Story by Ann Butenas | Intro photo by Matt Kocourek
Frequently in life, we meet people who just make us feel right at home in their presence. It is something intangible about their personality and overall vibe. When you know it, you just know it. Such is the case for Diana Bryan-Smith, owner of Speedway Realty, LLC. Laid back, down-to-earth, and genuinely approachable, Diana presents as the real deal. You just know that when you work with her to buy and/or sell your home, the final result will not just meet your expectations, but more than likely exceed them.
Photo by Matt Kocourek
With 27+ years in the industry, Diana is passionate about finding the best places for her clients to live. She has a strong and vested interest in creating new home communities, most notably in and around the Basehor, Kansas, area. She has strong roots in Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties and her appreciation for these places does not go unnoticed and her grandfather was the first Mayor of Basehor. Basehor with its award-winning schools, has a lot to offer its residents and Diana is more than happy to share it all with her clients.
Licensed in Kansas and Missouri, Diana has vast experience with both buyers and sellers. Her skillset and wealth of knowledge put clients’ minds at ease. She has also created a robust network of professional experts, such as mortgage advisors and home inspectors. Her deep connection within these communities translates to offering an outstanding quality of life to her clients who decide to make this their home.
“I always tell people that I sell what I know,” reflected Diana, who is currently working with homebuyers in the 160-acre Tomahawk Valley and Tomahawk Villas, the latter of which is the maintenance provided community within the Tomahawk Valley subdivision. The Valley is in its second phase, featuring single family homes, and the Villas, with 50 total lots, is quickly gaining momentum.
“The Villas mainly appeal to those who are empty nesters retiring or perhaps who want a second home and desire convenience with luxury,” noted Diana.
Photo by Matt Kocourek
Working within all price points, Diana enjoys getting to know her clients and respectfully treats everyone the same, regardless of price point. But that is her approach with anyone. Her no-nonsense and down-home sensibilities are what make her such a trusted advisor. Plus, because she enjoys developing new communities from the ground up, Diana is not afraid to roll up her sleeves and wipe the sweat off her brow.
“I like a bit of dirt and getting in the mud,” she smiled. And that authentic approach to creating something from the ground up also translates to her own little community of a garden, chickens, dogs, horses, and two miniature donkeys.
“People call me Ellie Mae,” laughed Diana, who enjoys time with her rooster, 18 hens, collecting their eggs, tending to her garden, and spreading the love and attention to all of her other animals.
“It’s a fun project for me,” she smiled. “I appreciate the quality of this lifestyle.”
And that is the same lifestyle she offers her clients. Diana is simply true to herself, to those she loves, and to those she serves. Her heart is in everything she does, and she will tend to the transactions of her clients with the same enthusiasm and tenacity with which she tends to her own personal endeavors.
There is really something to be said about being down to earth, as in the end, it is truly above all else. Diana’s humility, authenticity, expertise, and passion for what she does are perhaps among her greatest accomplishments of all.
