Burn Your Ships 

As a stay-at-home mom for more than a decade, Melinda Larson’s world quickly changed when she became a single mom to her two children. Finding a career that allowed her the flexibility and freedom she needed was her priority. “I knew I wanted to be my own boss but still have the potential to grow in a career,” she shares. She called Mike Pattison, the REALTOR® who sold her family’s home a few years prior, and asked him about joining the real estate industry. She later joined his team at AMW Real Estate and credits him for being an amazing mentor and friend. 

Going from a stay-at-home mom to jumping into real estate is no easy journey. Melanie was inspired by the story of how Alexander the Great commanded his men to burn their ships when facing the Persians, saying we will survive or go down fighting. It forced his men to fight and give it their all. Melinda explains, “If I had to pick one thing I’ve learned about my real estate career, it would be to burn my ships. Every time I face a challenge, that’s all I can think about — giving it my all.” 

As a REALTOR® for two and a half years, Melinda has skyrocketed, closing $16 million in volume and receiving HRRA's Circle of Excellence Platinum Award. Recently, she took the next step to grow in her career by joining Iron Valley Real Estate. With multiple choices of brokerages, Iron Valley caught her attention with its unique mixture of collaboration and support while also containing a little bit of competitiveness that creates a motivating drive to do better. 

Melinda’s passion for helping single parents make it in real estate hits close to home. “I want to show people there is a way to be successful when joining real estate with no previous background in it,” she says. She frequently tells new agents that there is no secret to success in real estate, but, rather, the information is out there; the key is just putting that information to work and being consistent every day. 

Success is not about the money or awards for Melinda but about always doing right by her clients. She understands that every transaction is different and finds getting her clients to the closing table rewarding. As someone who easily retains information, Melinda loves learning something new along the way. When she finds quiet time, you can find her reading psychology books to better her communication skills with her clients and peers. 

As a mother, Melinda’s two children, Chase (12) and Adelyn (9), have the prime example in their lives that they can achieve anything they put their minds to. “I believe my kids are super proud of me,” she expresses. “They like to be involved in my real estate career.” Not only is she teaching them determination, but also how hard work pays off by paying them a commission for each transaction they help with. 

The family also includes two rescue dogs, Pixel (a Corgi) and Chaos (an American Bulldog who lives up to his name). After closing her first year in real estate with a bang, Melinda purchased her dream vehicle, a Jeep Wrangler. The family loves taking trips to the Outer Banks and Elizabeth City to enjoy off-roading and mudding. 

A fun fact about Melinda is that she does all the modifications on her Jeep herself! She laughs and shares, “I am not calling myself a mechanic. YouTube is my best friend, and I’ve made mistakes, but they’re mistakes I learn from.” Melinda also loves getting tattoos that have meaning behind them. On her calf, she has a tattoo dedicated to her Jeep. Her left arm is sleeved with the birth-month flowers for each woman in her family. In the future, she plans to have a thigh piece that portrays a burning ship, an inspiration for the story that has kept her going through all challenges she’s faced.

"Melinda is a consummate professional dedicated to her clients and the well-being of their families. She is extremely hardworking, humble and charismatic. Her energy and commitment set her apart from all others in our field. She is an absolute superstar destined for greatness!" —Mike Little, Broker/Owner, Iron Valley Real Estate Hampton Roads