Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Harvey.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I graduated from the University of Kansas and began my career in sales, first selling copiers and later moving into medical sales. While I enjoyed the work, it required a significant amount of travel. After having my second child, I started looking for a career that would give me more flexibility and allow me to spend more time with my family.
I’ve always loved real estate. Growing up, my mom was a construction manager, so I was exposed to homes and the building process from an early age. I decided to get my real estate license thinking it might be something I could do part-time. It didn’t stay part-time for long. The business grew quickly, and I realized I had found a career that combined my love of helping people, sales, and homes.
In 2009, I founded the Jennifer Harvey Team with three agents. Over the years, we’ve grown significantly, but one of those original team members is still with me today—a testament to the relationships we’ve built and the culture we’ve created. In 2023, after joining Compass Realty Group, we rebranded as The Journey Home Team, a name that better reflects our mission of guiding clients through every step of their real estate journey.
Today, The Journey Home Team serves all types of buyers and sellers throughout the Kansas City area and also partners with new home communities and builders. What I’m most proud of isn’t our growth or accolades—it’s the incredible people I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside. I’ve been fortunate to have team members stay with me for many years, and together we’ve built a business centered on relationships, trust, and genuinely caring for the people we serve. We truly love what we do, and I feel incredibly blessed to do this work every day.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has not been a completely smooth road. Like any business owner, I’ve faced challenges, market shifts, and unexpected obstacles along the way. One of the most difficult aspects of real estate is that we can’t control the market. We can control our service, our expertise, and how we advise our clients, but we can’t control interest rates, inventory levels, or economic conditions.
Over the past 22 years, I’ve worked through just about every type of market imaginable—strong seller’s markets, buyer’s markets, balanced markets, and everything in between. When COVID first hit, many of us thought that would be the biggest challenge our industry would ever face. Surprisingly, while it certainly created uncertainty, the years that followed brought even greater challenges as the market shifted dramatically.
Today’s market has its own unique obstacles. Low inventory continues to make it difficult for buyers, especially first-time homebuyers who are often competing against investors and cash buyers. At the same time, sellers are navigating changing expectations as the market evolves.
What has helped our team succeed through every market cycle is our commitment to staying educated, embracing technology, and adapting to change. We are constantly looking for ways to better serve our clients. Partnering with Compass has provided us with innovative tools, market insights, and resources that help our buyers and sellers make informed decisions and stay competitive, regardless of market conditions.
While the challenges have changed over the years, our mission has remained the same: to guide our clients with honesty, expertise, and compassion so they can make confident real estate decisions no matter what the market is doing.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
The Journey Home Team is a full-service real estate team serving buyers, sellers, investors, and new home communities throughout the Kansas City area. We help clients with everything from first-time home purchases to luxury homes, downsizing, relocation, and new construction. Our goal is to be a trusted resource and guide for our clients long before, during, and after the transaction.
What sets us apart is that we truly operate as a team. We believe that when one person succeeds, we all succeed. The culture we’ve built is something I’m incredibly proud of. We support each other, collaborate, celebrate wins together, and genuinely enjoy working together. There’s no drama, no competition within the team—just a group of professionals focused on serving our clients and helping each other grow. I think that’s one of the reasons many of our team members have stayed with us for years.
For our clients, we strive to make the buying and selling process as smooth and stress-free as possible. We can assist with every aspect of a transaction, from connecting clients with trusted vendors and contractors to helping sellers prepare their homes for the market. Through Compass Concierge, eligible clients may even have access to upfront funds for home improvements and repairs that can help maximize their home’s value before selling.
One of our greatest strengths is communication and client care. Michelle Lafferty, our Director of Client Success, is truly the heart of our team. She works closely with our clients to ensure every detail is handled, every question is answered, and every transaction stays on track. She also helps keep our team organized and productive, allowing our agents to focus on delivering an exceptional client experience.
We’ve also invested in systems and technology that make the process easier and more transparent. Our clients have access to a personalized dashboard where they can track every step of their transaction, view important milestones, and stay informed throughout the process.
What I’m most proud of is the reputation we’ve built. We have been fortunate to earn the trust of our clients and the loyalty of our team members. Real estate is about more than buying and selling homes—it’s about helping people through important life transitions. Whether someone is considering joining our team or trusting us with one of their largest financial decisions, our commitment is the same: lead with integrity, communicate openly, support one another, and always put people first.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
One of the things I enjoy most about this business is training and mentoring other agents. Whether it’s helping a brand-new agent build a successful career or coaching experienced agents on how to grow and lead a team, I love sharing what I’ve learned over the last 22 years—especially the mistakes I made along the way so others can avoid them.
If I could give one piece of advice to someone just starting out, it would be this: real estate is not Million Dollar Listing or Selling Sunset. Those shows make the business look glamorous, but the reality is that success comes from hustle, consistency, determination, and perseverance. This is a straight-commission business, which means there are no guarantees. It takes time to build relationships, earn trust, and create a sustainable business.
I think many new agents are surprised by how much work happens behind the scenes. The agents who succeed are the ones who are willing to do the activities every day, even when the results aren’t immediate. They stay focused, continue learning, and don’t give up when things get difficult.
I also believe that surrounding yourself with the right people can make a tremendous difference. Most agents sell very few homes each year, and many leave the industry altogether. Being part of a strong team can provide mentorship, accountability, systems, support, and opportunities that are difficult to create on your own.
One of the things I’m most proud of is that I’ve had agents stay with me for many years, while also helping brand-new agents launch successful careers. Watching someone gain confidence, develop their skills, and achieve goals they didn’t think were possible is incredibly rewarding. Real estate has given me so much, and I enjoy giving back by helping the next generation of agents succeed.
Looking back, I wish I had understood earlier that success isn’t about doing everything yourself. It’s about building systems, asking for help, learning from others, and surrounding yourself with people who want to see you win. That’s a lesson I still carry with me today.
Pricing:
- any price point
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.journeyhometeamkc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/journeyhometeamkc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/journeyhometeamkc
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/journey-home-team-with-compass-realty-group/
