Community Highlights: Meet DanaReshay Turner of Dana Reshay & Co. | Real Estate Sales & Consulting

Today we’d like to introduce you to DanaReshay Turner.

Hi DanaReshay, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
If you had asked me years ago to tell you my story, I probably would have started with my career—nearly three decades in the mortgage and real estate industries, becoming a Realtor, building my business in Southern California, and eventually expanding that business into Georgia. Today, I would start somewhere different.

Much of my life has been about helping people see possibilities they couldn’t always see for themselves, while quietly learning how to do the same for me.

Real estate became one of the first places where that purpose showed up. Some of the moments I am most proud of happened sitting at kitchen tables with first-time homebuyers, many of whom simply did not know homeownership was possible for them. I would explain credit, financing, down-payment assistance, and the homebuying process until something that once felt impossible began to feel attainable. I learned early that I wasn’t simply helping people purchase property; I was helping individuals and families change what they believed was possible.

My career has allowed me to experience many sides of the mortgage and real estate industries and has taken me from Southern California to Georgia. Along the way, I built businesses, raised my family, experienced success and setbacks, and started over more than once. There have also been seasons that challenged the confidence and strength I had become known for.

For a long time, I became very good at continuing to move forward. I could work, take care of my family, encourage others, solve problems, show up—and smile. What people couldn’t always see were the things happening behind that smile.

That realization eventually became the foundation for *Behind the Smile*, the book I am currently writing and a growing platform for honest conversations about fear, abandonment, trauma, identity, faith, healing, and what it means to rebuild. I am also completing my degree in Behavioral Health Science with an emphasis in Trauma, which has given me another lens through which to understand the experiences that shape us and strengthened my desire to serve others in a different way.

Real estate remains an important part of who I am and the work I love, but I now understand that my purpose isn’t confined to one profession. This chapter is about bringing together my experience, my faith, my education, my story, and the lessons I’ve gathered along the way.

I used to think rebuilding meant somehow getting back to the woman I was before life changed. I don’t believe that anymore. Sometimes rebuilding means becoming someone you have never been before.

So, how did I get here? I kept going. I kept learning. I kept believing. I started over when I had to. And now, perhaps for the first time, I am learning to tell the truth about the journey behind the smile while I am still becoming the woman on the other side of it.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No, it has definitely not been a smooth road. When I look back over nearly three decades in the mortgage and real estate industries, one of the things I recognize is that I never really had the opportunity to build my career in a straight line.

I became a mother at 18, so very early in my adult life, providing and parenting had to take priority over how far or how quickly I could take my career. There were times I had to slow down, step away, change directions, or make professional decisions based on what my children needed from me. Years later, that included making the decision to homeschool. There were also seasons when life itself required me to stop—navigating divorce, battling depression, experiencing loss and other major life transitions, and trying to understand what I was going through while still being a mother, working, and doing my best to keep everything moving.

I would be dishonest if I said those things did not affect my career. They did. There were opportunities I couldn’t pursue, momentum I lost, and times I questioned whether I even wanted to continue in this business. People would sometimes ask whether I was concerned about taking a step back in my career. At different points, I was. But eventually, I learned something that completely changed the way I measured success: this is a people-first business.

That became especially clear when I discovered an entire population of people who genuinely did not know homeownership was possible for them. I met single parents and families who were doing everything they could to provide but had never been taught about credit, money, financing, or how to prepare for homeownership. Some had already accepted “no” as their answer before anyone had taken the time to explain what that “no” actually meant.

Educating people about homeownership began to give me a kind of fulfillment that climbing another rung on the career ladder never could. I became intentional about what I jokingly called my tour of “sitting at kitchen tables.” I would meet people where they were, literally and figuratively, and we would go through everything. Sometimes “no” really meant “not yet,” and together we could create a roadmap between the two.

I also discovered how much I loved the negotiation. I became driven by finding ways to protect the people I represented—structuring offers strategically, finding leverage, negotiating terms, and preserving as much of their money and opportunity as possible. There were first-time buyers I helped purchase homes with as little as approximately $1,700 out of pocket and others whose transactions were structured so they received funds back at closing. Watching someone receive keys to a home they once believed wasn’t possible gave me tremendous joy.

While first-time homebuyers became an important part of that discovery for me, the philosophy was never limited to them. I carried that same people-first approach into representing experienced buyers, investors, and sellers. The strategy changes depending on the client, but the responsibility doesn’t: understand what matters to the person who trusted me, educate where necessary, negotiate from a position of knowledge, and protect their interests.

Somewhere along the way, I stopped measuring every step backward or sideways in my career as failure. I began to understand that putting people first created a return far greater than a title—the relationships, trust, referrals, and people who came back years later because they remembered how I treated them.

Even now, I am navigating another season of rebuilding and redefining what my career and life look like. I still have moments when I wonder how far I might have gone professionally had my path been different. But I also recognize that my path is part of what shaped the way I serve people today.

So no, the road has not been smooth. It has included motherhood, sacrifice, divorce, depression, loss, career interruptions, starting over, and plenty of uncertainty. But it has also taught me that sometimes what looks like a step back in your career is actually where you discover why you were called to the work in the first place.

As you know, we’re big fans of Dana Reshay & Co. | Real Estate Sales & Consulting . For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Dana Reshay & Co. is my real estate brand, and the foundation of how I conduct my business is simple: **God first, people always, and integrity throughout the process.**

My faith isn’t separate from my business. It influences how I serve, how I make decisions, how I treat people, and the responsibility I feel when someone trusts me with one of the largest financial decisions they may ever make. I believe that trust is something I am called to steward well.

After nearly three decades across the mortgage and real estate industries and more than two decades as a licensed Realtor, the things that have really come to define my work are **education, strategy, relationship-building, and negotiation.**

I represent buyers, sellers, and investors, and I believe an educated client is an empowered client. I don’t want someone simply following my instructions through a transaction. I want them to understand what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, what their options are, and how today’s decisions may affect what happens next.

Because of my mortgage and real estate background, my consultations tend to cover a much broader picture than the property itself. We may discuss financing, credit, equity, cash needed to close, anticipated proceeds, investment objectives, timelines, potential obstacles, negotiation strategy, or what happens after the transaction is complete. Before we start looking at properties, writing offers, or putting a home on the market, I want to understand what the client is actually trying to accomplish.

That’s also why my consultations are as comprehensive as they are. I believe in setting expectations upfront and being proactive rather than reactive, especially in an industry that can be highly emotional and stressful. I would much rather have the important conversations at the beginning—about the process, responsibilities, communication, timelines, potential challenges, and even what could go wrong—than introduce them for the first time when emotions are already high.

Problems can and will occur in real estate. I’ve been in this industry far too long to expect every transaction to move perfectly from contract to closing. What matters is how we respond when something happens.

I’m extremely solution-focused. I spend very little time sitting in the problem. I want to understand what happened, determine how it affects my client, and immediately begin looking for the solution. What are our options? What can we control? Where is the leverage? Who needs to be involved? What does the contract allow us to do? Most importantly, what outcome best protects the person I represent?

Being proactive doesn’t mean I can prevent every problem. It means we’ve established expectations and built enough trust that when I say, “We have an issue, but here are our options,” we can focus our energy on making the best decision rather than panicking because a problem exists.

Strategy is different for every client. A first-time buyer may need education and a roadmap. An experienced buyer may need a completely different acquisition strategy. An investor may be evaluating purchase price, renovation, return, holding costs, or exit strategy. A seller may need a plan centered around positioning, protecting equity, timing, terms, and what the sale needs to accomplish for their next chapter.

**The strategy changes. My responsibility to the client does not.**

If I had to identify my superpowers in this business, they would be **educating, building relationships, and negotiating. Strategy is what connects all three.**

For me, negotiation isn’t about being the loudest person in the room or creating unnecessary conflict. It’s about preparation, understanding leverage, knowing the contract, listening carefully, anticipating challenges, and being very clear about what matters to my client.

Ego has no place in this business, although it inevitably finds its way into the room from time to time. When it does, I try to bring the conversation back to the transaction, the facts, and what our clients are actually trying to accomplish. The professional on the other side has a responsibility to their client just as I have a responsibility to mine. We may disagree—sometimes strongly—but disagreement doesn’t require disrespect.

I can advocate fiercely for my client’s interests while remaining transparent, professional, and respectful.

Real estate transactions have an ebb and flow. Inspections uncover things. Financing changes. Appraisals create challenges. Timelines shift. Emotions become involved. Those are often the moments when experience, relationships, communication, and emotional discipline become just as important as knowing the contract.

One of the things I’m most proud of is that even after difficult negotiations, there is generally mutual respect when we reach the other side. Some of my strongest professional relationships have developed with people I initially met across the negotiating table. I don’t measure successful negotiation by whether I made the other side lose. I measure it by whether I protected my client’s interests, recognized and used the leverage available to me, helped solve the problems that needed solving, and positioned my client for the best possible outcome.

The professionals surrounding my client are also an important part of how I work. I have intentionally built relationships with lenders, transaction coordinators, inspectors, and other professionals who understand my philosophy and standard of service.

I jokingly call it **“stay in your lane—no cross traffic.”** That doesn’t mean we don’t collaborate; quite the opposite. I believe strong transactions happen when everyone understands their role, respects each other’s expertise, communicates openly, and does their part exceptionally well.

Because I have worked in different areas of mortgage and real estate, I understand much of what is happening in those other lanes. But when I am representing a client as their Realtor, that is the seat I occupy. I need my lending partners, transaction coordinator, inspectors, and other professionals to serve the client exceptionally well within their areas of expertise so I can remain focused on mine—educating, strategizing, negotiating, protecting my client’s interests, and guiding the real estate transaction.

That’s why I don’t build partnerships simply around who can help get a deal closed. I build them around **competence, communication, transparency, accountability, trust, and a shared commitment to serving the client well.**

I’m intentional about who I work with—both clients and industry partners. I don’t believe every relationship is necessarily the right relationship, and I’m comfortable with that. When the transaction or commission becomes more important than the person, the alignment isn’t right for me.

**Commission is the result of doing the work well; it should never become the reason we stop doing what is right.**

Sometimes doing what is right means negotiating aggressively. Sometimes it means slowing the process down, asking another question, or having an uncomfortable conversation. And sometimes it means telling my client, “This isn’t the right deal. Let’s walk away.” I’ve learned to trust that doing right by people will never cost me what God has for me.

What I’m most proud of isn’t a sales number or transaction count. It’s the relationships that have outlived the transaction. It’s the client who calls years later, the person who trusts me enough to send someone they love, and the professional on the other side who wants to work together again. It’s knowing my clients understand that I will tell them the truth—even when the truth isn’t necessarily what gets me paid.

As Dana Reshay & Co. continues to evolve, I want people to know exactly what they can expect from my brand: **education, strategy, strong negotiation, transparency, professionalism, relationships, solutions, and integrity grounded in faith.**

After nearly three decades in this industry, I know that real estate is what I do, but it isn’t who I am. **God is the foundation. People are the purpose. Real estate is one of the ways I have been given the opportunity to serve.**

How do you think about happiness?
What makes me happy? Honestly, **getting to know Dana makes me happy.**

I became a mother at 18, so much of my adult identity was formed around responsibility very early. I was Mom. I was the provider. I was the problem-solver. I was the person other people depended on. I built a career, raised my children, navigated life, and did what needed to be done. And I am incredibly grateful for all of it, especially my three greatest gifts—**Shelbi, Korey, and Haylie**.

But there is something beautiful about reaching a place in life where things slow down just enough for you to ask, *Who am I outside of everyone and everything that has defined me thus far? What does Dana actually like? What brings her peace? What does she want to learn? What does she want to build? Where does she want to go? Who does she still want to become?*

For so much of my early life, it felt like circumstances chose for me. Motherhood chose me early. Responsibility chose me. Survival made some choices. Life made others. I don’t say that with regret—those experiences helped shape the woman I am, and I wouldn’t trade my children for anything. But today, I have the opportunity to be more intentional about choosing, and I’m learning that there is tremendous joy in that.

**I now get to choose.**

I get to choose what I want the next chapter of my life to look like. I get to choose what deserves my time and energy. I get to choose what I want to learn, what I want to build, what I need to release, and which parts of myself I still want to discover.

My relationship with God is at the center of that discovery. The more I learn to surrender what I cannot control, the more room I seem to have for peace, curiosity, and becoming who He created me to be rather than constantly trying to manage every outcome.

Time with my mother makes me happy, too. I am grateful for the closeness of our relationship and for simply being able to enjoy her. There is something about this stage of life that makes me value time differently. The conversations, the laughter, the ordinary moments, and just being in each other’s presence mean so much to me. Time is one of the things we can never get back, so being able to share it with my mother is something I don’t take for granted.

Then there are my three gifts—Shelbi, Korey, and Haylie. Watching them become their own people, laughing with them, having real conversations, celebrating their wins, and simply enjoying them brings me tremendous happiness. Motherhood is changing as they grow, too. I will always be their mother, but I’m discovering that there is room for me to continue growing alongside them.

Working out genuinely makes me happy. I love challenging myself physically, putting on my music, clearing my head, and feeling myself become stronger. There is something empowering about discovering what my body can do and intentionally taking care of myself. It has become time that I give to Dana.

Learning makes me happy. I’m currently completing my bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Health Science with an emphasis in Trauma, and I genuinely enjoy understanding people—why we think, feel, cope, behave, heal, and respond the ways we do. My education has also helped me better understand parts of my own story that I lived through long before I had language for them.

I love writing. I love a good book. I love music, laughter, meaningful conversations, helping people, and seeing someone I love win. I love the work I do in real estate—and negotiating a really good deal still makes me very happy. *Behind the Smile* is also giving me an opportunity to explore my voice and the conversations I believe I’m supposed to have.

But perhaps the greatest happiness in this season is realizing that **I don’t have to wait until everything in my life is perfect to enjoy my life.**

I’m learning Dana.

I’m learning what brings her peace. What excites her. What she believes. What she needs. What she no longer needs. What she wants to create. And even what she still dreams about.

After spending so many years being defined by the roles I needed to fill, there is something incredibly freeing about discovering that there is still so much of me left to meet.

**For much of my early life, circumstances made many of the choices. Today, with God leading me, I get to choose—and getting to know the woman making those choices makes me happy.**

Contact Info:

• Website: DanaReshay.com
• Instagram: DanaReshay Turner / @beyondthesmileco
• Facebook: DanaReshay Realtor
• LinkedIn: DanaReshay Turner
• TikTok: @BeyondTheSmyle

Image Credits
Leah @leahraephotography