Devoting many years to the world of real estate, Susanne Ashman, Broker and owner of the 95-year-old Ashman-Mollere Realty, Incorporated continues the family legacy with unwavering commitment and vigor. “I’m just here to help them,” she says about her dedicated service to the Agents of her brokerage, imparting invaluable knowledge and wisdom, advancing that cycle of success. Originally, Susanne, or Sue, is from Canada, moving to Mississippi with her family in 1959. Her father Dix was an Agent and Contractor. When the original owner of Mollere Realty what is now called Ashman-Mollere Realty Incorporated decided to sell the company, the legacy of real estate began. Working in different capacities involving real estate, Sue has a diverse set of skills. She started as a painting contractor in 1968 before going into home design and holding a General contractor’s license for Waveland. In 1978, she joined her family and became a licensed Real Estate Agent, getting her Broker’s license only a year later. Sue became the official Broker and Owner in 1994, which is a title she continues to hold to this day. Throughout these 4 decades, Sue has gained experience in working with family, partnering alongside her parents and siblings, of which she is the youngest. Her passion for the business and the industry itself is evident in the way she cares for her agents. At the office every single day, running operations, she is there to equip them for success rather than compete with them as some Brokers may have a tendency towards doing. With her background in painting, home design and building experience, she is able to answer numerous questions during home showings. She can spot fine details that others do not notice. She has several credentials, such as: college credits in Real Estate Management, GRI, CRS, ABR and SRS. She also has received many awards for her hard work, including: Million Dollar Club–of which she is now a Lifetime Member–Gulf Coast Realtor of the Year and Hall of Fame: Gulf Coast Association of Realtors. She spent many years on the Realtor board holding titles from Director to President Sue is now focusing her efforts in training the next generations of her family for Ashman-Mollere. Her son Anthony Sheffield joined the brokerage a few years ago and has impressively scaled his business at a rapid pace. Her niece is also a part of the team and her grandson is beginning to express interest in the family business as well. Anthony, who is working on getting his Broker’s license currently, plans to take over Ashman-Mollere once Sue retires, however, she doesn't have any plans of doing that soon. Undoubtedly, Sue is passionate about her work and “helping everyone”, which has played a key role in her massive, continuous success over the past 45 years. Right now, Sue is fascinated with showing and selling land, much like Anthony. She is in the process of helping sellers with large tracts of land and dividing it into smaller acres. This approach to real estate is beneficial to clients due to the fact that more people desire to move to the countryside now. Plus, the affordability is quite appealing. Her brokerage also manages approximately 300 rental properties. “Getting people into houses who normally can’t buy is fulfilling to me,” she adds. Sue has 2 sons, Anthony, and Jonathan, and she has 3 grandchildren, along with 1 great-grandchild. She also has plenty of nieces and nephews. Although it can be a challenge to get them together, the family typically gathers for Thanksgiving. When Sue isn’t running the office, she is enjoying life on the water on her 43-foot sailboat, serving as “just the deckhand” as she jokingly refers to herself. She applies her creative talents to paint the floats for the annual Mardi Gras Parade, which she started doing with her mom in 1978. She was even the “Queen of Nereids at the Ball” in 1993, riding atop a float herself. She and her team enjoy decorating trees for the library and office. These trees have been decorated for Christmas, Mardi Gras, and Easter. Thoughtful and articulate, Sue has worked steadily and diligently to further develop Ashman-Mollere Realty, creating great opportunities for her own family for generations to come and agents that join the brokerage. She is grateful that her business has had its doors open for this long and that her children and grandchildren value what she has accomplished. Having led her brokerage with integrity and honesty, Sue strives to help everyone from her father to all she leads, and now to the next generation. Sue has played a crucial role in developing a legacy that has continued for nearly a century, and there is no doubt that it will continue due to her dedication and deep-rooted love for the business. She and her life love, Jim Gurley, teamed up 27 years ago. Jim is an engineer, and builder and has developed Subdivisions. Together they helped make Ashman-Mollere a bigger legacy.

For questions or comments about this article, contact Sue at (228) 216-7864 or sueashman@aol.com