Today we’d like to introduce you to Matasha LaQuinn.
Hi Matasha, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I was raised by my grandmother, who has been a Real Estate Broker for over 40 years. During my high school years, I spent the majority of my free time at the office with her or showing homes. (I absolutely hated it)… For this reason, I vowed to never choose Real Estate as my career LOL.
After high school graduation, I went to Prairie View A&M – Had no idea what to major in (I changed my major about four times.) Ultimately I stuck with “Computer Information Systems” because it sounded fancy haha. I got pregnant my Freshman year at PVAMU and dropped out. At this point, some of my closest friends and their parents counted me out. Labeled me as the “fast” one that screwed up.
Started a job as a bill collector. Went on maternity leave to give birth to TT (who is now 18 💖). I returned from maternity leave, sat at my cubicle and stared out the window. Out of this window, I could see my Granny’s Real Estate office. Her doors were always open, but it didn’t matter until I desired more for myself.
One day the light bulb 💡 went off and I wanted more for myself and for my newborn baby. On my lunch break, I went across the freeway to my grandmother’s office – Researched Real Estate classes and costs. Granny told me that if I wanted to pursue my license, she would pay for my classes.
In order to achieve this goal, my job would have to allow the flexibility to accommodate the class schedule. After lunch, I made the U-turn to get back to the other side of the freeway. It was exciting to think about what could come from this opportunity. The excitement didn’t last too long because my manager denied the request to rearrange my schedule. I went back to my cubicle and stared out of the window, feeling defeated and miserable. The only way to pursue something bigger was to give up what I thought was my stability/comfort. How would I pay my bills if I quit?
The desire to build a greater future must have been greater than the comfort of my cubicle because I cleared off my desk and left. At this moment, I felt free and terrified at the same time.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not a smooth road. At the beginning. The main struggle was money management. There is no set pay date of the 1st & 15th. You could make $7k one month and zero the next month. So at 19 years old, I had to learn how to manage my money wisely and also how to keep a full pipeline of potential customers. The biggest struggle was not giving up. Any entrepreneur in any industry has times where they question their abilities and questions their decision to pursue the desires of their heart.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The LaQuinn Group is a Real Estate Brokerage that specializes in investment and development. We assist clients with buying, selling and leasing homes and land. In addition to providing investment options to clients that have the desire to generate income through investment opportunities.
As a broker, I train and manage a team of licensed Real Estate agents that represents our clients in every aspect of the Real Estate transaction. My role as a Real Estate developer consists of identifying potential investment opportunities with vacant land, developing the strategy and managing the construction project from beginning to end.
The most unique aspect of our firm is our Real Estate investment club “Society 23”. This club was established to allow individuals to partner with us on development projects without the risk of attempting investment projects on their own. Society 23 also eliminates the obstacles that many people have when wanting to enter the Real Estate investment world (not enough money, poor credit & lack of experience.) We allow our members to invest with what they have, ensuring that everyone l gets a slice of the pie. We currently have 52 investors with multiple multi-family and single-family home projects in progress.
What makes you happy?
Having the opportunity to pursue my dreams every day makes me happy. Helping my clients and investors to accomplish their dreams makes me happy. The cool thing for me is when my investors thank me for the opportunity. But I have to tell them “No, THANK YOU”!
I would not have been able to do any of this without them believing in me and trusting the vision. Helping them accomplish their dreams helps me accomplish mine. When I reach a goal, it provides an opportunity for someone else. The experience of God placing a vision in your heart and watching it manifest into reality is amazing.
Contact Info:
- Email: MLaQuinn@LaQuinnGroup.com
- Website: www.LaQuinnGroup.com
- Instagram: Qweeen___B
Image Credits
J Raphael
