Photos by Micah Michelle
“I am excited about the doors God is opening for me.”
Nancy E. Johnson had a career in the health insurance industry before quitting and becoming a full-time real estate entrepreneur. After a 19-year career and 15 promotions, Nancy found herself hitting a glass ceiling. She was deterred from becoming a director because she lacked a college degree.
So in 1986, Nancy quit and became the first African American realtor hired by Gallop and Associates and Coldwell Banker Tom Jenkins Realty. Because of her experience in health insurance, Nancy was naturally good at customer service and relationship development. She worked 10 years in the business and was the only African American in the history of the Columbia Board of Realtors to reach the Four Million Dollar Club in a single year. After continuing to successfully open doors, in 1992, Nancy built a team called the Results Partners, which included her daughter as a licensed agent. Nancy has maintained at least a six-figure income over her 36 years in the industry. In one year, Nancy would eventually produce a sales volume of more than $12 million.
The Million Dollar Producer: My Journey from the Cotton Field to the Capital City (Self-published)
Nancy’s extraordinary life and career are documented in her book The Million Dollar Producer: My Journey from the Cotton Field to the Capital City. “I wrote my story because the odds were stacked double, even triple against me. I wasn’t supposed to be in this place,” Nancy says. “The book tells of the economic hardships, the hurdles, the perseverance, self-confidence, and hard work that the Lord carried me through. He brought me from the bottom to the top as a million-dollar producer in the real estate industry. I am forever grateful.” After reading her story, Nancy wants readers to feel empowered and have faith in their hard work and ability.
In December 2021, the now former mayor of Colombia, South Carolina, Steve Benjamin, presented Nancy the key to the city during her weekly live Facebook session. This was an important moment for Nancy due to Benjamin being the first Black mayor of the city. Nancy was recently named A Hometown Hero in February 2022 for her community service in the real estate industry. She was appointed to South Carolina’s Diversity and Equity Committee and The Million Dollar Producer was selected to be displayed in the public library beside a collection of books by local authors. She was the keynote speaker at Voorhees University in Denmark, South Carolina, for Black History Month, and the college purchased 100 copies of her book for their students. Nancy will continue to mentor, coach, and speak publically. “I am excited about the doors God has opened for me and I’m ready to roll up in there like I belong,” Nancy says.
To learn more about Nancy Johnson, visit her website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
