All of the awards, plaques and favorable notoriety are wonderful, but what makes it all really fulfilling is knowing that, at the end of the day, you’ve made a direct, tangible impact on the lives of others.

That’s something that Loren and Melody Ward achieve each day.

As the husband-and-wife Ward Team with Murney Associates Realtors, Loren and Melody move forward, touching the lives of those around them with faith and purpose.

“We love getting to meet people and have become very good friends with many of our clients,” Melody explains. “As part of that, we love working with first-time homebuyers. They are so excited about every detail and the process.”

As Loren adds, “It’s an extreme joy for us to be able to serve people and do things that make their families happy.”

Loren and Melody were married 43 years ago. Along the way, sharing the same path in life and business has almost always been what they’ve done together. That approach continued when both of them earned their real estate licenses in 2002.

Looking back, Loren smiles as he recalls the way they began their lives together.

“I was from California and had moved to Denver for several months. While I was there, I met Melody. A year later, we moved back to California and got married and moved to Missouri in 2001,” he says.

Prior to that time, Loren had been engaged in various sides of the construction industry, with his primary focus being on industrial projects.

“I had a passion for construction and I operated a consulting business when we moved here,” Loren says. “The goal at the time was for Melody to get her real estate license and I would start building. We went through to get our licenses at the same time.”

Loren and Melody made the decision to work in real estate together. It wasn’t long before they met Sherre Lane, who was their Broker with Murney for a number of years.

“She was very instrumental in us getting started on the right foot in the business,” Melody says.

Another person they point to with gratitude is Drexel Swanson.

“Drexel mentored us whenever we had questions, we could always go to the broker,” Loren remembers. “But Drexel was in a corner office by our cubicle. He was right there to help answer questions.”

Loren and Melody have steadily continued building their business through time. In turn, they have reached Silver Level status.

Away from work, they treasure family time. They have four sons and daughters-in-law and five grandchildren.

In their free time, Loren and Melody definitely like to stay active. In fact, Melody is a runner, having completed a wide range of distances, including a sprint triathlon in San Diego. She loves spending time outdoors with their grandchildren, as well. Loren is a big fan of camping, fishing and football. He has favorite teams that he cheers on, as well, including the Kansas City Chiefs, the Springfield Cardinals and the teams at Missouri State.

When it comes to supporting the needs of the community, they support St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Loren has also been involved with the Kiwanis and Key Club organizations through time.

Those who have had the good fortune of having Loren and Melody on their side, feel a deep sense of comfort knowing that they have two seasoned, caring pros on their side to help them through the process.

“As we work with our clients, one thing that we place a big focus on is being flexible. We’re available when people need us,” Loren points out. “We both enjoy working with people and helping them achieve their dreams and goals.”

Through every season, those who live in the area know they can count on Loren and Melody to serve their best interests with honesty, dependability and support … at the same time, helping those around them achieve their dreams with faith and purpose.