Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jessica Vazquez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jessica, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Early in your career, how did you think through the decision of whether to start your own firm or join an established firm?

When starting in real estate you have to hang your license at a brokerage in order to practice real estate. When choosing a brokerage it’s very important to make sure they are the right fit for you. Not all brokerages are the same. Some offer support, training, or education while others “throw you in the fire” with no direction. Some of them require you to be in office, others are more flexible. Depending on what your goals are in real estate will determine what brokerage is best for you. I chose wrong when I signed up with my first brokerage, I say that because even though I was part-time they offered not support and when I asked for help they told me “if you weren’t part-time you would know how”. I found an another brokerage that provided my support and growth along with 100% commission. After 4 years with them I was able to establish my own brokerage. One would ask, why leave a 100% brokerage and take on the responsibility of owning a business. Well the reason I opened my own brokerage was because as Realtors we are under the impression that we are all in competition and honestly that’s not true! Yes we are all independent agents but we are a community and we need to learn how to work together to get the job done. In Gold Key Realty of Jax we believe in community over competition. When we work together as a community we create relationships and increase our production.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I came from very minimal means, we moved around a lot as children and had no stability which creates havoc on young minds. That forced me to grow up very fast and learn how to fly on my own. As a single mom my main goal was to provide stability to my children and break the cycle of instability. After 4 years of fixing up my credit and saving money I was able to finally purchase my own home at 35 years old. That process made me want to learn about the real estate industry and how it can help me gain financial independence and freedom from the normal 9-5 monotony. I was lucky enough to be able to break into full time real estate in 2020 and leave the 9-5 behind. After all the hard work I invested, my most proudest moment is when I was able to open the doors to my own brokerage in 2023. I think what sets me apart from other brokerages is, my passion of real estate and the endless possibilities that having a license can provide. At Gold Key Realty of Jax we provide support, training, and flexibility to our agents.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

As Realtors we are held to high standards from the National Association of Realtors (NAR). I hold myself to higher standards and provide excellent customer service and communication for my customers. With these services combined I create a trust and loyalty with my customers that keeps them referring me their friends and family. The best compliment I can receive is a referral from past clients, that trusted me with the largest transaction of their life and will refer me their friends and family.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Always stay positive! A positive mind creates a positive atmosphere. Understanding that this is a career and not a job, a lifestyle if you will. We learn how we can work together to reach an end goal and maintaining positive relationships will help you grow in this industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://goldkeyrealtyofjax.com
• Instagram: goldkeyrealtyofjax
• Facebook: Gold Key Realty of Jax
• Linkedin: Jessica Vazquez

Image Credits
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