My Journey into a Career in Real Estate
It has been quite a journey since I decided to jump out on my own, get my real estate license and start my own career. I couldn’t have ever imagined that I’d be sitting here sharing my story about all I have achieved in the last year and a half. I am so grateful for all of the mentors, educators, family and friends that have supported me through the process, and I am unbelievably excited for what’s to come!
The Start
I’d like to start this story back in 2013 when I graduated from Towson University with my Bachelors of Science in Community Health. I have always had a passion for helping others, and making a real difference. A career in the health field seemed like a great place to start. Right out of college I worked for The Family League of Baltimore City, a non-profit focused on building stronger communities and healthier children in Baltimore City. Specifically I worked within the Child and Adult Care Food Program Snack and Supper Program. Even though I knew I was making a difference, I wanted to try something new and use my talents to make a larger difference in people’s lives.
A friend introduced me to Bay Management & Associates, Inc. – a small real estate investment and property management firm in Harford County, and the beginning of my real estate journey! My role as their leasing and marketing specialist quickly grew my passion for real estate. After one year with the company, there was little room to grow. So with a great support system behind me I decided to leave my position with them, get a part-time waitressing position and jump into my real estate career full-time!
The Transition
The first few months were very difficult. I chose a brokerage that did not specialize in training and guiding new agents, so I spent a good amount of time fumbling around and trying different sales techniques that didn’t seem to work. After my third month with little success, I decided to switch brokerages to Keller Williams American Premier Realty. Once I joined Keller Williams, I enrolled in Ignite and gained the best Mentor I could have hoped for. My business quickly took off. I finally sold my first home on March 28th, 2016 and continued to sell 22 additional homes while helping 19 separate families before the year came to an end.
I was ranked the #1 Top Single Agent Producer for October 2016 in my office, #6 Top Single Agent Producer in my brokerage for the whole year, and in March of 2017, I was named the Rising Star for the Top Real Estate Producers Magazine for the Baltimore Metropolitan area.
The Growth
Now, with just a little over 18 months into my real estate career, I have brought on my business partner and Fiance, Christopher Neal to help with operations. We have also added a transaction coordinator and a buyers agent partner! I am so grateful that I can not only provide for myself, but support others on the path of achieving their own goals. And this is just the beginning!
I have a lot of angst around sharing my story. I deal with a lot of anxiety in general that stems from my own fear of not being “good enough.” So I am not sharing my story to brag, gloat, or take praise. I am sharing my story because I know that there are so many people out there who are scared to venture out on their own life adventures. I know that so many people never take a chance on themselves because of the fear of failure and not being “good enough.” I know that it helped me to hear success stories from other people who started from nothing and built something. It helped to hear about other people’s journey’s and how they made it work. It’s not about re-inventing the wheel, it’s about building your own spokes and taking off!
In Conclusion
Below you will find my five largest game changers that helped me achieve success and the feed from the Facebook Live video I did on this topic a few weeks ago. Please feel free to share, comment or reach out to me directly if you ever want to talk about your journey or anything else I can help with!
1. You are the sum of the five people that you spend the most time with. Make sure those people are a reflection of who you want to become.
2. Educate yourself. For me this includes audiobooks, podcasts and personal / professional development classes. My top favorite audiobooks include How to Win Friends and Influence People, Rejection Proof, The Untethered Soul, Rich Dad Poor Dad, and Think and Grow Rich. My favorite real estate podcast is Super Agents Live. And the best class I have taken in the past year was the Landmark Forum.
3. Find what works for you and stick to it! My business is built on open houses, referrals and social media advertising.
4. Focus on your health and stress relieving activities. Do what is necessary to make sure your body and mind are both healthy. Take time for yourself, work out, practice yoga, eat healthy (at least some of the time), and get enough sleep. This is what works for me.
5. Strive to provide value for others. If you focus on being a good person and providing value the rest will come in time.
Interested in a Career in Real Estate?
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