Today we’d like to introduce you to Cheryl Martin.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Cheryl. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in Fannett, Texas (3,000 people back then) a tiny town outside of Beaumont. I went to Texas A&M and graduated in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Construction Science. After college, I worked construction/government contracting(in Iraq)/oil & gas for 15 years. My son was having major problems in school and I thought it was because I worked all the time, I was a single mother with a job working 11 hours a day and some weekends. I had made it to a chief engineering position before the age of 40. But I quit to help my son find his way into a school that he would not get kicked out of (he had already been kicked out of three by kindergarten) or repeating any more grades(he did 1st grade twice) and maybe get a diagnosis. I at first tried teaching engineering and information technology at a middle school in HISD. I have a whole new respect for teachers and how hard they work, it was not a good fit for me.
Meanwhile, my son was diagnosed with Autism, HISD helped me get him into a program that could help him learn his lessons and some aid with social skills. Then I went into real estate so that I could work and still manage him as best I could. I got remarried to KHOU’s Ron Trevino in 2018, he has helped support me in building my new career. I am by nature a people person, I will talk to anyone and love being social. I also love helping others, I am involved in raising money for charities. The sales pitch doesn’t come easy to me. I have had to really try hard at selling myself. Real estate is a hustle and it is not easy. I love it and I will do it for the rest of my life. I now work for the best international brokerage in the world. In order to better serve my clients, I now own a staging company so that my luxury clients do not have to deal with a third party. The process is smooth and more affordable.
Has it been a smooth road?
The lack of income was rough. My first year, I only had four deals. To get by I plunged into credit card debt, I paid $30k off last year, felt so good! Every year my transactions and income have increased. They say it takes five years to get your own business started and profitable, I would say that is pretty spot on. I would never give up.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am a true full-service real estate agent. I do rentals as well as purchases and sales in all price points. My $200k clients get the same service my $1M+ clients get. We offer an iBuy process that enables you to sell your property immediately if you don’t want to deal with showings or open houses. We offer a White Glove concierge service if a seller needs to do some renovating, and they can do that upfront, with no interest, I vet out qualified contractors, and you pay at closing. With this service, I can aid in design choices and manage the contractors. I am accredited and belong to the International Association of Home Staging Professionals. As a value-added to my luxury listings, I stage those particular homes at little to no cost., Staged homes sell 40% faster than those that are empty. I keep up with On Trend selections of interiors in order to make all my listings shine. Additionally, our brokerage is the only one in Houston with a relocation department, I can move anyone with the help of our 990 offices in 72 countries, 1 out of 3 of our offices is outside the U.S.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Houston is the 4th largest city in the country. There are 2.3 million people here. This is the perfect place to start a real estate business. Last year, eight consecutive months of growth was a record-breaker for home sales. As of Q4, 2019 was tracking 4.2% ahead of 2018 year-over-year, on pace to break that record again, according to data from the Houston Association of Realtors. The average rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage ended 2019 nearly a point lower than the previous year and low rates for home loans are expected to continue through 2020, according to forecasts. Buyers are in heaven. Oil jobs peaked this last May and have declined slightly, but the experts are not predicting that will slow the real estate market down. It’s a great town for business and I would recommend anyone starting here.
Pricing:
- iBuy Program-0$
- White Glove Concierge Service-0$
- Relocation Service-$0
Contact Info:
- Address: 1717 W Loop South, Ste 1700, Houston Tx 77027
- Website: cherylmartinrealtor.com
- Phone: 2819749174
- Email: chery.lmartin@sothebyshomes.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cherylmartinrealtor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cherylmartinrealtorhouston/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/CherylMartinHou
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylmartinhou/
Image Credit:
Ron Trevino
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