If you've had any experience in Houston residential real estate, you probably know the name Mike Spear. He joined Martha Turner Sotheby's International Realty in 2010 and has been in the company's Circle of Excellence each year since, even getting inducted into the Circle of Excellence Hall of Fame in 2015.

But his real estate career spanned decades before that, having been a top producer with every brokerage he previously worked at, running his own successful brokerage, and establishing a reputation as the Realtor his clients never hesitated to recommend to family and friends. Spear's enthusiasm, dedication, and consummate market knowledge, when combined with an innate understanding of people and a knack for building relationships, have kept him consistently in-demand.

A native of Creswell, North Carolina, Spear graduated from East Carolina University with a degree in industrial technology and business. His father owned a small development and construction company, and that exposure gave Spear a particular interest in and knowledge of new home construction. He understands the builders' language, and that expertise has made the successful difference for his clients in numerous transactions.

His Houston sales career began in the 1980s, when he was transferred to the Bayou City while working in retail management. He changed career paths to residential real estate sales in 1987 and has never looked back.

We chatted with Spear to find out more about his work and what drives him.

CultureMap: What inspires you to do what you do?

Mike Spear: My love of people, architecture, and real estate. Real estate is not "work" for me. I love what I do.

CM: What's one piece of advice you’d give to people looking for their dream home?

MS: One has to remember that finding a dream home means finding one that's within reach. It needs to fit your budget, so you need to be realistic. There is always something you can do to your home that will make it unique to you and will help ensure your home is in tune with your personality. Remembering this will hopefully allow everyone with every budget to find or create their dream home.

CM: And advice to those who are selling?

MS: If you want top dollar, you have to de-clutter — rent a storage unit if you need to. How we live in the home is different from the way it needs to look when we sell it. When you put your home on the market, it is no longer a "home," but a product.

CM: Sum up Houston in three words.

MS: Diverse, friendly, hot.

CM: What do you consider your "special skill"?

MS: I have worked with some of the best builders in Houston. I know and understand new construction, especially new construction inside the Loop, better than any other agent out there.

CM: What's one thing people might not know about you?

MS: I have lived in all areas of Montrose over the past 25-plus years. I currently live in Hyde Park and absolutely love that I know a lot of my neighbors and catch up with them while walking my three schnauzers: Nico, Dexter, and Jaxsen.

CM: Finish the sentence: "It's a good day when..."

MS: I get to enjoy an awesome bowl of spaghetti at Riva's Italian with friends. Also when I put a "sold" sign in front of my seller's house.

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See Mike Spear's latest listings here, or contact him at 713-204-7653 or mike.spear@sothebyshomes.com.