Mosaic broker and North Asheville resident Megan Shook has many passions, which propel her both professionally and personally. While she works throughout the greater Asheville area, she’s particularly passionate about how the Beaverdam area of North Asheville offers the optimal balance of “city” and “country.” And as an ardent philanthropist, Shook spearheads AED advocacy and awareness, distributing life-saving defibrillators around Asheville, along with other philanthropic work in the area. Here, Shook talks about how she blends her passions and her career into one – and how Asheville provides the perfect setting for doing so.
Give a little background on your life, both personal and professional. What drew you into real estate?
I was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and moved here in December 2006. Climate was a big draw, as was the fact that we have family in Asheville and in Knoxville, Tenn. So it was a nice area to be in for proximity to family and also to not force my husband, who’s from Ohio, to live in the Texas heat forever!
I had an opportunity to work with my uncle here in commercial real estate selling restaurant businesses and properties. I jumped at the opportunity as we really wanted to move to Asheville. I got my real estate license immediately when I moved here, just after completing my graduate degree in public relations in Texas, and truly enjoyed working with him for several years. When my second child was born and I was ready to start working again, I chose to go into residential real estate and have not looked back. I love the pace of residential and the camaraderie at Mosaic.
Small-city living, philanthropy, and music: Megan Shook delights in Asheville
What do you love about Asheville? What are some of your passions, especially as they relate to life in Asheville?
We absolutely love raising our kids here. It’s been a welcoming community, and we’ve gotten to know a lot of families here through our kids’ sports and school. As someone who grew up in 1.5 seasons, you cannot beat the weather here. We love that we’re 2 miles from the Blue Ridge Parkway. We live in a private wooded setting minutes to fun, bigger-city opportunities. Asheville is a very nice compromise for my husband and me. Where he would live in a tiny town and I would live in a big city, it provides the best of both worlds.
One of my passions is music, and I’ve seen some amazing live concerts here over the years and look forward to many more. The music scene, the outdoors, the climate, the people, that’s why we’re drawn to Asheville and will continue to raise our kids here.
Elaborate a bit on your AED advocacy: How was it born, and how have you advanced the cause in Asheville?
I joined Mosaic both for its marketing, and for its philanthropy. I could not be more proud of the work that we do annually as a company. Philanthropy has always been a big passion of mine with my family’s foundation, and one of the avenues I’ve taken is donating defibrillators around the Asheville area and in Texas in honor of my dad, who I lost to cardiac arrest in 2003 at 55 years old. I try to get at least one defibrillator into the Asheville community each year; past locations include the YWCA, the Chamber building, Haywood Street Church for their respite program for the homeless, the JBL soccer fields, Homeward Bound facilities, and a local gym because my dad died at a gym. That is something that I do every year in honor of him, and to spread awareness about their importance.
Real Estate Agent Megan Shook knows North Asheville
What makes you a North Asheville-Beaverdam-area real estate expert?
I’ve lived in Beaverdam since 2011 with my family. I also lived on the north side of downtown from 2007 to 2011, so I’ve always lived on this side of town. The majority of my business over the years has been on the north side and the east side of town, though I tend to work all over within 45 minutes of Asheville. My kids go to school in North Asheville, my community is North Asheville, and we absolutely love the convenience of where we live in Beaverdam, yet feeling like we’re out in the country.
The north side of town offers extreme convenience, where everything you would need in your everyday life is north of I-240. We have an abundance of grocery stores and awesome local restaurants. We have many parks and golf courses, and it feels very outdoorsy yet you are very close to downtown and to whatever you would need along Merrimon Avenue and Charlotte Street.
I can definitely talk to clients about anything from schools in the area to retirement communities in the area. Our roots are in North Asheville – we’ve been here for almost 15 years, and we intend to be here for many more.
How do you stand out as a broker in the Asheville real estate market?
I’m very lucky that the vast majority of my business is repeat clients or referrals from past clients, something I’m very proud of. I have been a top 100 agent in this area for the last five years. My clients will hopefully tell you that I am a great communicator and am available for them throughout the day, every day.
I have a lot of experience in remodeling, so I have many great contacts that I’ve gathered over the years with different contractors in our area. As a family, we have remodeled many kitchens and homes and bathrooms. I’ve also worked to find the best inspectors, surveyors and attorneys to help the buying and selling process be as stress-free as possible. I think of myself as the assistant to my clients, just trying to help the process run as smoothly as possible.
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