Laurie was born in Pensacola, Florida and has lived along the Emerald Coast all of her life.

She attended Florida State University and received her bachelors’ degree in nursing. Upon graduation, she started working in various hospital fields as a Registered Nurse then she became a Home Health Nurse and worked in that industry for many years. Laurie actually became interested in real estate as a child as she observed her father working as a realtor selling land and property. Her mother, who taught elementary school for 30 years encouraged her to move to Destin and become involved in real estate. She took her mother’s advice and upon moving to beautiful Destin in 1999, obtained her real estate license. She placed her license with Keller Williams Realty Emerald Coast, and received the ‘Rookie of the Year’ award for the region. Laurie comments that she feels honored being one of the founding agents at the Destin office of Keller Williams Realty and that “the last 8 years here have been very rewarding.”

Jim Meeker, Laurie’s husband and she are the lead agents for a team of five people: “Kathy Schwietz is our full time marketing director and professional photographer. She is responsible for getting our names ‘out there’. Melinda Feldner crunches the numbers as our bookkeeper and handles our administrative duties. Our buyer’s agent is Malcolm Flanagan, who brings many things to the table. It’s a wonderful team!”

The real estate business is constantly changing, so continuing education is critical to stay abreast of the latest innovations and technology. Laurie is a broker-associate and her accomplishments include the designation as a CRS, Certified Residential Specialist. She also holds the designations of GRI (Graduate of the Realtor Institute) and e-PRO Technology Training.

Another proud facet of her work at Keller Williams Realty is being a member of the Agent Leadership Committee, comprised of the top 20 percent of producing agents.  This committee is responsible for taking suggestions from fellow associates and then giving direct input on how Keller Williams runs and improves its business. “No other real estate company does this and it is tremendously rewarding to know that each person’s opinion matters!”

She also mentions being involved with a very special group of Realtors that invited her to join them: Masterminds of Destin. Less than a dozen Realtors belong to this ‘elite force’, who happen to be some of the top producers at their respective real estate companies along the Emerald Coast. “I feel like we all really connect and share great ideas and mutual goals.”

Laurie gives credit where it’s due: “My husband, best friend, mentor and business partner, Jim Meeker. We work very well together, especially when you consider the pressures of everyday life. But what keeps it all together is placing God #1 in our lives and our relationship, coupled with love, compatibility, compassion and, oh so importantly, patience. We are both members of Destiny Worship Center.”

Lest she forgets another important member of our family, “ Boca, our precious yorkie puppy, who is the smartest and most loving dog I have ever had. What a treat to come home to her playful face each day.”

Speaking of play, her favorite sport is ‘lifting weights. “You can always find me at Gold’s Gym six mornings a week beginning my day. Lifting weights may not sound like the most feminine thing on earth, but I’ve found a daily workout is a great stress reliever, a great place to get the circulation going, and a nice friendly atmosphere to interact with other people.”

All in all, I believe I have a great life and having a positive attitude, even during the hard times is essential.

(850) 217-1369
Broker Associate, GRI, e-PRO, CRS
Laurie@SoldByLaurie.com