Meet Crystal Swearingen: Business Woman, Real Estate Agent, Publisher, and Cobbler Chef

To understand Crystal Swearingen’s driving passions - reversing decades of poverty within her lineage, while striving to create Generational Wealth for those she holds dear, in addition to consciously seeking to strategically Empower Women at every turn - requires going deeper into the psyche of this Wichita-born, Lawrence-bred dynamo. Beating the odds after seeing many friends and relatives succumb to the harsh realities of gang life, as well as drug and alcohol addiction, Crystal came to Lawrence to attend The University of Kansas and fulfill a lifelong dream of being a journalist.

What Swearingen did not plan on was life throwing down the inevitable fork in the road. Pregnant at twenty-one, working two and three jobs (even starting her own child daycare out of her home to help make ends meet), and attending school full-time, she married and would have three daughters – Brittany, Adrianna, and Halle – over the next decade. And yet, Crystal found the resolve to begin networking and learning from Top Realtors and International Agents around the country, many of which she still calls on to this day. A natural next step for Swearingen became to pursue her own company, aptly named Crystal Clear Realty. As Founder of the only Minority-Owned Real Estate Brokerage in Lawrence and the only Residential Real Estate Company on Mass. St. in Downtown Lawrence, she holds multiple first-time home buyer workshops in Douglas, Johnson, and surrounding counties. In addition, she has helped mentor new agents and plans on using her passions to create an inviting, unique, and innovative Boutique Firm with Concierge Services for clients near and far.

Working with homebuyers and investors from around the country, Swearingen has showcased her ability to communicate and get the job done for clients, who many times purchase investment properties sight unseen! She explains, “In this day and age, technology really allows me to work for my clients at all times. Whether it be showing an apartment building via Facetime to a West Coast investor, setting up an online, showing scheduling for a homebuyer after putting the kids to bed, or writing contracts and getting electronic signatures that can be completed from clients’ mobile phones, I’m able to be accessible and available whenever my clients need me.”

Though 2014-2017 were increasingly productive for her, resting on her laurels in 2018 just didn’t mesh with Crystal’s style, as her desire and willingness to both learn and grow continued. Creating four businesses in the last 6 months of 2018, she opened the only African-American owned business on Mass. St, Crystal’s Spot Café & Lounge. She founded the above-mentioned Crystal Clear Realty and chose to house it in the upper offices of the café, figuring many clients would enjoy stopping in, relaxing over a cup of coffee and one of Crystal’s Famous Cobblers, and discussing their specific needs in a welcoming, personalized environment.

In addition, Crystal created The Spot Mag, focused on celebrating women in business and standing as one of the only combination African-American AND female-owned, mid-tier magazines in the Midwest.

Through all of the trials and tribulations of the last three decades, as well as the hard-earned accolades that have come her way, Crystal remains filled with both humility and an ever-present Swearingen continues, “I’ve always wanted to help other people achieve and reach their goals. With Crystal Clear Realty, I hope to recruit, train, and motivate agents who really want to make a career they can be proud of in Real Estate.”

Family remains a central component in Swearingen remaining grounded, as she emotionally reflects, “My daughters are the most important thing in this world to me! Making them proud and giving them a sense of security are my first priorities. From picking them up every day after school to making sure we have some semblance of a routine - even with Crystal’s Spot, Crystal’s Famous Cobblers, The Spot Mag, and Crystal Clear Realty being operational now - finding time for them to feel both appreciated and heard is my primary, daily goal!”

Crystal’s most identifiable qualities when you first meet her remain a genuine kindness and an undeniable resilience and Strength of Spirit. She sincerely believes the daily struggles she looks back on helped forge the gratitude and the character she counts on everyday, be it in cherishing her family, nurturing her friendships, or overseeing her business ventures.