Donna Trayler brings hard work to new team

by John Bick
February 2004

From her upbringing in Beaumont, Donna Trayler knew that with hard work she could be successful at anything. Trayler’s mother used to say, “If it’s meant to be, it’s up to me.” Now that Trayler has ended her 13-year relationship with Ebby Halliday, where she was the leader of The Trayler Group, one of the most successful groups, she will have to use the East Texas work ethic to gain the respect of the new peers.

One of the new challenges that comes along with working for a new company is looking at a new way of doing business. Some of those new ways of doing business have to do with promotion of the group and use of the Internet in marketing efforts. The flexibility of the new company is something that Trayler is looking forward to as well. Trayler and her husband, Glenn Trayler, have a weekend house in the Tyler area and with Keller Williams, Trayler will be able to spend more time in East Texas and have possible ownership interest in the Tyler store.

Trayler had an experience like many of us. She was unhappy with the service she received, but in this case it motivated her. Trayler was fed up with the way things went with her own home selling experience and knew that she could do better.

Now, with this determination, it is easy to see why Trayler was twice named “Top Realtor of the Year” by D Magazine and has been named to advisory boards for numerous community developments. But it didn’t happen over night.

Goals
Trayler is one of those ambitious folks who sets goals and does what is needed to meet them. She is a strong believer that without setting your goals at achievable levels you can’t reach the ultimate goals you set. She couldn’t have made the Top 10 with Ebby Halliday if she didn’t work hard all the way up the line.

The Break
Someone once said that there is no such thing as luck, that luck is when preparation meets opportunity. Trayler had done the preparation and then came the opportunity. Deion Sanders was picked up by the Dallas Cowboys and Trayler scored the relocation deal. She then worked with Jim Jeffcoat and a relationship with the Dallas Cowboys was formed. She has since worked with countless athletes, or should I say athletes’ families.

The respect and privacy she gives these specific clients is unmatched in Collin County. That is why Trayler is becoming the go-to person for athletes, beside Cowboys, that want to live in the area. Now that Deion has his estate in Prosper, everyone else wants one too. Other national football league and major league baseball players want to live somewhere that they can own land, live a private home life, and have access to one of the premier airports in the country. Celina and Prosper offer just that.

To Infinity and Beyond
Moving into a new company and looking into the future, Trayler believes that specialization is going to be key. She has built a network of advisors who can assist with any type of client who might come along. New homes, farms and ranches, senior citizens, country homes, and lakefront, are some of the specific areas that are important to have a handle on.

Family
“My clients become my friends and then those friends become my extended family,” Trayler said. And family is what she has built across the Metroplex. “The change has helped me stay in touch with my family,” Trayler said, “I don’t have to create new leads, I can touch my old customers and work with my referral base.”

“I respect Ebby and I thank her for everything she did for me,” Trayler said. And that respect is passed along to everyone she does business with and with me, Trayler finished with “Give everything you have and it will come back to you.” An old school, but refreshing thought in today’s “me” business environment.