Okay, okay... so usually I will alternate between personal and business blog posts and although the last one was all about the first 6 Months of Everson: An Honest Recap in Reels, I figured my readers wouldn't mind if I gave an equally as intriguing update on my career as well.
Why I Got My Real Estate License
I'll never forget in psychology class, my professor challenging his students to actually avoid engaging in the deeply debated topic of "nurture versus nature" and to instead simply realize it's not a competition, but rather "you can't have one without the other." Then, in interior design class, I learned of the age-old battle of "form over function" and I decided that the same rule applies, "you can't have one without the other." After I graduated and started my own business, I found this concept to also be true of the industries of design and real estate - it's not which is more important or which should take precedent, but instead, how they work together. You can't have one without the other.
I like to say I've been dating the real estate industry for the last 5 years and getting my license was the equivalent of making that relationship official. With my degree and background being in interior design for the past 10+ years, specifically in the virtual staging and 3D renderings space, I saw firsthand how it empowered listing agents to help create vision for beautiful living for those on their journey to find their new home. Along the way, as an interior design entrepreneur, I fell in love with the deep connections that bloom in real estate and how helping advise and advocate for people when it comes to "the most important place on earth (home)"1 was truly a culmination of all my education and experience. This was just part of why I got my real estate license.
Where I Hung My License
Over the years I have kicked around with the idea of getting my license, however, with a deeply rooted background in architecture and interior design, the brand that often comes with real estate didn't quite align for me, until that is, I came across Chip & Joanna Gaine's Magnolia Realty — who happened to have a brokerage location in the very city I live in. Match made in heaven! Not to mention, the Spring Branch broker is a relative of a dear friend of mine here in the hill country. The cherry on top of this seven-layer-career-cake of mine was how family oriented and faith based this company truly is, with such a big heart for the massive, yet somehow intimate community that is the state of Texas.
The decision to hang my license with Magnolia Realty and actually getting my license was made in tandem. And just a few days after that, we visited Kyle's grandparents ranch in east Texas where I was given a massive sign of confirmation of this choice that came in the form of none other than a one hundred foot tall MAGNOLIA TREE I had never seen in my dozens of trips there. Come to find out, they don't even grow that big usually!
Magnolia Tree in Woodville, TX
As I read the Magnolia manifesto during my onboarding, it was absolute music to my ears. It's pretty much poetry and really does sum up my aligned intentions for this path forward in real estate and how it connects to humanity at our core. You'll see what I mean:
"We believe in home, that it should restore us from today and ready us for tomorrow. We believe in friendship, because friends who feel like family are the best kind of friends, and that nothing matters more than family. We believe in seeking the balance between hustle and rest and learning to find contentment in both. We believe everyone deserves a seat at the table and everyone has a story worth telling. We believe in human kindness, knowing we are made better when we all work together. We believe in courage, in cartwheeling past our comfort zones and trying something a little bit scary every day. We believe that failure needn’t be a negative thing; rather, we learn from our mistakes and fail smarter next time. We believe in doing good work that matters and in choosing that, nudging others toward doing the same. We believe that newer isn’t always better and that it’s time for the pendulum of trend to swing back to the basics. We believe in unearthing beauty, however hidden or subtle it might be. We believe that each day is a gift and that everyday miracles are scattered about if only we have eyes to see. And of all heroic pursuits large or small, we believe there may be none greater than a life well loved. -Magnolia Manifesto
Beautifully written. Along this journey in real estate, it would be my dream to continue developing the virtual staging side of my business, using the Magnolia product line to specifically support in showcasing homes in a way that intentionally proves the potential of each space using furniture and accessories. The idea would be that properties listed could be virtually staged and then "shoppable" by clicking on home decor items in the virtually staged photo — allowing viewers (or the new home owner) to "get the look" they fell in love with when viewing the house online. See the demo below on a fellow Magnolia agents listing!
Before Virtual Staging > After Virtual Staging > Shoppable Virtual Staging
Photography by Virtuance | Property Listed By Jeremy Cobb, Magnolia Realty
How I Became a REALTOR© in 40 Days
Apparently, the typical turnaround for getting a license is between 4-6 months. But just like jumping into any new relationship can feel like a warp speed pace in the beginning... it was just one of those things that, when you know you know! Once I made the decision to make this life transition (we call those lily pads around our house), I made it happen fast. Much of breezing through this process had to do with the fact that I've been submersed in the industry for several years and have also done several personal transactions: buying and selling land, homes, and even building residential and commercial projects from the ground up.
While this is not an advertisement plug, I promised myself that because of my genuinely pleasant experience, I would give credit to Aceable Agent for having an easy-to-follow structure for the education side of the licensing. After getting practice exam scores in the 90's, I felt ready to sit for each of the 6 proctored exams and passed them all on the first try. Then, I used CompuCram, which is certainly heavier material to take in, with a "readiness meter" that did, however, give another perspective on learning the concepts that seemed to help during the final exam. Whew, glad that part is over!
What Has Happened So Far
Not even a week into having my license and I had to make a spreadsheet to start tracking all of the potential that was flowing my direction. From talks with family and friends, to design client meetings, and even perfect strangers, the conversations have naturally and inevitably shifted to the topic of real estate and how I could support them in buying or selling their home or land.
At this point, I feel the need to update my bio to share how and what I bring to the table and what one can expect in working with me as a Realtor with Magnolia Realty. So here goes:
With a bachelor's degree in interior design and having run a 6-figure online business specializing in virtual home staging and real estate marketing that has supported in the sale of thousands of homes across the country, I am positioned to bring intentional expertise to every transaction that is rooted in my passion to create vision for beautiful living. Born and raised in Texas, I am proudly serving my local hill country community, with a drive to simplify the complex on a business level and to unearth hidden potential for home buying and selling, as I advocate for my clients and guide them to make their (your) home dreams come to life. And if you want to know what I'm doing when I'm not on the design & real estate clock, you can probably find me delving into an art project, gardening, or soaking up time with my sweet family and farm animals - this is my why.
3-2-1 Lift Off!
As I wrap up, I'll give a sneak peek into my next blog post update on my real estate journey in how prospecting by way of door-knocking landed me and my partner about $3 million in yes's to listing people's homes, getting copies of 2 books from the authors that wrote them, and how it all happened in just 1 day! Yes, all from knocking on strangers doors -- hopefully that is telling of how bold I am prepared to be when representing my real estate clients from start to finish.
As always, thanks for following along this story I'm writing called life.