Long before buyers scrolled through online listings or sellers obsessed over Zestimate values, Teri Frye was building a real estate career the old-fashioned way — earning trust one family at a time.
A native Atlantan who grew up in what was then the rural Dunwoody area, Frye has spent the past 35 years helping clients navigate one of life’s biggest decisions. Along the way, she’s weathered booms and busts, watched neighborhoods transform and embraced technology that has forever changed the business.
Through it all, one thing has remained constant.
“It’s about serving people,” Frye said. “Financial success is truly a byproduct of serving others.”
That philosophy has shaped not only her business but also the team she’s built around it.
Built to last
In an industry where agents often come and go, longevity is one of Frye’s greatest accomplishments.
She and her husband, Pete, who will celebrate their 41st wedding anniversary in December, have been business partners for nearly three decades. Their son, Max, joined the family business five years ago after growing up watching his parents juggle clients, contracts and family life. Their daughter, Kristen, has built a career as a nurse anesthetist (CRNA).
Today, Frye’s greatest title may be grandmother. Their granddaughter, who turns two this fall, has brought a new kind of joy. “There’s nothing better than being a grandparent,” Frye said with a smile. “It’s hard to explain until you experience it.”
The same loyalty that defines her family extends to her business. One teammate has worked alongside Frye for nearly 30 years. Another has been with her for almost two decades. Those relationships weren’t created through recruitment strategies or corporate growth plans.
“They were organic,” Frye said.
She recalls when longtime team member Kim Scruggs unexpectedly learned she was expecting twins after already having two young children.
“She said, ‘I have my license. I need to get out of the house. I’ll work nights and weekends,'” Frye recalled. “I said, ‘Great. I could use another hand.'” Nearly three decades later, they’re still working together.
“We’ve kind of grown up together in the business,” Frye said.
More than a team
Listening to Frye describe her colleagues, it’s hard to tell where the workplace ends and family begins. There are no rigid job descriptions or layers of management. Everyone answers phones, solves problems, pitches in and supports one another. “We all roll up our sleeves,” she said. “Everybody does what needs to be done.”
That mindset doesn’t stop with their own clients.
When another Realtor recently needed someone to handle a walkthrough because of a family emergency, Frye immediately volunteered members of her team. The other agent offered to pay them, but Frye wouldn’t hear of it. “We’re team-focused,” she said. “It’s not about me. It’s about helping.”
That servant’s heart has become one of the defining characteristics of her business.
The work no one sees
Buying or selling a home can look deceptively simple from the outside. Clients see showings, contracts and closing day celebrations. They rarely see the negotiations, phone calls, research and problem-solving happening behind the scenes. “Our goal is for our clients not to know all the challenges we’re working through,” Frye said. “We want the process to be seamless.”
After three decades in real estate, she believes one of the biggest misconceptions is that all agents provide the same level of expertise. “Consumers think it’s a level playing field,” she said. “It’s not.”
Rather than criticizing less-experienced agents, Frye prefers to explain what experience brings. Her team constantly studies neighborhood trends, tracks inventory, follows pricing patterns and analyzes market data by community and price range. The habit grew out of lessons learned during the housing crash of 2008.
“We got caught with our pants down,” Frye said candidly. “We learned that if you’re watching the numbers, you can see trends developing.”
Today, she reviews market statistics weekly, looking for patterns that help clients make informed decisions. “You don’t have a crystal ball,” she said. “But you do develop instincts from being in the market every day.”
Technology is a tool, not an expert
Frye appreciates the convenience technology has brought to the industry. Buyers can preview homes online before scheduling a showing. Sellers have more access than ever to neighborhood information and market activity. But she also believes easy access to information has created a false sense of expertise. “Technology is wonderful,” she said. “But it can make people think they know everything.”
She often meets homeowners who are convinced their property is worth more because of an online estimate or because they remember what homes sold for during the frenzy of 2021 and early 2022. Instead of dismissing them, she asks questions. “Tell me how you arrived at that number.”
The conversation usually opens the door to discussing market conditions, comparable sales and the difference between online estimates and current market value. “It’s not about telling someone they’re wrong,” Frye said. “It’s understanding how they got there.”
She believes education — not pressure — is what ultimately helps clients make confident decisions.
Doing what’s right
Ask Frye what has sustained her business for 35 years, and she doesn’t mention awards or sales numbers. She talks about relationships.
“Our business is probably 99% referral-based,” she said. “You don’t get that unless you do the right thing.” Sometimes doing the right thing means putting someone else’s interests ahead of your own.
She remembers helping a family relocating to metro Atlanta who insisted on buying in a neighborhood she didn’t believe would be the right fit. Before they closed, Frye made them a promise. “If you’re not happy, call me.”
Nine months later, they did. She honored her commitment, helped them sell the home at minimal cost and found a community that better suited their family’s lifestyle.
In other situations, her team has paid for staging, packing assistance or home preparation for older homeowners and families facing financial hardship. “We do whatever we need to do,” she said. “It’s about helping people.”
A heart for the community
That commitment to helping extends beyond real estate. Over the years, Frye has supported numerous charitable organizations, including food banks, Ronald McDonald House, Drake House and HomeAid Atlanta, the charitable foundation of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association that focuses on helping individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Her compassion also often takes a quieter form. She keeps gallon-sized bags in her vehicle stocked with bottled water, juice boxes, crackers, fruit cups and other essentials to hand out to people experiencing homelessness. “My heart is with people in need,” she said.
She also worries about children who struggle with food insecurity and hopes to find more ways to support school lunch programs so no child goes hungry because of an unpaid balance. “I think there are a lot of people hurting right now,” Frye said. “If we can help, we should.”
A reputation earned over time
Markets will continue to change. Interest rates will rise and fall. Technology will evolve. Buyers and sellers will always face uncertainty. Frye has learned that while real estate constantly changes, people don’t. They still want someone they can trust. Someone who listens before giving advice. Someone who will tell them what they need to hear instead of what they want to hear.
After 35 years, that’s the reputation Frye hopes she’s earned — not simply for helping clients buy and sell homes, but for walking beside them through life’s transitions with honesty, compassion and unwavering commitment.
For more about the Frye Team, visit fryeteam.com.
