Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Pride.
Lisa, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My real estate story started almost five years ago when my star-shaped peg could no longer exist inside of a square hole and I was unceremoniously pushed out of the corporate world. In other words… I was fired from a job I should have left months prior. I left a position with a commercial property management firm and buckled down and completed all of my real estate courses within two weeks. It had been my plan for several years to get my license and help others become home owners. I was able to pass my exam on the first try and began my career as a Realtor. I opted not to go with a big named firm for two reasons. The first was that I knew what my target market was and the second reason was that I didn’t want to give up the majority of my commissions for a market I already had. Fortunately, for me (and a calculation in my plan), my Sorority Sister and close friend was already a broker in Dallas, so I had someone who could mentor me without taking most of my money while doing so.
In the last four years, I’ve worked to build a steady business while teaching part-time as an ESL (English as a Second Language) instructor and at times, even driving for Uber and Lyft in order to maintain a flexible schedule and pay the bills. This year, I started off even more focused and determined in my business efforts and the results have been fantastic. I am on track to close more deals and earn more commission in the first quarter of 2019 than I did in the first three quarters of previous years.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has definitely been a struggle. I am a single mother of three sons, two of which were still at home when I began this journey and one that was in a very pricey and prestigious high school here in Houston. Money was probably the biggest struggle. Not having a steady paycheck has its share of challenges. As I mentioned before, I teach part-time and drive ride share to ease the dry spells between commissions. Keeping to a schedule was also another challenge. The freedom to work your own hours can be both amazing and detrimental. It enabled me to attend events for my children but because I didn’t initially structure my days… they became very long and never ending, at times. The saying that you will always work more hours for yourself than any employer… is true. And if all of that wasn’t enough… that wonderful guy Harvey showed up and flooded my home and cars.
My advice to other women and especially young women would be as follows. In terms of finances, be smart. Save, save, save! Go as far as you can with your business while still working for someone else and put money aside for when you strike out on your own. Doesn’t matter if the business is real estate or something else. If you don’t have children yet, go for it while your load is lighter. If you do have children already, go for it. They need you to be the best for you.
Time management advice… put a system in place and USE IT. I don’t care if you read a book, take a seminar or set hourly reminders in your phone of what you should be doing. Just use something and keep fine tuning until it works for you. It will save you from so much chaos and fire fighting.
As for things like Harvey… keep your insurance current and take every precaution possible. I should have moved my cars.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into Above and Beyond Realty story. Tell us more about the business.
I am a Realtor. I specialize in residential sales and my focus is mainly on women like myself and other under-served groups. Not surprisingly a large number of my clients are single women purchasing their first home. This was something I accomplished years before I ever entered real estate and always wanted to encourage others to do.
The name of the company is Above and Beyond Realty and it says a lot. I am very hands on with my clients and because I have a background that includes a law degree, several years of working for a mortgage company and two years working in property management… I have an amazing skill set of making the pieces fit. I even have a psychology degree which probably helps more than I even realize at times. I have had to deal with challenging agents, attorneys, appraisers and clients. (Challenging is my politically correct way of saying another word that starts with “c” and ends in “y.”)
I think what sets me apart from others in my field, aside from my education and experience, is that I become personally vested in my clients and their well being. I have helped unpack trucks, made airport runs, worked with judges and attorneys to get cases moved through the court system and a myriad of other things to help my clients before, during and after the home buying/selling/leasing process.
I am most proud of my ability to get my clients what they want within the realm of what they need. Many times I am even able to figure out what they want before they do. It’s an amazing feeling to help people accomplish their goals and also on the opposite side of the spectrum, to help people facing difficult situations such as foreclosure and bankruptcy.
Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
Growing up on the West side of Chicago gave me a toughness and inclination to succeed and survive that I think prepared me for success. You could find some of whatever you were looking for. By that, I mean if you wanted the good, the bad, the ugly or the beautiful it was there. While I was fortunate enough to have two supportive parents and not ever really lack anything as a child, I lived in a neighborhood that had gang violence and drugs taking a hefty toll on the residents.
The thing that played a key role for me is that I was rarely told I couldn’t do anything. Although the circumstances and racial climate may have dictated that at the time, my parents, family and teachers never did. I believe in the saying that whatever you tell a child they are, they will become exactly that. I wasn’t afraid to try anything. I was all at once the smart girl, a tomboy, a dancer, an athlete. I played with dolls but rode skate boards, jumped double dutch but played with race cars. It was okay to be good at video games, and watch cartoons. I could help my Mom cook but still, hang out in the garage with my Dad and brothers (good thing too because I had to teach my sons basic car maintenance including changing a tire). I polished my nails but broke them off playing softball.
The biggest thing I think was that I never felt I had limits. I was an athlete in high school, first generation college student, I joined the military while in college. I took dance, became a pom pon girl, was on student government. I just always felt like if I wanted to try something, then I should and could. Life made me reconsider that for a few years but I am back to that frame of mind now and I choose to go for things.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://lisapride.myhomehq.biz/
- Phone: 8325162083
- Email: lisa@aboveandbyond.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LPrideEstates/
- Other: https://abrealty1.topproducerwebsite.com/home
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