In 1988, Mimi Strother took up real estate sales as a "hobby job," says her husband, John. Two years later, when John lost his corporate vice presidency in a downsizing, the Mill Creek, WA, couple decided that real estate sales could be far more than a hobby, not just for Mimi, but for John, too.

John explains, "I wanted more control over my life, more independence. Going into the real estate business with Mimi seemed like an obvious choice." So the two teamed up, and now John and Mimi Strother, both of whom have their CRS Designations, are a highly successful REALTOR team for RE/MAX Northwest Realtors in the Seattle area. The Strothers handle an average of 40 transactions annually and have been RE/MAX Platinum agents, grossing more than $250,000 in commissions per year, for the past two years.

Working from an office in their home, John and Mimi have found that sharing their professional as well as their personal lives is an ideal situation. "Over time, our partnership has undergone a kind of natural evolution," John explains. "Mimi really loves working with buyers and is great with helping clients who are relocating, but she dislikes the pressure that comes with handling listings. I'm very good at dealing with inspections and details, and I like to handle listings and work with home sellers. So that's more or less how we split the work."

But both the Strothers are very much in tune with everything that's going on in their office. "I know virtually everything she has going on, and vice versa," John says. "We share an office, we hear each other on the phone, we talk a lot and keep the communications open. So even though we have a division of labor, one of us can always step in and take over or help."

One major advantage comes with working with a partner, John says: "Our clients have responded very, very positively to getting two agents. We don't always go together to meetings, but all our clients know that the lead agent has a partner who's fully informed about what's going on and who can step in at a moment's notice. The clients like that someone is always easy to reach. If Mimi's not here, I can take a call and take care of a problem or answer a question immediately. So working as a team really helps us give superior customer service."

How does this married couple manage to work and live together amicably? John explains, "We're not just married, we're also good friends. We respect each other and have high regard for each other's talents and strengths and abilities. I think that's the key to making this kind of partnership function. You have to play to each other's strength and talents and divide the work along those lines."