Shannon and Rob Malcom know firsthand what it means for someone to believe in them. In 2006-2007, the couple was homeless, living in their car, and sleeping under bridges. Their families no longer welcomed them into their homes. Addiction had taken hold, and Shannon and Rob had given up on themselves. “We were on a path of destruction, but the Lord had a better plan for our lives than we could see in that moment,” Shannon says. “He placed us in circumstances where people offered us opportunities to turn our lives around.”

 

Once the couple regained their footing, they threw themselves into careers. Newly married in 2011, they moved into the North Birmingham community of Norwood. “I saw a ton of properties that were run down and abandoned,” Rob explains. “I could see the potential in the neighborhood and wanted to address it.”

Rob founded his construction company, Three D Properties, and got busy renovating houses. The Malcoms love Norwood in particular, not only because of its diversity, but because it was a visual representation of the renewal they had seen in themselves. “We were broken and abandoned like these old homes,” Shannon says. “Transforming them into something beautiful is exactly what we have done with our lives.”

 

Their efforts in the community have also increased property values. “We sold our first flip for less than $89,000,” Rob says. “Some of the much larger houses are now appraising in the $600,000s.” As a REALTOR® himself, Rob believes that agents should own personal property to create a passive income stream and teaches classes about how to create it. “We own rental properties and AirBnBs,” he says. “We truly care about the communities where we work.”

 

In 2017, Shannon got her real estate license, mainly to help Rob’s construction business. “I often say she came to real estate against her will,” Rob laughs. “But Shannon quickly found out that she was really good at it.” 

 

From the start, Shannon was a top producer in the brokerages where she worked. In 2021, the couple were approached by EXIT Realty Corporation International to purchase a franchise in Birmingham and prepared to take their business to the next level.  Shannon became the qualifying broker last year, all while teaching and growing the brokerage to 40 agents and handling 45 personal transactions. “We are passionate about helping people—our clients and our agents,” she says. “To whom much is given, much is required.”

 

A self-professed spreadsheet nerd, Shannon created systems and processes to maximize efficiency. “My spreadsheets allow me to put in pertinent information and check boxes from start to close of a transaction,” she says. “The fields are auto-calculable for taxes and tithes, so I know at a glance what I’m currently doing and what my income is.”

 

Since her systems have worked so well, Shannon shares her processes and teaches effective communication skills to their new agents. “An agent who has a resolution for problems and communicates well with clients and other agents is one that is successful,” she says. “We also have a success coach on staff available to further help our agents see their potential.”

 

Experiencing homelessness firsthand fuels Shannon and Rob. “We tell our agents that everyone deserves home ownership, whether they have $30,000 or $300,000 to spend,” Shannon says. “I had a client who was told by three other agents that he wasn’t worth their time. I remember feeling unworthy of someone’s time, so I made it my mission to help him.” Not only did that client buy his first house from her, he recently contacted Shannon about a more expensive property. “Everyone should be treated equally, even those that have very little,” she shares. “If you treat people correctly, you will have a client for life. We truly care about the people behind the transaction.”

 

From 2021 to 2022, the brokerage quadrupled not only the number of transactions, but the dollar amount earned. Personally, Shannon had more than $9 million in sales volume and was number two in Alabama in listings for EXIT. Rob was right behind her in the number three spot. “We really hadn’t paid attention to our own personal production,” Shannon says. “We recently won 15 awards plus the Transformational Growth Award, only given to one office in the state for doubling agent and production count.”

 

Although both Shannon and Rob enjoy their work, they are passionate about giving back. They are active in their church and volunteer through Christian Service Mission. Shannon is involved with an organization called My Sister’s Place and attends their annual retreat. “These women are getting clean, starting jobs, and recovering from hurts, habits, and hangups,” she says. “When I give my testimony, the ladies can’t believe I was just like them. I want to give them hope that they, too, can transform their lives and the trajectory of their families.”

 

Rob recently joined a coaching program that addresses multiple facets of life—spiritual, relational, physical, and financial. “I started thinking about how I could help people find more potential,” he says. “At the beginning, I couldn’t do more than five pushups, and next month, we will hike the Grand Canyon rim to rim to rim. I’m excited to find my personal potential that I didn't know was there.”

 

The kind of success the Malcoms have found over the last decade has been humbling and overwhelming. “There’s nothing special about us. Every day, we have to remind ourselves how far we’ve come and how good God is,” Shannon says. “Our families have been restored to us and relationships have been redeemed. When someone is cheering in your corner, the sky is the limit.”