Rusty WillisA little about me
I’ve spent my career in real estate. The people are still the best part.
Over the years, I’ve worked with some incredibly talented agents. But I’ve learned that talent alone doesn’t determine success. The people around you, the guidance you receive, and the environment you’re in makes all the difference.
Sometimes, the biggest opportunity for growth comes from recognizing that where you are today may not be where you’ll do your best work tomorrow.
How I got here
Different responsibilities. The same reason for doing the work.
I got my start in 1995 in Morningside, working with buyers and sellers one home at a time. That’s where I learned how much people are trusting you with when they let you into a decision like this.
Eventually I moved into brokerage management and leadership, and I’ve now spent more than 20 years in that role. Today I’m a broker and co-owner of ERA Foster & Bond, where my work centers on agent development, education, recruiting, and leading the brokerage.
Along the way I became a licensed Georgia real estate instructor, and I served as president of the Georgia Real Estate Educators Association in 2024–2025.
That experience shapes how I work with agents today. I can draw on years of transactions, brokerage leadership, and teaching to help them understand their options and decide how to move forward.
What matters to me
What matters to me
Understand the work.
Memorizing an answer is one thing. Understanding it well enough to explain it, apply it, and recognize when something needs a closer look is another. That’s where I want learning to lead.
Ask the question.
Real estate gives us plenty of situations that don’t fit neatly into a classroom example. I want agents to ask questions before uncertainty becomes a bigger problem.
Sometimes the useful answer isn’t the comfortable one. People deserve clear information and honest feedback so they can make their own decisions.
Remember who this is for.
Our work affects someone’s home, money, and plans. Their experience should guide the way we do it.
Teaching and leadership
Knowing the material matters. Making it understandable matters, too.
Teaching is a meaningful part of my work because knowing something and being able to explain it are different skills.
I want people to leave a conversation or a class with something they can use. A clearer understanding. A better question. More confidence about their next step.
Explore working with me →Outside the office
There’s a life outside all of this.
Give me a roller coaster, a campsite, a summer afternoon outside, or a table full of friends with drinks and something good to eat, and I’m pretty happy.
I take the work seriously. I also believe it should support a life worth enjoying.