels personal, purposeful, and deeply rewarding.

More Than Just a Realtor

Chris isn’t interested in puffed-up bios or leveraging “astute business sense.” His bio ends with something far more powerful: “All you really need to know is that he cares.”

And he means it. Whether it’s telling a client not to buy a house or walking someone through one of the biggest purchases of their life, Chris leads with thoughtfulness and heart. It’s how he’d want to be treated – and it’s how he treats others. He says: “I just want to work with people who care a little more than not. So I try to be that person too.”

What About Today’s Interest Rates?

Interest rates are higher than they’ve been in years – but that doesn’t mean you should sit on the sidelines. Chris says the old advice to “buy now and refi later” doesn’t really hold up anymore.

“If you can afford the payment at today’s rates – say 7% for a 30-year fixed – then go for it. Just don’t count on refinancing down the road,” he explains. “Hope isn’t a strategy.”

In other words, plan for today’s numbers, not tomorrow’s predictions.

Lessons from a Failed Flip

Chris also got real about a personal failure: his experience flipping homes through a franchise during the pandemic. While the market was hot in 2020, things took a turn in 2023 when he made a risky purchase in Tennessee – and lost big.

What went wrong? He trusted the wrong person for advice, got distracted by life changes, and didn’t do his own due diligence.

“I took my eye off the ball,” he admits. “I didn’t run the numbers. I didn’t ask the right questions. And I paid for it.”

That loss, though painful, became a wake-up call that led Chris to tighten up the financial side of his real estate business in California. He now tracks every dollar, keeps better books, and makes sure he understands the math before making a move.

What Makes a Great Realtor

Real estate can be one of the most personal professional relationships out there. And yet, when we talk about the work realtors do, we often lump it under the term “sales.” But Chris says the word “sales” might not even be the right term.

When people ask him how he’s “selling differently,” he says he’s not trying to reinvent the wheel. He’s focused on building relationships, offering value, and providing excellent service – especially without relying heavily on social media.

How to Choose the Right Realtor

If you’re in the market for a realtor – whether buying, selling, or switching – Chris encourages you to go beyond the basics and really get to know the person behind the business card.

Here are a few essential questions to ask:

Do they have experience with your specific goals or property type?
How long have they been doing this? How many deals have they closed?
What’s their style?
And most importantly: Do they genuinely care?

Authenticity matters more than people think. A good realtor-client relationship is built on trust and understanding – because buying or selling a home isn’t just a transaction; it can be emotional.

Chris Meador’s Advice for New Realtors

Looking back at the beginning of his own real estate career, Chris says he would have told his younger self to find a mentor: “Find someone to work for who knows what they’re doing, and stick with them for two to five years.”

Too many new agents jump in solo, but real estate – like many trades – benefits from an apprenticeship model. The stakes are high, and the learning curve is steep. Having a mentor helps.