The Suburban Tea: From Client Cold Calls to Forever Friends
- Samantha Hurley
- Nov 26, 2025
- 6 min read
Updated: Nov 28, 2025
Posted by Sam Sells Suburbia | North Atlanta GA Real Estate Agent
Check out how a few cold calls and an open house led to some unforgettable stories and lifelong friendships I'm beyond grateful for!
I sit down to write this during Thanksgiving week, I can't help but reflect on what I'm most grateful for in this wild real estate journey: the people. Not just any people—MY people. The Hanks, Pennys, Garretts, Eriks, and Naomis who trust me with one of the biggest decisions of their lives. These stories aren't just transactions; they're relationships that have filled my first couple years in real estate with more joy (and yes, tears) than I ever imagined.
So grab your whip cream-topped pumpkin pie and settle in (that was a mouthful, literally!)—here are a few of my favorite client stories that remind me why I'm so thankful to do what I do.
Hank & Penny: A Love Story Spanning 400+ Days and Counting
Remember every rom-com where the couple almost gets together but doesn't, like seventeen times? That's me with Hank and Penny, except our drama is real estate, not romance.
It started with a cold call—one of my first ever. Penny was browsing homes from Florida, wanting to be closer to daughter Brianna, her husband, and two grandkids. Grandma duties > sunshine state any day. She mentioned the other agent she had spoken to in Atlanta was just "meh."
As a new agent, I thought, "Oh honey, I can out-meh anyone!" After we totally clicked after their first round of showings, I thought I'd sealed the deal—until the plot twist came a few months later: they were "cheating on me" with an agent in Newnan they had used when they were thinking of moving to Georgia years prior! They offered a compromise: if they bought south of Atlanta, they'd use her. North? Little 'ol me. Welcome to my real estate love triangle. Luckily, that didn't last too long, and they quickly realized I was "the one" they'd commit to for their home purchase (and Newnan was not where they wanted to be). Crisis averted.
Quick detour from their real estate journey: Last spring (somewhere in-between Contract #1 and 2), Hank and Penny referred me to their daughter, Brianna! I helped her and her husband buy the absolute most adorable home in Dallas after only four showings. And—surprise (for Brianna also)! Baby number three JUST arrived. Perhaps Brianna may need that fourth bedroom after all. Good thing I know a GREAT Realtor that would be happy to help (wink wink).
Fast forward one year: we've been through two terminated contracts (yes, we ugly-cried both times), a Florida house that refuses to sell, and more than a year of heartbreak and disappointments. The biggest hurdle? Every lender kept saying they couldn't buy until they sold their home in the dreadful Cape Coral market (seriously—look up those stats if you want to feel better about your own real estate struggles).
Just when we were close to putting things on pause, I had a lightbulb moment: let's try my go-to lender who works literal miracles. And guess what? She figured out a way to get them approved WITHOUT selling their Florida home first! Plot twist of the century, people. They were elated!
We're now under contract and set to close the week after Thanksgiving! Talk about perfect timing—Hank and Penny will literally be giving thanks in their NEW home this year. I am BEYOND thrilled that they won't miss a single moment with their newest grandbaby. They'll be moving in literally just in time to take on grandparent babysitting duties right when Brianna goes back to work and will get to spend the holidays making memories in their dream home, just minutes from their growing family. If that's not something to be grateful for, I don't know what is! After 400+ days, two fallen contracts, countless showings, and enough tears to fill Lake Allatoona, these two are officially friends for life.
Moral of the story? Real estate always works out the way it's supposed to. Sometimes you just need the right lender, a little patience, and a determined agent who refuses to give up on you—even when you're "cheating" with other agents in Newnan. 😉 KIDDING.
Garrett, Marissa, and Liam: The South African Adventure
Imagine: British family with South African roots moving to Georgia for work. Garrett's company handles the move, Marissa's thrilled ("America!"), and teenage Liam only cares if there's a basketball hoop. Spoiler: There is. Big time!
Garrett found me online and totally ghosted my initial emails (rude!), but he did eventually reach out when they landed in Georgia—men who keep promises? We love it.
After a round of "not-the-one" homes in Kennesaw and Acworth (plus ensuring Marissa gets her shopping fix), I pull out my secret weapon: Dallas, Georgia. Marissa scoffed. Garrett saw dollar signs. Liam just asked about hoops.
Second house in Dallas? BINGO. Marissa's brain recalibrated in real-time—ten minutes from the shops, double the space, what's not to love? Mortgage without social security numbers? That was the real plot twist, but we landed a bank statement loan and $17k in repair credits.
Now, three happy South Africans call Dallas home—and Marissa admits Dallas is pretty great. (I definitely said 'I told you so.') I'm so grateful I got to help this family plant roots in Georgia and find a place where Liam can practice his jump shot and Marissa can enjoy Southern hospitality (and proximity to Target).
Erik & Naomi: When the Universe Delivers on Your Doorstep
Picture it: me, open house, 1980s architectural wonder in Marietta (mostly for Instagram, if I'm honest). In walks a real-life Norwegian god and his American wife—Erik and Naomi. Think 90 Day Fiancé, but already married (and way cooler).
The best part? The street is literally called Nordic Trace. I'm not saying the universe was involved, but I'm also not not saying that.
These two work in "super-secret" jobs that involve online sleuthing, and apparently I passed their background check (despite my Instagram being 90% dog content). After a few house showings with no luck, we spot another for-sale sign across the street. "Want to look?" They shrug, sure.
We walk in and bam—it's a dream home. After some back-and-forth on price, I pitch a crazy double-deal: what if the investor-seller buys their old condo and we swap properties? The investor agrees AND offers more than they asked. We close both deals in a single day.
Now Erik and Naomi are in their dream home. The investor already flipped their condo. Sometimes the best solutions really are waiting right across the street—and I'm thankful every day that they walked into that random open house and trusted me with their journey.
What I've Learned: Real Estate Is Weird, Wonderful, and Worth Being Grateful For
As this Thanksgiving reminds me, Atlanta-area real estate isn't just deals and deadlines. It's showing up, getting creative, and genuinely caring about people.
Hank and Penny proved some deals take a year or more (and that's okay). Garrett, Marissa, and Liam showed me how important support is for international families navigating a new country. Erik and Naomi reminded me: sometimes, the dream is closer than you think.
This Thanksgiving, I'm especially grateful for clients who become friends, deals that work out exactly when they're supposed to, and the privilege of helping people find home—whether that's in time for the holidays or after 400+ days of waiting. I love what I do, my clients become my friends, some even family, and honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way.
I hope you and yours have the happiest of Thanksgivings, from my family to yours!
Gobble gobble! 🦃🏡
Warmly,
Sam
Ready to Find Your Dream Home?
If you want an agent who treats you like family—and maybe makes you laugh a little along the way—I'm your girl.
Serving Canton, Kennesaw, Acworth, Dallas, Marietta, Woodstock, and all the North Atlanta suburbs.
Follow me on Instagram here @SamSellsSuburbia for more stories, behind-the-scenes, and the piping hot real estate tea!
Garrett here, a truly fantastic experience with a real hands on and passionate realtor! Yes, im not convinced we would have found our perfect home without Sam!! Nearly a year in and we are settling in very nicely.
So thank you Sam, it was an absolute pleasure to work with you! So from the bottom of our hearts, thank you, and Happy Thanks giving, from our family to yours!
Ps, Liam found his love for soccer (the real Football 😉) again, and fortunately there are plenty of opportunities around our lovely county in Dallas