Krysten Termin

Written by Elizabeth McCabe | Photos by Lily Chris Photography

At one point, Krysten Termin was sleeping on other people’s couches, trying to figure out what in the world she was going to do next with her life.

The marriage she thought would last forever had fallen apart. She was emotionally exhausted, completely heartbroken, and trying to rebuild from scratch in a city where she originally knew almost nobody.

Most people would have slowed down. Krysten accelerated.

Today, the Tulsa-based REALTOR® has built one of the most recognizable niches in her market, helping medical students, residents, physicians, and first-time homebuyers navigate huge life transitions with ease. 

The numbers don't lie. Last year, she sold nearly $17 million in real estate. Remarkably, she has already nearly matched her entire 2025 sales volume and is on pace for a record-breaking year.

But none of it came easy.

Originally from Mena, Arkansas, Krysten first moved to Fort Smith to compete in cross country at the collegiate level while attending the University of Arkansas–Fort Smith. At the time, she thought she would become a teacher. That changed after watching some of her siblings go through incredibly difficult situations that eventually led them into foster care.

“I thought maybe I wanted to go to law school or advocate for children in hard situations,” she says.

Life eventually took her in another direction entirely. After college, Krysten married a medical student and moved to Tulsa during his residency program. She left behind family, familiarity, and the comfort of home to support his career.

“I didn’t have any family. I didn’t have any friends here,” she recalls. “I just moved to support him.”

At the time, real estate was not some grand master plan. She initially got her license simply because she knew they would eventually be moving and selling a home during residency.

But once she arrived in Tulsa, she noticed something surprising.

“There were all these amazing loan opportunities for residents and physicians that hardly anybody was talking about,” she explains. “There was such a lack of education around it.”

So she started educating people herself. She began creating content online, connecting with incoming residents, answering questions, helping medical students relocate, and simplifying a process that often felt intimidating and overwhelming. Without even realizing it, she had found her niche.

“I found a love for educating first-time homebuyers and medical students,” she says. “And it started growing really quickly.”

Then everything changed. Krysten went through a divorce during residency, a season she openly describes as devastating.

“My whole life turned upside down,” she says. “I kind of lost the love for myself for a while.”

At one point, she seriously considered walking away from real estate altogether.

“I almost quit,” she admits.

But the people around her would not let her give up. Friends from her gym became her support system. People showed up for her during one of the hardest seasons of her life. Little by little, she started finding herself again.

One of the biggest moments came when she bought her own house after the divorce.

“It was really empowering,” she says. “I fell back in love with myself.” And once that happened, everything shifted.

Krysten threw herself into building a business that felt intentional, structured, and deeply personal. She stopped viewing herself as “just a real estate agent” and started thinking like a true business owner.

“I’m not a real estate agent,” she says with a laugh. “I’m a business owner and my product is real estate.”

That mindset was her motivation. Why? It actually changed the trajectory of her career. Through coaching, consistency, and an incredible amount of grit, Krysten built systems, hired full-time staff, and created what she calls a “five-star white glove experience” for her clients.

“I want people to feel genuinely cared for,” she says. “I want them to have a raving fan experience.”

Today, roughly 85 percent of her clients are connected to the medical world in some capacity. She has also developed partnerships with hospital systems throughout Tulsa, helping incoming physicians and residents transition into the city.

But what really makes her different is that she understands the emotional side of relocation too.

She remembers what it felt like to move somewhere unfamiliar without family nearby. She understands how lonely residency can feel for spouses and families. And because she lived it herself, she now works hard to create the kind of support system she wishes she had back then.

“We build events and opportunities for people to feel connected and cared for,” she says. “That part matters just as much.”

Of course, Krysten’s life today looks very different than it did just a few years ago.

She recently remarried and became a stepmom to her husband Travis’s daughter, Harper. The couple originally met through their gym community and quickly bonded over fitness, competition, and doing life together the second time around.

“He is calm to my wild,” Krysten says with a smile. “He’s thoughtful, persistent, and just such an amazing soul.”

Their wedding was just as unique as their story. Instead of choosing a traditional venue, the couple actually obtained a city permit and shut down part of downtown Tulsa so they could get married in the middle of Boston Avenue surrounded by the city’s iconic Art Deco buildings.

“The city had never seen anything like it,” she says.

Honestly, that feels pretty fitting for Krysten because there is nothing ordinary about this go-getter. Behind the business success is a woman who rebuilt herself from the ground up. Someone who walked through heartbreak and uncertainty, but kept going anyway.

In fact, she credits much of her success to three words, “Never *** quit,” she says with a laugh. Crude? Maybe. Effective? Absolutely.

“I realized there are no limitations on me except the ones I put on myself,” she says.

And judging by the life she has built, she truly believes it.