Meet Your Instructors
Steve Wagner
Managing Broker / Instructor
Steve has been actively involved in all facets of Real Estate since 1989 which includes: residential, land, commercial, Real Estate instructor and managing broker.
Steve has also been a very active board member in the Northeast Atlanta Metro Association of Realtors (NAMAR), which is the second largest REALTOR@ association in GA. In addition to serving as the 2018 NAMAR Treasurer he was also elected as the 2019 NAMAR President. Steve also regularly attends the monthly GAR contract revision meetings where he participates in helping what will be added or changed in the coming year’s revised contracts.
Jamie Mertz
COO, Broker, School Director
Jamie Mertz is an accomplished real estate broker and executive with over 25 years of experience in the Georgia real estate industry. As Chief Operating Officer for both Virtual Properties Realty and United Country Premier Properties, she oversees operations, strategic growth, and agent development across both organizations.
In addition to her executive leadership, Jamie serves as School Director for a state-approved real estate school, where she manages curriculum, compliance, and instructor coordination to support the education of future real estate professionals.
Her extensive industry knowledge, combined with a commitment to ethical standards, has earned her numerous accolades, including the Phoenix Award and lifetime membership in the Multi-Million Dollar Club. Jamie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of South Florida and remains actively involved in advancing the Georgia real estate community.
Cathy Mcdaniel
Education Director
Cathy McDaniel brings over 29 years of real estate industry experience and more than 18 years as an educator. Widely recognized as a subject matter expert in homeownership, she has authored 150+ training manuals, trained over 100,000 professionals, and led more than 2,000 live classes—reaching 35,000 agents via Zoom in 2021 alone.
Her deep understanding of real estate and mortgage lending, combined with strong relationships across government agencies, allows her to deliver practical, real-world education. Cathy currently serves as Education Instructor for Georgia Realty School—and has held key roles with the Georgia Real Estate Educators Association and Atlanta Training Campus.
She offers live and online courses, eBooks, audiobooks, and CE-certified training designed for Georgia’s housing market. Cathy’s mission is to equip today’s agents with the knowledge and tools they need for lasting success.
Sandra Herring
Managing Broker / Instructor
Managing Broker and Instructor for Georgia Realty School. Sandra has been part of our Broker Team for many years. She first became involved in the real estate industry in 1985 as a licensed full time Realtor before joining her current brokerage. She is also a member of the Million Dollar Club and will sit on the Board of Directors for NAMAR in 2019. Experienced in homebuilding and remodeling. She also taught for 12 years and education is a passion for hers.
As an agent, Sandra worked with both Buyers and Sellers as well as investors, HUD homes and other foreclosures. Her background in these areas is extremely beneficial in helping other agents become more successful and educating their clients.
As a native of Metro Atlanta, her knowledge of the area makes it easy to communicate and educate agents and their clients on the benefits of living in Metro Atlanta. Her unique background and experience make her ideally suited to provide expert advice to all of her agents. In her spare time she loves spending time with her Family, Riding her horse, time on the lake boating and traveling.
Maddilyn Haney
Career Counselor
Bobby Armes
Associate Attorney / Instructor
Bobby Armes joined O’Kelley & Sorohan as an Associate Attorney in 2010. He is responsible for Closing Residential Real Estate Transactions in English and Spanish. Bobby coordinates closings with the Real Estate Agents, Lenders, Title Insurance Company, reviews and clears title, issues title insurance policies, reviews contracts, closes purchase and refinance transactions, and advises clients on residential real estate matters. He has been the Attorney in Charge of the Short Sale Department since November 2012 and oversees a staff of 4 paralegals and legal assistants. He has 29 years of Legal, Real Estate, Financial, Business Development, and Management expertise.