Today we’d like to introduce you to Shara Shepherd.
Hi Shara, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in the SF Bay area. My immediate family and I come from humble beginnings. My mother actually resided in Houston for several years, and my maternal grandmother is from Texas (northeast), so I have a lot of family here that I was always wanting to meet. After visiting the Houston area several years ago, I fell in love with the city and its culture. I made my mind up after visiting a few times that this was where I wanted to plant my roots, so here I am!
Pivoting into real estate was always a long-term goal of mine. After working in corporate America for about 10 years, it became apparent that transitioning into real estate needed to be more of an immediate goal. I honestly dreaded going in to work most days and I believe that is no way to live. If there is one thing about me, if I do not like the situation or environment I am in, I will do everything in my power to find a way out of it.
I studied for the CA exam when I was still living back home in California, but in Southern California at the time. Once I visited Houston and realized I wasn’t going to live in Southern California much longer, I put those studies on hold. My previous career ended up taking me to NYC. After living in NYC for about 2 years, I started studying for the NY exam, but my heart was still in Houston, so the TX exam it was!
During the process of relocating to Houston, I had to put my studies on hold for a few months while getting settled. Luckily, I passed the TX exam on the first try (by the grace of God lol!), and that’s when this rewarding roller coaster of a journey began!
I started as a part-time agent, still working in my previous career with plans to go full-time later down the road. I learned some very solid, invaluable tools on how to structure my business, generate my first transactions, and how to develop a sustainable business from my first brokerage. My previous career in leadership roles and MBA also attributed to this. Many of the practices learned I still practice and try to teach other agents today. As mentioned before, some days I dreaded going to work and I was no longer passionate, let alone interested, in what I was doing within my previous career. I’ve always felt like my purpose was much larger and my previous career was simply not enabling me to get there. In fact, it was doing the very opposite, taking up too much of my time lol, and leaving me extremely unmotivated.
This only pushed me into real estate further. Using the little bit of savings I had to my name, I started generating business and connecting with people through some paid marketing resources and organically on social media. The rest was history. Within a couple of months of being licensed, I was assisting several renters and a few buyers. Thanks to some of my very first clients and their trust and support from close family, friends, and partners in the business, things took off for me during the height of the pandemic. I was legitimately scared and anxious every day that I’d be out of business in that environment. It’s been an absolute blessing that the opposite occurred for me. To better serve my client base, I pivoted full-time at the height of the pandemic.
Today I’m hustling in the investment space as well, working hard to create the life I’ve dreamed of to support my family and community, build a legacy, and retire sooner than later!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Absolutely NOT lol! Real estate is HARD. Entrepreneurship is HARD. But I’ve gladly chosen my “hard” and would not have it any other way. Real estate is life-changing, and I am nowhere close to where I am headed. The market has been nothing short of unprecedented, but my previous career, natural hustle, and ability to adapt to change prepared me to be the best agent for my amazing clients and future clients. I am extremely grateful to be in the position I am in to serve them at the greatest capacity.
Every day in real estate is full of surprises because every transaction is different – each client’s situation and circumstances are unique. You’re always working with different business partners, both new and seasoned, and of course, this market is unlike any market we’ve ever experienced.
Some days are smooth, but honestly, most weeks/days are challenging for some reason or another. The more transactions you successfully assist people with, the more experienced and prepared you become for the unknowns of this business. Overall, you’re more experienced with mitigating risks and helping clients make informed decisions that are in their best interests.
I’d say a few of the more personal struggles that I believe do not get discussed enough are the emotional aspects of real estate. In general, it’s an emotional process for buyers and sellers, but can also be a very emotional journey for everyone involved. As an agent or any entrepreneur for that matter, you experience a lot of failure, constant rejection, and so many highs and lows in your journey. Despite all of that, you have to remain motivated and consistent. However, because we’re all human, living in the kind of world we live in, everyone is dealing with something, and some days it can be extremely tough to stay motivated, for various reasons of course. It’s so important to balance rest and work, give yourself grace and patience, create healthy boundaries, especially in the service realm, establish healthy routines, pray, meditate, speak positively to yourself, etc. so you can successfully charge through all those challenging moments while maintaining a healthy mindset, and can better control your emotions during those highs and lows.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Well, there’s a lot to know! I provide real estate services and resources to prospective buyers, sellers, investors, and renters. I specialize in relocations, listing services, and assisting first-time buyers. Blessed to say I am growing and there will be some exciting changes coming next year so my team and I can assist more people with their real estate needs. I believe what will continue to set my business apart is the hands-on, great experiences for every client and market expertise. I know people say this often, but I am truly a number nerd. Coming from a 10-year forecasting/planning background helps tremendously in the kind of environment we’re in. People need to be able to rely on this kind of expertise in confusing times like these. My team and I are very hands-on and strive to educate and offer value to clients before, during, and after the transaction. 110% is given to every single person I work with. I have an established, tried-and-true system so my clients can have the most enjoyable experience as can be. My clients recognize this difference, and I am grateful to run a heavily referral-based company. 🙂
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
This is an excellent question! Well, you can reach out to me directly or schedule time on my calendar if you’re interested in mentorship. I prefer to have a 15 min chat beforehand to make sure we vibe and make sure I’d be a good fit for you. In general, I believe it’s best to go into any mentoring relationship or networking environment with a great mindset. I recommend thinking of how you can also add value to the relationship, hold yourself and partners accountable, and I promise if you align with someone or a group who share the same mindset, you can have a productive partnership.
Contact Info:
- Website: sharashepherd.realtor
- Instagram: instagram.com/sharatherealtor
- Facebook: facebook.com/sharatherealtor
- Linkedin: linkedin.com/tnshepherd
- Twitter: twitter.com/sharatherealtor
- Youtube: youtube.com/sharatherealtor
