Debbie Francis knows a thing or two about major moves.
As a military child and as an adult, she has survived 27 major moves…interstate, intrastate, and international. Some of her belongings have not been as fortunate.
Before starting her real estate career Debbie bought and sold 8 homes in 5 states, including 2 new homes, and 3 older homes which she renovated.
She understands the concerns of buyers and sellers, the pressures that both experience, and what they expect from their Realtor®. For folks who are new to the area, she learns about their interests and helps them get integrated in the community.
Debbie holds B.S. and MBA degrees from the University of Alabama, and a Ph.D. in strategic management/international business from the University of South Carolina.
She taught college for several years, but also has a diverse business background… banking, telecommunications, computer consulting, shipbuilding, and government contracting.
Her career journey was definitely not planned. In the process, she became known as a problem solver.
Debbie enjoys several outdoor activities and has taught sailing in South Carolina and snow skiing in Colorado. Here she enjoy exploring the beautiful mountains and waterfalls in the area. She loves the arts of all kinds which are found in abundance here. Community involvement is important to her and another factor that first attracted Debbie to this area.
She shares her home with two cats or it may be more accurate to say they allow her to live with them.
As former educator, she is a firm believer in continuous learning and has furthered her real estate knowledge and skills by attaining various designations:
GRI – Graduate Realtor Institute, held by only 18% of all Realtors®
ABR – Accredited Buyer’s Representative – indicates additional training for working with buyers and also proven experience
ePRO – internet professional.
GREEN – Additional training on green building and energy- efficient features.
Home from Work – Certified to counsel employers on how they can help their employees find affordable housing. This designation is now part of the Affordable Housing Specialist designation which she also has. You will find information on affordable housing sprinkled through the website.
CRS – Certified Residential Specialist – In addition to additional education, this designation requires that the candidate demonstrate success in the field.
SFR – Short Sale/Foreclosure Resource. Additional training to guide clients when working with properties in foreclosure or short sale situations.
Presently she serves on the Community Relations Committee and the Affordable Housing Committee for the Asheville Board of Realtors®, is a past member of the board of directors for Asheville Board of Realtors Services, and is a member of the Asheville Chamber of Commerce, Rotary International, and Leadership Asheville. She occasionally teaches a section of the buyers class for OnTrack Financial, a nonprofit organization focusing on financial literacy and is involved with the Osher Lifelong Learning Center’s Creative Retirement Exploration Weekend.