Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Wassef.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Mary. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
When I was young, I volunteered as a tour guide at the Historic Rock Ford Plantation. The home was built in the 1700s and was loaded with unique charm. The architecture was so unlike other homes in the area. This experience is part of what made me interested in historic homes and believe that real estate might be something I would enjoy and be successful in. During my college years, I worked in banking and had the opportunity to learn about the industry and how transactions work. After attending college, I became a Corporate Account Representative for MCI Communications Corporation, which later merged with Verizon. In my next position, I was a Sales Director for Sprint. My early career gave me the foundations for excellent customer service, negotiation, and finance, which have been crucial to my success. After a while, I decided that I wanted to pursue my interest in real estate, and what better place to do that than in Houston? This is such an incredibly vibrant city, and the Heights in particular is a great place to live, work, and be entertained.
I currently live in the historic North Norhill area and adore its architecture and culture. My journey into real estate officially began as a Realtor® at a large national brokerage, where I really got to know all of Houston’s in-town and near-town neighborhoods. The historic homes and luxury homes of the Heights became my specialty. I’ve always enjoyed a challenge, and so in 2011, I founded Circa Real Estate as a full-service real estate agency. I’m a broker and active agent within my company. My team consists of more than 30 incredible real estate professionals who are so passionate about Houston and all it has to offer. Circa Real Estate is located on historic 19th Street, and it has been a dream to work so closely with local businesses, charities, non-profits, and artists there.
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?
I was fortunate to not have a difficult time breaking into the business. I knew a lot of people in the area, and when they needed to buy or sell a home, they knew they could turn to me. In that sense, I have been very lucky. Real estate always has ups and downs depending upon the market, though, and this is something that all agents have to be prepared for. Continuing education is also very important to me to better serve clients, which is why I am a Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist. Even when the market is slow, there is always something to learn. Real estate is an incredibly rewarding career! I feel blessed to work doing something I enjoy doing.
As for challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic created some pretty significant hurdles. We had to find new ways to show homes to clients during one of the busiest years in real estate that Houston has ever had! Through ingenuity and a lot of brainstorming, we developed systems to keep our clients as safe as possible.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Circa Real Estate is a boutique real estate agency located beneath Harold’s on historic 19th Street. We specialize in historic homes, luxury homes, and Houston in-town and near-town neighborhoods. We provide unique, personalized services to each of our clients. A large portion of my personal business is with builders and investors, and my experience in design has allowed me to provide design consulting services for several years now. Being a part of the build of new construction homes has been an absolute blast. I’m known for being in the top 1% of all Realtors® in Houston for more than ten years now, and that is due in part to my tenacity in marketing and negotiations. As a Five Star Realtor®, I believe an aggressive web presence, regular analysis of the real estate market and a dedication to service are key to swift transactions.
Circa Real Estate has come so far in the last decade. I’m incredibly proud to have opened our new interactive office on 19th Street in 2017. It positioned us to better serve our amazing community of local artists and businesses. To date, we’ve exhibited art from 16 Houston-based artists and have hosted dozens of community events to cross-promote businesses and better reach our clients. My personal favorite event is our Annual Crawfish Boil! Circa Real Estate has even earned national recognition from PR News for our community and marketing initiatives. In 2018, we placed in the top three in the country for “Most Engaged Brand” and in the top ten in the nation for “Best Digital Marketing Campaign < $100,000.” To rank among high-profile brands like Microsoft, Dreamworks, and HP was a phenomenal honor!
In total, we’ve earned more than five such awards. Our “Social Open House” events have been replicated throughout the country as other brokerages have hosted events at their own luxury listings to better market them in their communities. I’m extraordinarily proud to be a part of a community that embraces creativity and innovation and actively participates in it.
What were you like growing up?
I was born in Canada and moved to Pennsylvania when I was seven. As a young girl, I was a bit shy. I came out of my shell during high school when I began to do theater. I was a bit of a bookworm and studied a lot, too! I began working at a very young age and also volunteered as a tour guide at the Historic Rock Ford Plantation in Lancaster, PA. The home there was built in 1793, so it was a lot of fun to show people around and talk about its long history. That experience is what sparked my interest in architecture and historic homes. I later attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, where I majored in Sociology and minored in Marketing. During my time in college, I worked at a bank, joined a small sorority, and loved to spend time outdoors. One of my favorite places in the world is the Smoky Mountains. They’re beautiful, and it’s so peaceful to unwind among nature there.
Contact Info:
- Address: 350 W. 19th Street Ste D
Houston, TX 77008 - Website: https://circahouston.com/
- Phone: 713-862-1101
- Email: mary@marywassef.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/circarealestate/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Circahouston
Image Credit:
Awakened Visions Media
Stills By Garcia
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