These days, Mike Gaffney’s typical clients are move-up buyers and sellers, selling their first or second homes and purchasing a home to start a family or enter the luxury market.

“Home is so much more than just a property,” says Gaffney, real estate broker and team lead of The Gaffney Group, Compass. “It’s where we live, raise our families, and experience the highest highs and lowest lows.”

Gaffney started his real estate career in 2009 and learned a great deal during those difficult, early years. “After leasing for a while, my business naturally evolved into sales,” he says. “I began to view real estate as a career and went full steam ahead to build a business.”