One motivated individual with a strong vision and relentless drive is difference-making. Two who share the same vision represent a force that is truly powerful.

Amy Hunsaker-Williams and Maria Galgano fit that definition at Keller Williams. Amy is a real estate agent and Professional Home Stager, while Maria is a Bilingual real estate agent. Together they form a dynamic duo that is driven by their clients’ dreams.

In This Together

It’s clear that the opportunity to work together is one that is very fulfilling for both of them.

“There’s an age gap between us. Maria keeps me young and up to speed with social media. She is very aware of the trends involved in that. We also have very different personalities in making decisions. I can gather information and make decisions very quickly. She takes her time to gather information and processes her decisions differently. That creates a really good balance in business,” Amy says. “We have a lot of fun together. We laugh a lot. We can be very silly. It’s a stressful business. To have someone you can joke around with allows us to keep a positive attitude so we can continue to face those stressful situations head-on for our clients.”

As Maria adds, “Our partnership is God’s timing. Everything happens for a reason. I love that we have so much fun together. She has had so much life experience and she is a woman of faith, amazing mother and amazing REALTOR® … the way she goes to bat for her clients and the passion she has for what she does is a match for my own values and our overall vision. When we went into this, we interviewed each other for a year because we want to make certain that we would make good partners. In the process, we became really good friends, too. I’m really grateful for the partnership we have.”

Beginning Their Journey in Real Estate

Amy earned her real estate license and started her journey in the business in September 2018, with Maria taking her first steps toward real estate while at home during the COVID-19 quarantine.

Amy graduated from college at Drury University in 1999 and she moved to Los Angeles in 2000, where she attended paralegal school at UCLA. She earned her certification in the field and worked in the profession until 2004 in both Los Angeles and Chicago. In the meantime, she got married. She and her husband relocated for his job to Wilmington, Delaware. While in Wilmington, Amy went to cosmetology school and had their first child.  The birth of their son was the driving reason behind the couple returning home to Springfield.  Amy had a successful and fulfilling career as a hairstylist until 2016. Amy is a true Springfield native.  Growing up here, going to college, being a business owner, and raising three kids has allowed her to develop the relationships and resources that have helped grow and support her real estate business.

“After hair, my body needed a break so I opened a small yoga studio for two years.  This is what I needed at the time. But it ultimately developed into teaching 11 classes a week and I was expecting again.  Yoga was a hobby for me and, honestly, I needed to make money again. I had a good friend that had been in real estate for five years at the time,” Amy says. “They needed an assistant so I joined their team at Keller Williams as an Administrative Assistant, Transaction Coordinator and Buyer's Agent. In November of 2020, I went out on my own.  I was on my own for a little over a year before Maria and I began talking about partnering at the beginning of 2022.  And we officially partnered in January 2023.”

Maria was born and raised in Honduras. After graduating from high school, she moved to the United States in 2015 by herself at the age of 18.  

“I saved up by selling brownies and food in the neighborhood to raise money to come to America,” she says. Maria went to college in California, where she studied mass communication design and the recording arts. There she met Tyrone, the man who would become her husband. In time, they moved to Springfield to be closer to her stepson.

“Around that time I told Tyrone I wanted to get my license. I was raised by strong women who invested in real estate and that’s how they built their generational wealth,” Maria says. “I saved up by selling brownies in the neighborhood and food to raise money to come to America. I googled how to become a REALTOR® in Missouri. I went to real estate school, took my classes, passed my test and went with Keller Williams. It has been something I’ve really enjoyed.”

Today, Maria is one of the few Spanish-speaking real estate agents in the area who brings a strong passion for making home ownership attainable for all. In addition, she serves on the local board on the Inclusion Committee, as well as working at the state level.

Family Fulfillment

Away from work, Amy and Maria cherish time with their families.

Amy looks forward to time spent with Ryan, her husband of nearly 20 years, and their children—17-year-old, Jackson; 15-year-old, Mattie; and 4-year-old, Ali. In her free time, Amy enjoys working out, with dancing, weights, Pilates and walking. When it comes to giving back, Amy has a passion for the homeless community, specifically Safe to Sleep, a women’s overnight shelter.

Maria’s world is made much richer by the time she enjoys with her husband, Tyrone, and their children — 10-year-old, Tristan; and 1-year-old, Atlas. During her time away from work, Maria looks forward to having time outdoors, as well as cooking, exercise and travel. She also enjoys Pilates. Maria has a heart for helping, too. She likes supporting the Pregnancy Center, as well as the Hispanic Cultural Center.

Determination and Commitment

When you talk with Amy and Maria, it’s easy to see the determination and commitment they have for their clients that they put into action each day.

“My hope is that the people who work with us know that we truly care and that we have their best interests at heart … that we want to learn about them and what’s important to them,” Amy says with a smile.

“We come with an open heart and we truly want to know them and understand them and be a source of support to them,” Maria says. “I always go with an open heart. I want to leave the people I meet better than when I met them. I like to spread a little happiness even if it means giving them a smile. I want them to experience kindness because not everyone has experienced kindness. I want to treat people with kindness, love and joy.”

Photo Cutline: Special thanks to Cronkite Homes LLC who provided the use of one of their model homes for the photos for this article.