Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Wang.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I have a lot of people ask me, especially new realtors, how I got to where I am in such a short period of time. Well, it took a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work, sacrifice, sweat and tears. When you first become an agent, you’re not going to be selling multi-million dollar homes. That’s not how this industry works. You have to start from the bottom and hustle and crawl your way up to the top. There is a reason why 90% of new agents fail their first year.
Flash forward to three years ago, I was 5 months pregnant with my son, and just started working at a brokerage that specializes in apartment locating. I barely knew anyone, only having moved to Houston a year prior, so got every single one of my leads from Craigslist. I would spend hours, staying up late at night after my daughter Cameron and husband went to sleep, creating ad after ad until my fingers could no longer type. Eventually, I closed my first deal, and with my extreme and addictive personality, I was hooked. Real estate consumed my life. I remember looking at apartments with clients in the summer heat, bloated beyond belief at 9 months pregnant, in heels. I’m sure some of those clients only closed with me because they felt bad, but whatever works to get the deal done right?
Real estate is all about momentum. You have to constantly work and there is no such thing as a successful ‘part-time’ agent. They simply don’t exist. The real estate world is competitive and unforgiving, and you’ll be eaten alive if you are lazy. Even after my son was born, I was closing deals from home until I went back to work full-time, only one month later. If I had taken a break and come back, I would have had to start from the beginning.
I was riding the wave and consistently closing 15-20 leases a month, but started getting bored. It can be monotonous and there are some sketchy ass people on Craigslist. I have so many stories about all the weirdos, strippers, drug dealers and stalkers I’ve dealt with. I wanted to start selling homes and strived to be like those agents on ‘Million Dollar Listing,’ and that’s how I ended up at Nan and Company Properties.
I had not yet sold a single home but begged my current broker Nancy Almodovar to hire me. I am so grateful that she saw something in me, my hunger, and brought me onboard. One of the many key factors to my success was having a great mentor. Nancy showed me how to present and brand myself, how to list and sell homes, made me learn about all the materials that go into the construction of a home, showed me how to write a solid contract & gave me criticism when I needed it.
Once I joined, I worked like my life depended on it and it was exhausting. I sacrificed every Saturday and Sunday, was working 70+ hours a week, lived in my car and spent precious time away from my husband and kids. It was not always as glamorous as it may have looked on social media. I had nervous breakdowns and anxiety attacks, cried a lot, second-guessed myself constantly and learned a lot of hard and valuable lessons. Also, trying to juggle motherhood and a career was and still is very challenging. The mom-guilt can be soul crushing.
2018 has been a phenomenal and record-breaking year already. I’m projected to close $20M+ in sales, I have a $6 million dollar listing coming up in the exclusive River Oaks neighborhood, most of my clients were inbound leads (they found me) or referrals from past clients, I don’t have to work every weekend and I’ve built a solid name and reputation for myself in the luxury real estate world. Don’t get me wrong, I still work my ass off, but it’s not as overwhelming as it was in the years prior. All of the years of grinding have paid off and it feels good to reap the rewards.
I always tell people that if you love what you do and put your all into it, the success will come. The road to success is never easy, but it’s worth it.
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?
It has definitely not always been a smooth road. I am one of the younger ones when it comes to the luxury real estate world and many don’t take me seriously, chalking me up to be another young inexperienced agent. Additionally, I am Asian which comes with its own challenges in luxury real estate. My advice is to play the role of the person you want to be until you become it.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into your business story. Tell us more about the business.
I’m a real estate agent in the Houston area who has made quite a name for myself. I currently have a $6 million dollar listing in the exclusive neighborhood of River Oaks and have represented many luxury builders such as MC2 Architects, Dreamscape Modern, Imagine Modern Homes & CityWide Builders. What sets me apart is my work ethic. I am passionate about my work and will not deny that I am the walking definition of a workaholic. I always make sure to be the best agent, and quite frankly, I know I always am.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
I owe my success to my broker, friend, and mentor Nancy Almodovar. I would recommend finding the best individual in the industry you want to break into, offer to work with them for free, prove yourself and work your way up. I get tons of people wanting to be mentored by me, and the ones I’ve actually given a chance to were the ones who were persistent and did not take ‘No’ for an answer.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.wangstasparadise.com
- Email: julia@nanproperties.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/wangstas.paradise
Image Credit:
Julia Wang’s Blog (wangstasparadise.com)
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
