Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashlynn Gray.
Ashlynn, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Honestly, it wasn’t a lifelong dream. Growing up, I wanted to be a teacher and a pediatrician and a counselor and all the other great things that kids say they want to be when they grow up. I was going to go to college, ace all my exams, & graduate at the top of my class. Fortunately, life had other plans for me.
I moved to LA to pursue a modeling career after high school & had been on a journey to find myself. Since I’ve always loved connecting with people, I liked to make it a point to talk to people on my public transportation journeys in LA. I am a literal example of someone who has “never met a stranger”. One day someone said to me while on the subway, “You know? Your personality would REALLY make for a great REALTOR.” So I looked into it a little further, and my passion for real estate was ignited the moment I realized I could combine two of my favorite things: houses & helping others. And, you know? The rest was history!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Smooth? Definitely not. Whatever the complete opposite of smooth is what this journey has been, and yet I have embraced the good, the bad, & the ugly.
Like most other entrepreneurs, this business is DEMANDING! You have to know your numbers, please your clients, plan your work, work your plan, generate leads, pay your taxes, maintain affordable healthcare, close the deals, look the part, have nice hair, etc. etc. So having the right people on your team and maintaining key relationships is of utmost importance to keep this ball rolling and help your clients stay the course.
It is my job to provide solutions to problems. So, many of my struggles are surrounding my clients & their needs or concerns. Managing a transaction of this magnitude is quite a feat. For each transaction, you have to make sure paperwork is submitted timely, payments are to their respective parties, and clients aren’t getting cold feet, amongst a list of about 150 other things.
Perhaps if I were an octopus or had clones of myself, I could handle this with no problems lol.
Homes By Ashlynn – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am Houston’s HomeGirl, and yes, it’s okay to call me HomeGirl! I am extremely passionate about helping first time home buyers & sellers. I absolutely love when someone who didn’t think they could own a house, closes on a new home or when a seller who thought the selling process would be too overwhelming gets to closing and says, “It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.” To meet a client’s expectations is a great feeling, but exceeding the high expectations of uncertain clients is what keeps me going. I take pride in creating an experience while helping people navigate the biggest purchase of their lives with the least amount of stress possible.
I’m also all about having a learning-based business. This helps me keep up to date with the latest information so I’m able to be transparent & share the knowledge with those who see the many benefits of homeownership. My past clients have said the two things they love most about me are my ability to communicate effectively & my authenticity. In a world where it’s so important to be “politically correct”, I love that my clients allow me to, unapologetically, be myself. That makes it so much easier for me to transition clients into becoming family and continue to be the go to resource long after closing.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success, to me, means not living from one pay day to the next. Being able to have all of life’s necessities & give back to those who can’t afford them is really “all the rave”. Success is failing and growing while you learn from those failures. When a mistake is made, it’s a beautiful thing when one can self-assess and reset. Success is really just being able to put your bills on autopay and not ever have to worry about if there’s enough money in the account to cover them all. *Ashlynn laughing*
But on a serious note, we always say, “Fail fast. Fail often. Fail forward.” and that is the very motto that keeps my goals aligned when things get a little off track. I have to set annual, monthly, weekly goals and track them along the way. Celebrate the small victories and when you smash the big goals, “Treat yourself! Don’t cheat yourself.”
Contact Info:
- Address: HomeGirl (Ashlynn Gray)
Keller Williams Professionals
8344 Spring Cypress Rd, Suite B
Spring, TX 77379 - Website: www.heyhomegirl.com
- Phone: (713) 261.2891
- Email: ashlynn.gray@kw.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homesbyashlynn
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/homesbyashlynn
Image Credit:
Clear Shutter Photography, Mark Belin @ BeDesign, Tiffany Malone
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