Today we’d like to introduce you to Jimmy Simien.
Jimmy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I stumbled into my career in real estate. Prior to getting my license in 1992 I was working for Enron in Corporate Finance. After the collapse of Enron my uncle suggested I get my license. Initially I thought I would sell real estate on the side. Well one thing led to another and the next thing you know I started my own company in 2009. Since that day I have made sure we treat this as the business it is intended to be. Each day we are refining the process, so we can make the customer experience an enjoyable one.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
In the 16 years I have done this there have been challenges. Two sticks out, one related to real estate and one not. The financial crisis of 2008 was a tough time to be a realtor. Honestly, I contemplated leaving the industry. Ultimately, I had bills to pay and a family to support and there just weren’t many clients out there. Eventually I was able to weather that storm and open Simien Properties in January of 2009.
The second of two bumps in the road was Hurricane Harvey. Harvey destroyed our office and displaced us for two months. We did not move back into our old location and were able to find a permanent location. The stress of being displaced, trying to sell homes and search for a new location was extremely taxing. At the end of the day our company stood together, and we were able to make it through without losing any agents or staff.
Simien Properties – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We are a real estate company serving the Greater Houston Area, specializing in the Clear Lake, Pearland, League City and other southeast side areas. We mainly handle residential real estate, but we do have a commercial division.
I am the Broker/Owner of Simien Properties. My job is twofold. First, I help manage all agents throughout the organization. With that comes mentoring, training, education and coaching. Secondly, I am the Team leader for Team Simien. This is a group of agents within the organization that working together under my leadership. The accountability levels are different thus leading to a high volume of transactions.
I am known for having high expectations and being tough. There is nothing wrong with wanting the best out of your people. I think we must set the bar high, if we are going to serve the community at the highest level. Because of this we are known as a company that does things the right way. We don’t cut corners. We cross our “T’s”and dot our “I’s”.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
In our business people think it’s about the number of homes your sell. While that may measure some level of success, I feel like having repeat clients shows that people trusted you the first time and they are willing to allow you to serve them again. I have sold some people as many as six homes. I get great pleasure in knowing they trust me to help the navigate the waters in what is typically the largest financial transaction of one’s life.
I look for people who are willing to serve others, have passion and are coachable. Yes, we all need a paycheck, but the money will come if you take care of the client first. The moment you lose sight of that your business will have a short shelf life.
I love to teach and add value to our agents. I am constantly learning new things in the business and keeping an eye on all the changes. I love to share knowledge and want others in our organization to be receptive of new information or changes in the industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.simienproperties.com
- Phone: 281-280-8675
- Email: info@simienproperties.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/simienprop
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/simienprop
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/simienprop
Image Credit:
Image 3 and 4 taken by TK Images.
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