Many REALTORS® begin their careers seeking the flexibility a career in real estate promises, only to later discover they have less time on their hands than ever before. Clients can be demanding, and they’ll reach out for help at any time of day if agents let them. Losing business can be excruciating, especially in such a competitive industry, and the fear of missing an opportunity often drives agents to adjust their schedules to meet their clients' demands for 24/7 availability. 

This approach often produces impressive sales results, but other parts of life may suffer. Family members often become the second priority, and self-care can go out the window. But not for Kalyn Stropes. She has achieved something that few REALTORS® can claim — true work/life balance. Now, four years into her real estate career, Kalyn has achieved business success while homeschooling her four children and prioritizing her family.

So, how does she do it? She says the magic word is boundaries. 

“I love boundaries,” she says with a smile. “Boundaries are my favorite. It’s the way I keep everything moving and my momentum going… I time block. My team knows when I'm homeschooling my kids, and my clients know that, too. I’m very upfront that my family comes first, and I have never had someone tell me that's wrong. I have been confident in that. And here's the thing, if someone doesn't respect that, I don't need to work with them anyway because we won’t work well together. Sure, I want as many clients as I can get, but I also want people that respect me. If that timeframe doesn't work for someone, then it's not a good working relationship. Do I break that every once in a while? Sure, but I work hard to stick to it.”

The result of Kalyn’s commitment to boundaries is a thriving business and a rich family life. She and her husband, Benjamin, have four kids, Brandt (10), Asher (6), Noah (4), and Kylie (2). Each day starts with stretching, breakfast, prayer, then school from roughly 7:30 until 10:00 am. From there, Kalyn heads off to work the business while her husband, an Oklahoma City law enforcement officer, takes over with the kids.

“I love my schedule. It’s what makes everything possible for me, and ultimately, what allows me to have such a good life with my kids,” Kalyn says.

After nearly a year on a team, Kalyn started a real estate team, The Sparrow Group, in the fall of 2022. It’s now a team of four agents and growing.

“I have a deep faith in the Lord. The song His Eye Is on the Sparrow gave me a lot of confidence to see that even if I don't feel like I can fly, the Lord has his hands on me, and he's holding me,” Kalyn explains.

As a REALTOR® and team leader, Kalyn prides herself on her honesty, clarity, and communication. She doesn’t push clients, instead preferring to work on their timeline to find the home that best fits their needs. She is intensely client-focused.

Kalyn is also the exclusive buyer’s agent for Selah, a New Urbanism community in Norman. Her goal is to one day work exclusively for buyers in Selah while allowing her team to handle the remainder of their business.

Kalyn is proud of what she’s accomplished as a REALTOR®, but her family is undoubtedly her greater source of pride. She particularly enjoys spending time with her kids outdoors and movie nights.

“One of the kids gets to pick the movie and be the movie instructor. They make tickets, make a theme, and help with dinner and dessert. It’s a big orchestra of things,” Kalyn beams.

As Kalyn has shown, running a real estate business can be a tremendously rewarding and balanced experience. With the proper boundaries in place, it’s possible to have the best of both worlds. Now, with her family life and her real estate business both thriving, Kalyn is looking forward to what will unfold in the years to come.