How long have you been working in the real estate industry?
6 years
How did you get into real estate?
I started my career in consulting and project management with a focus in the IT and insurance industry. Once I had kids, I realized that I just wasn’t happy being away from them for long hours in a job I didn’t love. I had always wanted to get into real estate but delayed it because I felt so much pressure to climb a corporate ladder and leverage my MBA. I then realized that real estate allows me to run my own business, have a career that I love and enjoy time with my kids. It was a win-win.
What was one of your greatest challenges starting out?
I knew I loved real estate but didn’t know where to begin. I was lucky to have worked with Dottie Moseley as my Realtor® when I moved here who agreed to then be my mentor. She helped me determine the best ways to let everyone know about my new career, and she was there every step of the way to coach me, working side by side writing offers and letting me learn from her.
What support or advice did you find most helpful when starting out in the industry?
The best advice I can give is engaging an experienced mentor and having access to a brokerage with training and support. Our firm is always looking for open house help and offering to let agents tag along with other agents to showings, etc.
What do you enjoy most about working in real estate?
I absolutely love fulfilling my clients’ dreams. I have helped immigrants, first-time buyers, retirees, investors, families, etc. That’s my favorite part is meeting everyone and learning how to help them achieve their real estate goals.
What is your proudest achievement or favorite memory working in real estate?
I think my proudest achievement aside from obtaining my Brokers license this year, was when I worked with a family who was part of the “Dreamers” or “DACA” status. The parents had immigrated here years ago from Taiwan, and their young adult kids wanted to purchase a home for their parents. We spent over a year looking for the right condo. Then we were met with lending challenges. After a ton of digging, we found a lender that could help them fulfill this dream of purchasing a place for their parents to officially call home.
What advice would you give to someone new to the industry, or someone considering real estate?
I always tell people that it is much harder than it looks. You must be really efficient with project management, timelines and client expectations. You also must be diligent in running your company as a business. Those commission checks are pre-tax. So having a strong business sense, being personable, being incredibly organized, keeping up on market trends but then also understanding how best to market and brand your business is key. It’s not just about getting a license and making money. It is so much more than that.
How has being a member of RASCW benefited you?
I love attending the events to expand my knowledge. It’s a great way to meet other Realtors® but also learn more about what might be coming. We get so many questions from clients about the economy, interest rates, etc. I’ve found the calls with Lawrence Yun to be incredibly helpful in my day-to-day conversations with clients.
How are you involved and making a difference in your community?
I have four young kids so my focus is generally on things that align with our family events but I continue to look for more ways to blend community involvement with daily life. A few things that I have focused on most recently include attending local mom meet-up groups and volunteering on a local community board. I enjoy sponsoring the kid’s sports leagues in the town that we live and I also donate to the OWN IT Building Black Wealth organization. I hope to continue to expand my community involvement in 2023 as it is a goal I’ve made for 2023.
If you could have lunch with anyone in the world, alive or not, who would it be?
Elon Musk
Outside of work, what makes you happy?
I love being with my family. It is so fun to see my kids all playing with each other outside, riding bikes, hiking, going to family breakfasts, etc.
