Meet Your Realtor: Mary Wernke

More than anything, my business is a relational one. My reputation is built on the deep and trusted relationships I build with my clients. I get to know them on a personal level, learning their stories, their goals and dreams. And they, in turn, get to know me. It’s one of my favorite parts of being a Realtor. So I thought it’d be fun to give you a sneak peek into my world, Q&A style.

When did you know you wanted to work in real estate?

I’m the youngest of three girls and grew up in Overland Park, Kansas. After graduating from the University of Arkansas (go Razorbacks!), I eventually landed in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was here that I fell in love with the idea of working in real estate. After a successful sales career with Xerox, I moved to Chicago and dove headfirst into the city’s fast-paced real estate world and never looked back.

What do you love most about your job?

This is a hard one because I truly love so many aspects. There’s something magical about showing someone a home and watching them fall in love with it. I can tell when that moment happens because they start imagining their own furniture and family members in the home. Often we’ll sit down together and talk through what life would be like there.

How do you make the process of buying or selling easier for clients?

I bring calm into the equation. Buying or selling a home can be one of life’s biggest stressors, and I’m able to come in and take an immense amount of pressure off of clients. I teach, problem-solve, and do the heavy lifting for them. I enjoy being able to lighten their loads and make the process a smooth, enjoyable one, which they often aren’t expecting.

Tell us a bit about your family.

We love working and playing in Indianapolis! My husband and I both live and breathe real estate, so that’s a huge part of our life together. We met in Chicago, both making names for ourselves there in the real estate industry. Now he works in commercial real estate here in town. We also love designing, remodeling, and building luxury homes, so we’re usually knee-deep in those kinds of projects, whether it’s for our own living space or rental properties.

When we’re not working, we love to travel and have fun in town with our three children. Our kids all play sports and my husband coaches, so we are often running around to sports events throughout the year. We’re a ski family, too, so we can usually be found skiing in Utah a few times a year. Recently my husband and I biked in the Czech Republic and Austria, and we plan to bike the 101 in California this summer.

What do you enjoy most about Indianapolis?

This truly is a wonderful community, with amazing people, resources, and things to do. I love the big city vibe and small town feel here. My family belongs to the Meridian Hills Country Club and we do all sorts of fun activities there like swimming, golf, and tennis. We love playing at The Children’s Museum, too, going to Pacer’s games, and getting all dressed up for dinner out at St. Elmo’s or Scotty’s Dawghouse at Butler. Our kids love their school—St Luke Catholic School—and are active in the Go: Give Back program, learning philanthropy and charitable giving. We believe strongly in being an active part of the community and giving back.

Putting down roots in Indianapolis has been so rewarding. I absolutely love living here and connecting with so many great people, both professionally and personally.