Sarah Johnson’s path into real estate began with a move to Lincoln City and a desire for a new career. Before becoming a REALTOR® in 2015, Sarah was the CEO of a company providing contract marketing services to real estate agents, brokerages and banks. After moving to the coast with her husband, Kermit, she and her husband hired Dennis Regen of Taylor & Taylor Realty Co. to help with their real estate needs. He later offered Sarah a position if she chose to become licensed, creating a natural next step into the profession.
Today, Sarah works with Taylor & Taylor Realty Co. and is an active member of the Lincoln County Board of REALTORS®. Her leadership journey began locally in 2018, when she was encouraged by REALTOR® Lauren Hahn to apply for the association’s Executive Board. Sarah has since served in a variety of leadership roles, culminating in serving as local association president in 2025. While she is taking a more focused approach to volunteering in 2026, she continues to serve on local committees and the Executive Board while mentoring a newer agent in her business.
Sarah has made professional education a cornerstone of her career. She earned her Principal Broker license as soon as she was eligible, along with the AHWD, e-PRO, GRI, C2EX, RSPS, PSA and ABR designations. Her experience with the Oregon Principal Broker Academy in 2024 was particularly rewarding, prompting her to audit the course again the following year. She also participated in the Oregon Leadership Academy, an experience that opened her eyes to the positive impact REALTORS® can have in their communities.
For Sarah, education is about much more than collecting designations. She values the learning and connections that come from being in the room with other REALTORS® and instructors, even when she has taken a course before. She regularly returns to classes taught by instructors she respects, finding that repeated learning often brings unexpected insights that make her a better REALTOR® across all areas of her business.
Her advice to those entering the profession is to “get in the middle of your organization.” Sarah encourages new REALTORS® to volunteer for local committees, attend meetings, take on responsibilities and make the most of the educational opportunities available through Oregon REALTORS®. She particularly values live, interactive courses because of the connections and REALTOR®-to-REALTOR® conversations that happen alongside the formal instruction.
Outside of real estate, Sarah and Kermit have a small organic farm, where gardening is sometimes a hobby and sometimes a necessity. She also loves cooking and baking, which comes in handy for open houses. Sarah is an author and fiber artist, though those creative pursuits—and her love of fishing—have taken a back seat to the demands of her real estate career.
Looking ahead, Sarah dreams of traveling the country and the world with Kermit, documenting their experiences and getting to know the people and communities they encounter along the way. She imagines traveling from town to town, perhaps staying for a month at a time and even finding a small community that feels like home.
Throughout her career, Sarah has been shaped by the teachers and mentors who have generously shared their time and expertise. She believes that same responsibility extends to those coming up behind her. Her philosophy is simple: show up, stay involved, keep learning and put clients’ needs before your own. In doing so, Sarah says, the rewards can extend far beyond business—including the loyal friendships and relationships that make a career in real estate so meaningful.
