This year marks the inaugural Century 21 franchise, “30 Under 30” award recognizing 30 agents and brokers under 30-years-old who exhibit, “top production, exceptional quality service, community involvement and/or a strong social media presence”.

Marissa Lightsey, owner/broker of Century 21 Peak, Marking and Associates in Mexico has made the inaugural list of honorees, which was announced Jan. 6.

Lightsey was born in California but has primarily lived in Mexico since she was 7-years-old. She graduated in 2014 from Mexico High School and went to work at Gallaher Insurance Group.

“I decided I wanted to go out on my own and try something new,” says Lightsey.

So she decided to open up a children’s store on the square. Her business was called “Wild Child”.

“I ran that for about a year and a half and it was so instrumental, I think, in growing as a person and a business person because I made so many contacts,” she explains.

Lightsey had used her and her husband Daniel’s savings to start her business. When she decided to sell and get serious about her real estate career, she was able to recoup the cost plus a little extra.

Lightsey’s real estate career took a while to get off the ground.

“I tried to get my real estate license three times, once when I was 18, once when I was 19 and again at 20 and I just kept having a hurdle,” says Lightsey.

As a mother of two children, James who is 7-years-old and Ellie who is 4-years-old, her family was her priority. When she decided to go for her real estate licence again at 22-years-old, she really buckled down, treating the course as her “9 to 5”.

“The day that I got my license, I took the test in Jefferson City, I drove back here to get it signed off on and I drove back to Jefferson City because I had a showing that night,” she remembers.

From the moment she got her license, Lightsey’s career gained momentum rapidly.

“It was really just, ‘right place right time’,” says Lightsey. “The market just went bananas during COVID so that was really instrumental in helping me get to where I am. It kind of forced me into it.”

In her first year, she sold 30 houses and by her second, she was doing almost 70 transactions.

Lightsey worked for about two years as an agent and in 2021, she bought the brokerage with her husband from Donna Peak and Don Marking.

“I have a team of 16 agents right now,” says Lightsey. “I was really big into production so I’ve kind of scaled back on that to really support the team that I have here.”

Lightsey is a very active member in the community having received a handful of recognitions including Leadership Mexico from the Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Realtors Community Empowerment award.

“I am the Chamber Community Betterment and Civic affairs person so it’s kind of my job to run leadership,” she explains.

Having spent most of her life here, Lightsey loves Mexico and gets involved in anything she can. She is a member of the Village Square Association, Chamber of Commerce board member, Heart of Missouri Board of Realtors President-Elect, Promotions Committee Chair for Mexico Mainstreet and was a former Jaycees President.

“I try to do as much as I can; I don’t like to sit still,” says Lightsey.

And now she can add ‘Century 21, 30 under 30 honoree’ to her list of achievements.

“Never in a million years did I think somebody in Mexico, Missouri was even achievable going up against the whole country,” says Lightsey. “We have agents in New York and California whose numbers I couldn’t even hold a candle to.”

But this award focuses heavily on those who are involved in their community which Lightsey certainly is.

“I hope that they continue to do this because it’s certainly a way to show that the brand is still growing and younger,” she says. “I think Century 21 has been around for such a long time, I think that people take it as an antique but it’s not. It’s a growing brand and it’s not going anywhere.”

Lightsey continues to try and grow her brokerage and spend valuable time in her community as often as she can, getting in front of students and striving to better Mexico.