Hello BP members! I hope everyone is having a great week! Life is too short to be unhappy; live it to the fullest.
Before entering real estate, I basically did whatever I wanted and tried to make my dreams come true. I've hung out with Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, worked out with David Beckham, attended exclusive VIP parties, and made plenty of other wants into haves.
I've dropped out (kicked out) of college and clawed my way back in (to please my mama). Even though I could have easily qualified, I've never applied for nor received government assistance. To earn a living, I hustled. I purchased products off of SlickDeals and FatWallet and resold them on eBay/Craigslist. I was a PowerSeller until I got tired of PayPal's BS. I've apprenticed as a contractor for years for little or no pay just to help friends of family members. When the iPhone was first released, I made $10,000 in 3 months unlocking and upselling them. A few of my clients were Hollywood big-shots. Might as well have been big-***** as far as I was concerned.
After finally getting my degree, my awesome girlfriend had been getting on my case to get employed or get lost (for the hundredth time), but she was serious this time. This led me into real estate...
I'm the lead broker for my brokerage. My brokerage has been in existence since 2000. My family has over 40 years of residential real estate and property management experience. I'm a second generation Realtor, under my mother who won tons of awards back in her day when she was farming and closing deals (1 a week she says). I got my license a little over a year ago. I inherited the business and 4 legacy salespeople (literally older women/mothers/grandmothers who work real estate for their friends and family) from a relative when Merill Lynch made him give up his real estate license and effectively shut down our brokerage. I took the test because in my family, I speak the best English. My UC Berkeley Psychology degree allowed me to bypass the 2-years of salesperson experience. I am also the MLO and I have my insurance license(s). I've been doing real estate seriously for about 3 months. Before that, I spent lots of time and money taking classes at my local association, with the CAR, and educating myself as much as possible. In that time I got my CIPS, RSPS, and TRC designations.
Based on my conversations and experiences with local Realtors, I'm in the top 90% when it comes to real estate knowledge, marketing, and analyzing deals. Now that I'm in the BP pond, I'm back to being the small fish.
I advertise extremely heavily. I've never been good at controlling my spending.
I have closed escrows in 8 days, all cash no contingencies. I've closed residential and commercial deals. I have buyers waiting for me to just give them the property they're looking for. I need more deals.
When a Realtor honors me with a referral, I close them. It would be an injustice not to. I pay 25-30% and I will never pay less (because someone trusted me with their client).
When a commercial deal fell into my lap, I thought that I could do it myself. My family told me that I could do it. After doing more research, I realized that I was out of my depth. Instead of trying to it, I reached out to this broker I had met while playing basketball. He turned out to be quite brilliant in his own right. A mirror of me in too many ways to count. It meant half of the commission, but it meant that I served my client in the best possible way.
I have since learned a lot about commercial and can speak fluently with other commercial brokers. Like a second language, I still have a lot to learn.
My clients always come first. When I find deals I never look at the commission. Seriously. It creates an unnecessary bias for/against deals.
I have lived a blessed life. I have lived a hard life. I am still alive.
Happy 2012. Look forward to 2013, we'll never get another.
