“When I first moved to Tucson from Chicago, it took me a few years to adjust to being on ‘Tucson time.’ I was used to showing up five minutes early and the constant hustle of living in a city,” Kate Wright recalls with a laugh. “But I’ve been here ten years now and I absolutely love the slower pace of life!”

During that move, Kate became fast friends with the REALTORⓇ who helped her locate her new home, Gina  McLamary. Gina and Kate immediately clicked and Gina encouraged Kate to give real estate a shot given her previous property management experience in Chicago. Kate joined Gina at Long Realty in 2015 and has never looked back.

Growing up, Kate lived and breathed gymnastics. As a level 10 trained gymnast, she walked onto the team at Ohio State to compete on the Big Ten stage. But two torn ACLs later, Kate was forced to explore a new direction. “I treated my gymnastics career like my job. I was training 20 hours a week and traveling when I wasn’t training. It was a very intense sport. My life revolved around it; I was so focused,” she reminisces.

Kate graduated with a degree in business and eventually landed in property management for six years. 

Her discipline and focus transitioned seamlessly into her property management career, where she honed her client service skills managing over 200 units before her move to Tucson. 

“I had considered getting my license in Chicago but it seemed too brutal and fast-paced to go into the real estate business there,” Kate explains. “Gina was so encouraging and after she took me under her wing in 2015, along with Mary Dorais, I was able to build my business with the help of my two great ‘work moms’! It was really a no-brainer.”

Under the mentorship of Gina and Mary, Kate’s real estate career at Long Realty quickly blossomed with a career total of over $84 million in sales to date. Despite the challenges of balancing new motherhood and a demanding career, Kate had an incredible year last year, boasting a sales volume north of $16.8 million.

“It was my best year, and I had a baby last year!” she shares with a laugh. “But it helped that I had a few high-end sales.”  

Kate notes that her background in property management is ingrained in her, and she emphasizes the importance of excellent customer service and going the extra mile for her clients. “Property management felt so thankless to me when you’re managing someone else’s portfolio,” Kate recalls. “My transition to real estate was easy since I was already client-focused and was used to always keeping my clients’ best interests in mind.”

For Kate, the key to success lies in her unwillingness to take shortcuts to get ahead, a core value instilled at an early age. “There’s no real fast track to success … You need to show up and treat people well!” she emphasizes. “Ever since I was a girl, my dad’s favorite motto has always been to work hard and be honest—it pays off.”

Kate’s advice to newer agents echoes her own ethos, as she believes that true success in real estate is about balancing hard work with genuine care for clients and personal well-being. “Ask for help and don’t be afraid to delegate,” Kate suggests. “After I had my baby, I partnered with agents in order to take a step back and spend time with my family. Now my entire perspective has changed; I work to live instead of live to work, and it puts things in perspective. If you have some sort of work crisis and a deal blows up, you’re going to get through it.” 

Outside of her thriving career, Kate cherishes precious time outdoors with her growing family. She and her husband, Nate, a lawyer, have been married for four years, having tied the knot in a memorable COVID wedding. They are proud parents to stepson Luca, 13, daughter, Siena, who just turned one, and are expecting another baby girl due in November. 

 

“We love being outside! Hikes, walks, pool, traveling. We have a house on Mount Lemmon and in Sonoita so we love being there as well,” Kate shares. The family also enjoys their condo in Italy, a cherished retreat they acquired during the pandemic. 

Kate’s hobbies include house design, staying active, happy hours at Tap & Bottle or Wine Collective, and an admitted obsession with Facebook Marketplace and decor. She’s also passionate about giving back to the community and looks forward to returning to serve as a member of the Junior League of Tucson, a women’s volunteer organization dedicated to supporting local nonprofits when her children are a little older. 

“Junior League was a great way to meet people when I moved from Chicago to Tucson. Through it I was able to make ties with the community and make great friends, too,” she smiles.  

As for the future, Kate’s ambitions are not fueled by production numbers in the least — she wants to provide for her family, but prefers quality over quantity as she aims to keep clients happy and balance time with her brood as her children grow. 

 

“More is not always better,” Kate concludes. “I want to maintain impactful, meaningful relationships and keep a strong boutique business where clients continue to refer me because I served them well and they have become my friends.”