Stacey Glenn
My Story
From a state exam in labor to $174M to date in sales — this is the unfiltered truth of how I built my career.
How It All Started
I got my real estate license on January 23, 2013 — and I went into labor with my son on question 66 of 100 on the state exam. I finished the test, passed, drove myself to Chick-fil-A for a fried chicken sandwich, waffle fries, and a Diet Coke, then gave birth that same day. With a 17-month-old daughter at home, I knew I needed to finish that test right then and there. And so I did.
My original purpose in getting licensed was to have access to the MLS for buying distressed properties. But life had other plans.
Starting Over
I separated in 2014 and divorced in 2015, starting my life over with two small children — ages 2 and 3. I left that relationship in very bad shape. I was a co-dependent and emotional mess, and the only thing that pulled me out of that was accountability from my best friend, who made me promise that I would leave. And I did.
This was the hardest time of my life, and the gift of that was a renewing of my faith and my dependence on it to persevere. I did a 7-day fast, read the Bible cover to cover, and slowly transformed my thinking about the world.
I bought my own home — a foreclosure — with the support of my parents, and started real estate coaching programs to learn as much as possible about the business. The book Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod was pivotal in developing the discipline and mental toughness required for this business. I would get up every day at 4am and do my morning routine — gratitude, affirmations, visualizations, reading, writing, exercise — sometimes even falling asleep while doing it. But I kept getting up every day, getting dressed, doing my hair and makeup, even though I had no business...yet. Because when that phone rang for that million-dollar listing, I was going to be ready.
My first sale was in 2015. I experienced the highs and lows, the rollercoaster of real estate. I went through Tom Ferry's Breakthrough By Design program and started reading every book about real estate I could get my hands on. I got into coaching and started attending the Tom Ferry Success Summit, an annual event in August.
Building Something Bigger
I formed my first team out of necessity — it didn't even have a name — with my managing broker and another agent skilled in lead generation systems. I invested heavily into Zillow and increased my business 250%. The purpose was to be supported enough to leave town for a week at a time to visit my mom in the hospital. She spent six 3-week tune-ups in the hospital that year. Sick since I was 8 years old, she had MS and adult-onset CF among other things.
I found myself wanting to grow and systemize, and that wasn't in line with what my managing broker wanted. She offered to sell me the business, but I decided to move my license to an established brokerage instead. I moved to Royal Shell Real Estate in August 2016 after Summit and formed a new team called Team Stacey — because I knew I would get remarried in the future and drop my ex-husband's last name, and I wanted people to know me by my first name only. I wanted my own identity that wasn't in the shadow of my ex-husband.
During this time I had a very strong 'why' — to prove my ex-husband wrong. He told me I didn't know what I was doing and that no one would ever buy a house from me. I set out to prove him wrong. That was my goal. I realized that goal, which was awesome — but I also felt a lack of drive afterward because I had lost my 'why.' That caused some lulls. And I had to find a new reason to push myself after that.
Blood, Sweat, Tears — and Loss
In 2017 I married the amazing Nathan Glenn, and we bought a property in Alva that we poured our blood, sweat, and tears into for two long years. We pulled the permits as 'Owner Builder' and did a complete renovation — down to the concrete shell. Nate even knocked down one of the exterior walls with his tractor! Some days I would work during the day selling real estate, then come to the house at 5pm and work until midnight, drive 45 minutes home, and get up the next day and do it all again. Looking back, I don't know how I sold 33 homes that year.
We moved in Easter 2019 and had everything ready for a Thanksgiving with my parents — even an elevator lift for my mom to come up in her wheelchair. But she never made it down to Florida again to see the finished product.
My mom died in 2019 and I dropped everything to be with her. I couldn't have done it without the support of my team. I was able to spend 11 days by her side before she died and got a chance to say all the things I had said many times before, one more time. I came home in December, closed my 5 pending sales, and locked the door. Referred all my business out. I grieved her loss in a deep way — the way you would expect when you've been anticipating your parent was going to die since you were 8 years old, but then they always got better and you got desensitized to it.
Coming Back Stronger
In March 2020 I had a team of 2 agents and myself, and one of them wanted to go to Tom Ferry Sales Edge in Miami. I felt like it was time to come out of my cave. All 3 of us signed up for coaching, and I've been at the Elite (weekly session) level since. While we were there, news of COVID was coming out. One week later, the country shut down.
Being in coaching in 2020 was a lifesaver. It gave me a support system, a tactical plan, and small incremental goals that allowed me to weather the storm and have confidence. I took all my listings except one vacant lot off the market because it was the right thing to do for my clients. I pivoted to video tours. I wasn't afraid to go out and meet clients who were seeking a Florida home.
In 2021 the team grew and I tried hiring a full-time assistant. Traci (team member) attended Summit with me and we developed a system of staging our homes. I sold 51 homes and the team collectively sold 72. It was the busiest and craziest time. I pulled way back from working with buyers — 25% buyers, 75% sellers. I started thinking about how I could be a better leader for my team. I realized my goal was for my team to out-perform me.
In 2022 I threw a monster surprise 40th birthday for my husband — Jeopardy-themed. Legit gameshow buzzer systems, podiums, a 10-foot backdrop with the 1980s original set, t-shirts — the whole 9 yards. My step-daughter got married in March. We traveled in July. I started to have fun again. I achieved a work-life balance, hiring my daughter to help around the house, a full-time assistant at work, paying my 9-year-old $7 a load of laundry, hiring out homemade meals. This year I felt like I'd hit my stride.
Yet challenges came. In August I was hospitalized with a bone infection from a palm tree thorn prick back in March, and I still had the PICC line until September 19th. I switched brokerages August 19th and renamed the team Top Agent Team Florida. I took on our 7th team member August 30th. All the while, that paled in significance to what Tammy (team member) was going through — she was recovering from throat cancer and completed a round of chemo and radiation. It had all been a lot. But life felt very sweet.
I am not unique. Everyone has to be strong to survive. In business, that means mental toughness.
"I am not unique. Everyone has to be strong to survive. In business, that means mental toughness."
— Stacey Glenn
Hurricane Ian & What Came Next
Hurricane Ian made landfall on September 28th, 2022. Our home in Alva took in 13 inches of water — fortunately only in the lowest level of our split-level home. My husband's barn flooded. It was a once-in-a-lifetime storm, so unique in how large it was, how it hovered over us so long, how we had just had tremendous rainfall in the weeks leading up to it — and then the way it pushed the Gulf waters up the Caloosahatchee River.
We remediated, and helped our neighbors, friends, and customers pull through. The market got very busy — like ants rebuilding their hill after a wipe-out. It was just after I had moved the team and we continued to grow, up to 10 team members. I made a calculator for my customers to help them make sense of the 50/50 rule and whether they should renovate or rebuild, or elevate their home.
In 2023, the real estate market slowed down but the road traffic increased, and I found myself too stressed in Alva to continue living there. I needed to live closer to the kids' schools so I could come home after school, before their evening sports. After an extensive home search we didn't find exactly what we wanted so we thought outside the box. We moved into a gated and master-planned Pulte community in Fort Myers and bought a commercial condo in an industrial park nearby for my husband to continue his hobbies, with an 8-year plan to get back to Alva (this time on the River) after the kids had graduated high school.
Life got easier in 2024 and 2025. The decision to move to reduce my commute was a game changer for my flexibility. But it was a big sacrifice for my husband. In 2026 he retired from his career in telecommunications and went into business for himself doing custom fabrication on his CNC machine. The commercial condo got too small, too fast because his company grew so quickly. That story is to be continued. (See, even real estate agents go through the pains of property searches!)
In 2026 we took an epic vacation to Europe with our 2 younger children, my dad and his wife. We visited Italy, the Vatican, Germany, and Switzerland. It was very cool to visit the Christie's International Real Estate offices abroad, knowing that we are an affiliate branch of the luxury brand and that we are a part of likeminded professionals who offer excellent service internationally. And now, back to work... the rest of the story is yet to be written.