How Serving Citizens Through Law Enforcement Prepared Lisa Matheny to Help People Find Home
PHOTOS BY JORDAN RANDALL AND JACK LIETZ DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH ENGEL & VÖLKERS
For Lisa Matheny, real estate has never really been about houses.
It’s about the first-time homebuyer who never thought homeownership was possible, the family preparing for its next chapter, the seller closing the door on one season of life and opening another. It’s about earning trust, advocating for others and helping people navigate some of the biggest decisions they will ever make.
That perspective comes naturally to Matheny. Before entering real estate, she spent 16 years in law enforcement with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, where she found purpose in advocating for people who otherwise might not have had a voice.
Today, she brings that same sense of advocacy to her work as Broker/Owner of Engel & Völkers Lakeland.
“I want my clients to feel like they have someone in their corner who genuinely listens, understands what matters to them and is willing to advocate for them throughout the entire process,” Matheny says. “Buying or selling a home is rarely just a transaction, it often represents a major life change.”
In 2019, Matheny was working as a deputy with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, a career she loved because it allowed her to advocate for victims who might otherwise have gone unheard. But during one call for service, she became involved in a physical altercation with a man who was under the influence of narcotics. For Matheny, the experience felt like a turning point. She believes it was God’s way of telling her, “I have something else for you...get out of law enforcement.”
After an encouraging conversation with her husband and another with a close friend, she jumped “both feet in and running” into real estate, as she puts it.
She spent seven years as a solo agent, learning the business, setting goals and building a client base. Then came an opportunity to take that experience a step further. She completed her broker’s class, passed the exam and eventually became the Broker/Owner of Engel & Völkers Lakeland.
Engel & Völkers is a global luxury real estate brokerage founded in Germany that now has more than 1,000 locations in dozens of countries. When you walk into the Lakeland office at 114 Palmola St. it’s an upscale experience that includes an Italian espresso maker, custom bottles of wine and staff who are ready to serve. Engel & Völkers is a household name among the famous, as evident by the in-house magazine covers adorning the office walls that include the likes of Kevin Costner, Claudia Schiffer and more.
For Matheny, building the brokerage is about more than a title. It is an opportunity to create the kind of professional culture she wanted to be part of herself — one centered on collaboration, mentorship, education, relationships and excellence.
“I want to build a culture where people challenge one another, learn together, share ideas, hold each other accountable and genuinely want to see the person beside them succeed,” she says.
That same philosophy carries into her relationships with clients.
Matheny works with a broad range of clients and types of real estate including but not limited to: first-time buyers, people relocating, luxury properties, golf communities, waterfront homes, new construction and more. She is adamant that exceptional service should never be determined by a property’s price tag.
For Matheny, that experience means anticipating needs, communicating before a client has to ask, being honest — even when the answer may not be what someone hoped to hear — and remaining calm when a transaction becomes complicated. Her years in law enforcement continue to influence that approach.
“There are moments in real estate when emotions can understandably take over, especially when we’re dealing with someone’s home, finances, family or future,” she says. “My responsibility is to listen, communicate clearly, explain the options and help my clients make informed decisions rather than emotional ones.”
One client experience, in particular, illustrates why that matters to her.
A nurse in her 60s came to Matheny believing she might never be able to purchase a home. Matheny refused to accept that. Through hard work and dedication from everyone involved, the client became a homeowner. Through Matheny’s participation in Homes For Heroes, she was also able to give 30 percent of her earned commission back to her client and provide a gift to help turn the new house into a home.
“These are the moments that make my heart beat differently,” Matheny says.
Those relationships are especially meaningful because Matheny isn’t simply working in Lakeland. She was born and raised here. She and her husband, Kevin, have raised three children — Kayleigh, Aaron and Lileigh — in the city, and she hopes future generations of her family will call Lakeland home, too. “I absolutely love Lakeland and all its offerings,” she says.
She remembers a time when Lakeland felt considerably more rural and the excitement seemed to be in Tampa or Orlando. Today, she sees a community that has grown into its own while retaining much of its distinctiveness.
For Matheny, that balance is part of what makes the area so appealing. Residents can enjoy locally owned restaurants, downtown dining, historic neighborhoods, golf communities, new construction, acreage and outdoor living, all while remaining within reach of both coasts and the larger cities of Central Florida.
She has watched that transformation firsthand, and she believes Lakeland’s next chapter will bring even more growth. But she also believes growth should come with intention.
“I love seeing our community progress, but I also believe there is tremendous value in maintaining the character, relationships and local businesses that have always made this feel like home,” she says.
“Your goals will matter to me, your trust will matter to me and I will treat both as something I have to earn, not something I’m entitled to”
That philosophy extends to the future of Engel & Völkers Lakeland. Matheny hopes to grow the brokerage intentionally, focusing not simply on numbers but on bringing the right people into its culture—professionals who are knowledgeable, ethical, relationship-driven and committed to their community.
Ultimately, it comes back to the same principle that has guided Matheny from one career to the next: people matter.
“I’m not looking at a transaction or a commission,” she says. “I’m looking at a person or family making a significant decision about their life, their finances and their future.”
And if someone asks her the simplest question — why Lisa? Her answer is equally simple. “Because your goals will matter to me, your trust will matter to me and I will treat both as something I have to earn, not something I’m entitled to.”