Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Wingardh.
Chelsea, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Looking back, it only makes sense for me to be in real estate, yet it was also so unexpected. I was in and out of college–very all over the place. I spent time working in fashion as a buyer and managing a small boutique in Rice Village. I had the time of my life doing that but something was missing for me. I went back to school to pursue a degree in physics, which is what I planned on studying when I was a teen. Then, I got in two minor car accidents three months apart. I suffered a major concussion in both of those incidents and when I went back to school, I realized I wasn’t working with the same brain I was used to. I needed to regroup. I knew I could get a business degree easily. Not that I know all there is to know, but with my background the material was just so easy and it felt like a step backward somehow. I didn’t want to go back to school and I really didn’t know what I was going to do. The next thing I knew, I was telling someone I wanted to get my real estate license and as I spoke it, I knew it was not just what I wanted to do but that it was my purpose.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
In some ways, real estate has been the easiest thing I have ever done because it really encompasses my entire background and everything I’ve ever learned culminates so perfectly together. I passed my exams the first go-round and I was so proud. Getting my license was the first thing I remember finishing since high school so that was HUGE for me.
The first few months of being licensed were pretty rough. I went through a breakup that hit me pretty hard, and I had to move unexpectedly. Throw a new career in the mix and I basically had a three months long nervous breakdown. Everything felt so new and scary and I was terrified of making mistakes. It was a lonely time for me–I had to do some real soul searching, and I was also surrounded by so many loving friends and colleagues that supported me and helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel. I look back at this time last year and am amazed at how much I grew and how proud I am of myself for making it out of that pit.
Life doesn’t care when it’s a good time for a curveball. Life throws whatever it wants at you whenever it wants to and you’ve got to make sure your reason behind whatever you’re doing is strong enough to hold you up when you feel a little weak.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a realtor at the Better Homes & Gardens – Gary Greene Innerloop office.
I like to think of myself as a real estate coach–not a realtor, haha! Even I can cringe at the stereotype of the hungry realtor always looking for a deal or a client. My goal is to help people. You have a dream of buying a home? That’s amazing. I want to help you and I know how! You’re dreaming of investing in real estate and dabbling in development? I gotchu there too! Your mom needs to downsize and needs a gentle hand to hold as she sellers the home she raised her family in? I get to use my ease of connection with others with my market and business know-how. What sets me apart is seeing the story and big picture, not the transaction. The transaction is a side effect of getting to do what I want to do most: help people.
I tend to work with a lot of first-time homebuyers because they are usually the ones who need the most help! I love it. I think it’s important to say this because we (especially women) are so conditioned to be humble and not brag, buttttttt I love that I’m an expert. I love that I get to coach my clients into reaching their goal. I actually have goal worksheets that I use with clients to help them identify what they are looking for and I’m really proud of that. Several couples have told me that that worksheet saved their relationship. They reached a point of either “we aren’t going to work out together” or “I guess we just aren’t ready to buy a house” and it was my worksheet that facilitated the conversations that resolved their standstill. It’s the coolest feeling.
I’m also committed to authenticity and transparency. So what that means for my image is that you are never going to find me in a blazer or heels, because I hate them. I tend to be relaxed in my style, whether clothing or demeanor. I’ve found that I work best with people closer to my age because they find me relatable, whereas some of my older clients have asked me when I’m going to “look like a realtor.” To which I answer, “kill me if I ever do that,” followed by a chorus of laughter.
I’m also proud that other agents respect me. I have a pretty solid background in graphic design and publishing. After a ton of requests, I recently began selling my marketing materials to other agents and WOW is that a confidence boost! Seasoned veterans are inspired by what I’m doing and want to be able to do it too? I couldn’t have dreamed this up if I tried.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I switched brokerages a few months into getting started and I wish I would have began at my current office. That said, I think if I had started here, I wouldn’t have near the appreciation for the support, the wisdom, the experience, and the community that I have access to now.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1705 West Gray #200
Houston, TX 77019 - Website: chelseaisyourrealtor.com
- Phone: 2816103719
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @chelseawingardh, @bayoucityhomes
- Facebook: /chelseawingardhrealtor
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