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A spirit that is not afraid

Selling in style: A unique take on real estate

From working as a flight attendant and a decorative painter to owning her own store and designing a clothing line, Amy Cotney has done and seen it all.

But, nothing could have prepared her for the bizarre world of real estate.

In just two years time, she has established somewhat of a celebrity status in the business, making the Top 25 Realtors in Auburn in just her first year at Toland Realty. She said it’s thanks to her unique business approach and belief of being entirely, unashamedly herself.

Cotney attended college at Troy University and majored in public relations and broadcast journalism while also attaining a minor in marketing, which she uses every day now.

“With real estate, everything is marketing, especially when I get most of my clients from social media,” Cotney said.



Her Instagram and Facebook followers are treated with her colorful posts and videos where she is often seen decked out in eccentric and stylish outfits.

Videos like “Wine, Real Estate and REAL talk” invite viewers into Cotney’s own home where she shares fun personal facts about herself, takes potential clients through listed houses or highlights local businesses.

“I’m a very big proponent of local,” Cotney said. “I’ve lived in Florida, Philly and Colorado, but when my last child graduated from high school here I expected myself to be excited to get the hell out, but I’ve just fallen in love with this little place, and I’m busy enough where I can stay out of trouble.”

Her videos are rare in their high production value. Holt Ingalls, her son and senior in professional and public writing, edits her videos. He manages his own production company of his same name.

“I knew coming into the business I had to do something to set myself apart from the rest,” she said. “Some of these realtors have been here for 15 years, and it’s hard to get into a small town like Auburn.”

And setting herself apart she did. Nicknamed the “Rogue Realtor,” Cotney is known to go above and beyond normalcy for her clients.

“You have to be very authentic in this business,” Cotney said. “Being exactly who I am has gotten me this far.”



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She often hosts get-togethers at her home, like her “Pie Party” during Thanksgiving when she had her past clients come together, mingle and catch up on how they’re adjusting to their new homes.

“We all drink wine, and everybody meets everyone, and it’s just a really great time,” she said.

Cotney said she owes a lot of her business to social media, which she loves more than anything.

“I get a lot of my leads off of Instagram,” she said. “Someone, who I didn’t know, messaged me from Silicone Valley, California, about how his mother’s neighbor was moving to Auburn and if I could help. They eventually made an offer on the house all because of Instagram.”

The power of social media may be what drives her clientele, but it’s Cotney’s energy and personality that seems to separate her from the rest — that and the brightly colored, striped mini-cooper she drives when showing her clients houses.

“This job is the most unpredictable thing you could imagine,” Cotney said. “You have to be the client’s mom, dad, counselor and friend.”

Since becoming a realtor, Cotney has witnessed some bizarre occurrences or “doozies” she says.

“I’ve had someone wanting to buy somebody’s cat,” she laughed. “I’ve even had somebody ask ‘Can we dig up the backyard, we don’t know where we put the cat.’”

Every day is different and unexpected, but Cotney said she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“The more over the top I am, the better response I get,” Cotney said. “I try to live out loud as much as possible.”


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