The story behind the team, and the woman who built it on service, honesty, and genuine love for this community.
"I'm not going to tell someone to go to a destination that isn't right for them. I'm not going to sell a house I don't believe in. That's just not who I am."
Originally from Tampa, Florida, Derica has spent most of her adult life rooted in the Metro Detroit community, building a career and a life defined by one thing: genuine service to the people around her.
Before real estate, Derica spent approximately 16 years in the travel industry, specializing in destination weddings and honeymoons. That work, deeply personal, built entirely on trust, centered on one of the most important moments in a couple's life, shaped everything about how she serves clients today.
From travel, Derica moved into fitness, spending 14-15 years coaching and training with a particular focus on building confidence in women. Then came real estate, and everything clicked.
Every chapter of Derica's life has been about showing up for people at their most important moments. Real estate is just the latest, and most powerful, expression of that calling.
For approximately 16 years, Derica guided couples through the most romantic, and most stressful, decisions of their lives. No wrong recommendation. No pushing something that wasn't right. Just honest, expert care at the moments that matter most.
~16 Years · Travel Industry14-15 years in fitness, particularly focused on building confidence in women. Helping people feel worthy, strong, and capable of more than they believed possible became a calling that still shows up in everything Derica does. She lifts people, always.
14-15 Years · Fitness & CoachingLicensed in 2019, Derica grew quickly enough that within a year and a half, her broker recognized something special and invited her to build a team. Hearts to Homes was born. The name was never about Derica, it was always about the mission.
7 Years · Real Estate
Derica will tell you when a house is wrong for you, even when you're in love with it. She will never lead you somewhere she wouldn't go herself. That's not just a policy. It's who she is.
You deserve personal attention, clear communication, and someone who fights for your best interest at every turn. We've built our entire practice around the kind of service that has largely disappeared from this industry.
The builder's agent works for the builder, period. We are your advocate at the table, reviewing contracts, attending inspections, negotiating upgrades, and protecting your investment from day one.
28+ years of serving Metro Detroit means Derica knows this market, these neighborhoods, and these people. This isn't just a job. This is home, and she treats every transaction like it is.
"Real estate, when done right, is one of the most intimate acts of service there is. You are trusting someone with one of the biggest financial and emotional decisions of your life. That's not lost on her. Not for a single transaction."
Derica's commitment to people extends far beyond real estate. Her ministry work, spanning children's ministry, couples' ministry, human trafficking advocacy, and domestic violence awareness, reflects the same drive that defines her professional life: to see people healed, lifted, and loved. Her favorite color is red. She loves hearts. And she believes that when you truly care, it shows in every single thing you do.
Three people, one shared standard — show up for clients the way you'd want someone to show up for the people you love. Here's who you'll be working with.
Associate Broker · Team Founder
Derica leads the Hearts to Homes Team from the Plymouth office. Seven-plus years of Metro Detroit real estate, sixteen years before that in destination travel, and a lifetime built on the belief that the work you do should match the people you serve. Bold, blunt, hearts-centered.
Read Derica's Story →
Concierge Realtor · SE Michigan
Len brings nearly two decades of health-and-wellness coaching into real estate — the same eye for trust, follow-through, and showing up that built his name across Metro Detroit. Warm, steady, and remarkably good at making clients feel genuinely cared for.
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Real Estate Agent · Hearts to Homes Team
Shelley is from Westland and brings deep service and advocacy experience to Hearts to Homes. Her career has spanned retail management, residential appraisal, and the past 15 years in healthcare as a certified medical coder. Her appraisal background gave her a rare perspective on the housing industry, and a strong commitment to doing what's right for clients, even when that means walking away from a deal. Relaxed and approachable, she especially connects with first-time buyers and families navigating their first big step.
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While you're living your life, we're researching neighborhoods, analyzing comps, negotiating deals, and making sure every detail is handled, so you don't have to.
Whether you're buying, selling, or just starting to think about it, Derica would love to hear from you. No pressure, no sales pitch. Just real talk.
Derica Wade · Associate Broker · Real Estate One · SE Michigan