Wendy Chong

OCTOBER 2023 COVER STORY

STORY BY ZACHARY COHEN | PHOTOS BY ELIORA MEDIA

Dancing to Success

From the time she was a young girl, Wendy Chong was drawn to houses. She recalls notebooks filled with drawings and floor plans from her formative years. As she reached adulthood, she found herself living in historic homes. She surrounded her life with the art that older homes bring and thoroughly enjoyed rehabilitating and modernizing houses while keeping their old-fashioned charm.

“Homes were always something I was passionate about. That was always what I loved,” Wendy recalls fondly.

Although Wendy has a background in accounting — she holds an accounting degree from the University of Tulsa — she set out to build a real estate career in 1997. Twenty-six years later, she is still thriving in the business. She started her career intending to become a real estate investor, but her business quickly took on a life of its own. Over the past two decades, Wendy has consistently been one of Oklahoma City’s top agents.

Built on Experience

Wendy has been with RE/MAX her entire career. She closed 33 transactions for almost $21 million in 2022 and has been fortunate enough to have been ranked as the #1 RE/MAX agent in Oklahoma several times, most recently in 2019. She is a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS), is part of the RE/MAX Hall of Fame and the RE/MAX Circle of Legends, and has received the RE/MAX Lifetime Achievement Award.

So what have been the keys to Wendy’s long-term success in such a challenging business?

“I just try to be real about things,” she says. “I don’t want to fluff people up. I just keep to the facts, and I think people appreciate that honesty. I stay enthusiastic. I take each person, their individual circumstances, and tailor solutions to them.”

Wendy also leans into her experience, knowledge, and vast network to come through for her clients. She considers herself a fixer, a psychologist, and a friend.

“Buying and selling [a home] is emotional for a lot of people. There are a lot of hats I have to wear. I try to put myself in the client’s shoes, and I love working with people,” Wendy continues.

Family First

Wendy has been incredibly successful as a real estate agent, but she’s a mother and wife first and foremost. She recently celebrated her 40th anniversary with her husband, Mike. Their two adult children, Maggie and Patrick, are living enriching lives of their own. Maggie has even followed her mom into real estate and is an agent with Serhant in New York City. Wendy also has a passion for travel.

Wendy is proud of her success in real estate, yet it’s her family that matters most. Her family is her proudest legacy.

“My husband was diagnosed with leukemia at 45. He's doing okay, but he had a complete bone marrow transplant, and it affected the whole family. It helped me reflect on what's important, and that's family and how we support each other through thick or thin,” Wendy shares. “My family, my kids — that's the kind of legacy that’s important to me.”

Fun Fact

Wendy has a long history in ballet. She was a student at the Yvonne Chouteau School of Ballet in Oklahoma City and, later, at the School of American Ballet in New York City. At 13 years old, she became one of the youngest members of the Oklahoma City Ballet. She’s still involved in the ballet world, too. She is on the Oklahoma City Ballet advisory council and attends the yearly School of American Ballet Ball in New York.