James & Leslie Hugo
POWER COUPLE
STORY BY DAVE DANIELSON | PHOTOS BY SHAWNA McDUFFIE, PEAK RES
Moving Forward with Confidence
In the process of clients making their way through the process of purchasing or selling a home, there are a lot of unknowns, surprises and pitfalls that are sprung on them throughout the journey.
Luckily, they have you on their side to help them make their way through … serving as a valued guide to streamline the path as much as possible.
That’s the same drive that James and Leslie Hugo have.
Making a Solid Impact
As a husband-and-wife team at Hugo Homes with Keller Williams Central Oklahoma, James and Leslie take pride in helping their clients to be able to move forward with confidence.
“It means a lot to us getting to work with people through a big life change and having the chance to hold hands with and walk alongside people who are going through these changes,” Leslie says.
“Buying can feel really scary. Our goal is to take as much of that scariness out so people can feel good and confident about their decisions. A lot of times, you can see that exhale that they have when they hear that,” James says. “We wanted to be the kind of REALTORS® that we wanted to work with. With the idea of seeing a home for the first time, some people almost don’t know how to act. We say it should be fun. Be yourselves through the process and there are no dumb questions.”
Getting Their Start
Leslie began her journey in real estate in 2017, with James earning his license in 2020. Their path in life and business together started well before that.
Leslie grew up in Prague, Oklahoma, while James was born and raised in Edmond. The two both worked at Life Church in the central business office. In time, they grew closer and started dating. After nine months, they made their commitment to each other formal and were married. That was around 10 years ago.
As they started their family, Leslie made the decision to pursue her real estate license, with the idea of having a more flexible work schedule.
“Our son was nine months old when I got my license. I thought I would do real estate part-time and have him with me at home. It quickly became full-time and then we had a second child,” Leslie says. “James was working from home and he got to see what it was like working in the business during the pandemic. As a result, he got his license and joined me in the business.”
Joining Forces
Prior to real estate, James had enjoyed success in another path, having worked for 15 years as a graphic designer. He had graduated from Edmond North and went on to earn his degree from UCO.
“After Leslie got her real estate license, she said It was her dream for me to join her in real estate. At the time, it wasn’t my dream,” James says with a smile. “It wasn’t that I was against it. It was just that life was working well for us and the idea of working together was something I worried about, because sometimes you hear about married couples having issues when they work together. But we had a long conversation and moved forward. Now being three years into it, I wouldn’t do anything else.
It’s completely clear that they love sharing the same path together.
“I was alone those first three years in the business. Now, it means a lot having James to talk to about work and having a partner in it. I really love that. James is extroverted and super fun. I’m energized by the paperwork and keeping everything organized and on track. It’s super fun getting to work together.”
Spotlighting Their Strengths
As James says, the process of working together helped to clearly reveal each other’s strengths.
“I love being out and about with people, listing and showing homes, and Leslie is eagle eyes on paperwork and keeping things organized,” James says. “We could both do both. But we chose early on to focus on our strengths. That makes it much more enjoyable and makes us good in our jobs. Plus, it has only helped to grow our marriage.”
Their efforts continue to create rewards all the way around. In fact, in 2022, James and Leslie recorded around $14 million in sales volume.
Family Highlights
Away from work, life is made much richer for the Hugos by their family, including their children—6-year-old son Brady, and 4-year-old daughter Blake.
They recently built and moved into a new house, so they’ve been kept plenty busy by that transition, as well. In his free time, James has a passion for woodworking. He also has a side business that he pursues called OKC Timber, where he creates wood-based artwork. He also makes leather patch hats. “That has been a fun way to network with businesses and provide something unique for them,” he says.
In the meantime, Leslie relishes time at home. She plans on starting a new garden, as well as getting some farm animals.
When it comes to staying engaged in the community, Leslie and James remain involved with Life Church. James does quite a bit of work with TrueNorth Ministries for men, including retreats and camps. They are also involved in the Keller Williams Red Day Run which raises money for local organizations.
Maintaining Strong Bonds
When you talk with James and Leslie, you instantly understand the fact that they have a knack for creating and sustaining strong bonds with others.
“I want our clients to feel that we truly care about them through the experience. When we’re with people, we are fully with them,” Leslie says. “We are very intentional about our time with them. We are fully present.”
As James adds, “Like we say, it’s about people first and houses second. A big thing for me is that it should be fun and we should be able to laugh along the way through a transaction. It can be a stressful process, but there’s no reason why it can’t be fun.”
Clearly, James and Leslie instill that sense of calm and confidence in those they serve … helping them achieve their goals in life through real estate.
