MAKING THE RIGHT MOVE

Worthington Christian graduate makes his mark in a very competitive real estate market

The year 2012 was not necessarily the best year for Ryan Ballard (WC ’01) but the decisions he made in that year turned out to be some of the biggest he’s made in his life.

Ballard found himself without a job while his wife Carrie was eight months pregnant with the couple’s second child, Brayden.

“I was laid off from my job as a youth pastor in November of 2012,” Ballard recalled. “I was open to finding another job in ministry, but I wasn’t able to find anything that seemed to fit or make sense at the time.

“With my wife on maternity leave, I decided to take that time to get my real estate license. I have always enjoyed serving others and this was a way that I thought I could continue to pursue that passion.”

Over the past nine years, Ballard’s decision turned out to be a good one. As a realtor with Fathom Realty, Ballard has logged over $16 million in home sales. Homesnap, a national real estate app, placed Ballard in the Top 35 percent of sales in his market. In his first year with Fathom, Ballard was voted as Rookie of the Year for the Central Ohio Market, in 2019. He was also a $2,000,000+ Top Producer in 2019 and a $3,000,000+ Top Producer in 2020.

Ballard and his wife Carrie live in Westerville with their three children, Noah (10), Brayden (8), and Madison (5), in a house that is two streets over from the home he lived in when he attended Worthington Christian.

To be a successful realtor, Ballard said one must be able to navigate the ever-changing waters of the market.

“Every client, house and situation are different,” Ballard said. “You get to experience all of the highs and lows that come with buying and selling a home.”

“There’s lots of competition within the market with nearly 9,000 agents in the Central Ohio market alone. It seems like everyone already knows a dozen realtors.”

The current market has made it very difficult for buyers, according to Ballard.

“The Central Ohio seller’s market is at an all-time high right now,” he said. “This makes it really difficult when trying to find and get the right home for a buyer.

“And when representing either buyers or sellers, you deal with home inspections, appraisals, financing, etc. to make sure the transaction closes successfully. I try to bring a calming presence to a life event, like buying and selling a home, that can often bring a lot of stress and anxiety.”

Ballard attributed his success to some of the life lessons he learned at Worthington Christian.

“I had so many great teachers like Buzz Inboden and Al Iten… but my favorite was (former theater director) Dan Hammers,” Ballard said. “He was always kind and extended grace. He gave me confidence and allowed me to be myself.

“You felt safe with Mr. Hammers. I’ll always remember when he allowed me to be the student director for one of the theater productions during my senior year. It was one of the first times I can remember being given a leadership role like that.”

The confidence Ballard gained from that experience still carries over to what he does daily.

“My time at Worthington Christian helped me develop the social skills needed to serve others,” he said. “(I learned that) you can be kind and loving to others and still be successful in business.”