Ask Ashley Warren where she's from, and she'll have to think about it for a second. Born in Leominster, Massachusetts, she's an Army Brat through and through — she's lived in five states and moved more times than her age. “I'm not really from anywhere,” she says. “I'm from everywhere a little.” The place that finally stuck was Granite City, IL, simply because it's where she's stayed the longest.

She grew up in a family of five — two sisters, one older, one younger — with a rotating cast of pets that included dogs, birds, rats, and hamsters. She was never the social butterfly of the family. “Give me a book and a quiet corner and I was happy,” she says. She was involved in Girl Scouts and earned her Silver Award.

Ashley graduated high school in 2002 intending to become a paralegal. That plan changed more than once — she switched majors several times before landing on two Associate's degrees, in Massage Therapy and Surgical Technology. She racked up enough credit hours along the way to have a master's degree. She just took the scenic route to get there.

She married her high school sweetheart, Josh. They've been together 24 years now and married almost 12 of them, and he's been there for every version of her. Together they have four children — Imogen (10), Lincoln (8), Owen (6), and Maren (4) — amazing little humans who've made life wonderful and chaotic. Rounding out the household are a hedgehog named Cuddles and a painted turtle named Bubbles.

This season of life runs on the kids' activities — dance, swimming, and the Paddlers Pirates swim & dive team each summer. But the family's favorite thing is simply being together, whether that's movies, hiking, or just hanging out at home.

When she's not working, Ashley's favorite way to spend time is curling up with a good book — it helps her de-stress. A good nap works too, and so does playing video games with her kids. Photography has become a favorite hobby, one that slows her down and helps her really see things.

“I've gone through a lot in my short time on this earth,” Ashley reflects, “and every day still shapes who I am.” It's made her adaptable, empathetic, and resilient, and it's taught her to advocate for others.

Before real estate, Ashley spent nine years as a stay-at-home mom. Before that, she was a billing specialist, a surgical technologist for five years, and a massage therapist for five more. Every job taught her something she still uses today.

She started in real estate in 2024 and is proud to call Coldwell Banker Brown Realtors in Edwardsville her home base. She's an individual agent by choice. “I love being part of the whole process with my clients,” she says, “not handing them off once a contract is signed.”

Ask what led her here, and the answer starts with her oldest daughter. When Imogen was born, she suffered two strokes, leaving her with mild cerebral palsy on her left side and an extremely mild version on her right. That's meant many appointments over the years, more than a traditional career could accommodate. Ashley and Josh also had genuinely poor experiences buying and selling their own homes. Needing flexibility for her family, and wanting better for other families, real estate found her.

Being an Army dependent means Ashley understands what it's like to uproot your life every few years, and she brings that understanding into every relocation she helps with. She's earned her SRS and Rep4V certifications, with a focus in military relocation. To her, real estate is more than a transaction — it's about building community.

The most fulfilling part of the work, she says, has been meeting incredible people and being part of the SIBR Leadership Academy. The most challenging has been the lack of communication and professionalism she sometimes sees from other agents.

Community runs through everything Ashley does. She serves on the IR Policy and Procedures Committee and as a PTA Member at her kids' school. She's active with the Edwardsville Rotary, including the Annual Criterium and Touch-A-Truck. For several years, she founded and led Brightspot Pediatric Stroke, a nonprofit close to her heart. You'll also find her at the Paddlers Swim Club or substitute teaching locally.

Her advice for up-and-coming agents is simple: “Don't compare yourself to other agents. Learn from them, but your timeline is your own.” She believes in educating yourself well beyond the required CEUs, and in remembering that your way isn't the only way. Change, she says, is okay.

Looking ahead to 2026, Ashley wants to learn to kayak, learn ASL, and keep working on her Spanish. On the business side, she's focused on marketing herself better and finding her niche.

Her tagline is “Because the Right Door Changes Everything.” And on the days that test her, she comes back to a quote she truly lives by: “You can do hard things.”