We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Smith a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jessica, appreciate you joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I began my real estate career in 2019 during my last semester of college, dedicating about a third of my time between learning real estate, being a full-time undergrad, and working in a full-time manager position. Within months of graduating I knew I needed to pursue what I had a passion for: real estate. I was eager to learn further, take on more clients without balancing schedules, and dedicating all of my energy to something that wasn’t temporary. Once I realized my hunger for the career, I quit my full-time job that paid my bills and went full force. This was an incredibly huge risk as I still didn’t have a consistent amount of clients every month, sometimes not knowing when I was going to get paid next. Looking back, it was the best decision I could have made as it was a turning point. I continue to take risks throughout my business daily, knowing that without these risks, I will not grow. My best piece of advice is to not think too long on a risk, sometimes being a little naive with a jump is better than knowing it all. You’ll learn and whether you fail or succeed, you will grow.

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 am a real estate advisor in West Michigan, primarily throughout the Greater Grand Rapids area and on the shores of Lake Michigan. I have been within the industry for a little over three years, dedicating myself full-time to this career since graduating from Grand Valley State University in 2019 with a degree in economics. I knew all throughout college that I did not want a corporate job, but something entrepreneurial that aligned my work ethic and income. Throughout my last three years, I have assisted over 80 sellers and buyers, ranked within the top 300 REALTORS of Grand Rapids in 2021 out of nearly 3,700, and was awarded the top 13 under 30 years old area in my area. I primarily assist first time home owners as I was recently one myself, but have assisted individuals relocating to West Michigan, buyers who have purchased vacation homes, and even those that are now purchasing their second or third home, while selling their current. There are always so many agents to choose from throughout West Michigan, so I constantly try to bring education to my clients, 24/7 communication, and always going the extra mile as I don’t take it lightly that I was chosen for such an exciting, yet overwhelming chapter for many.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

One of my best platforms is Instagram as it allows me to share who I am as an agent, but also an educational value that shows I am not just here to open doors. I also think the relationship aspect of real estate can be easily looked over as the industry is viewed as ‘salesy’, but continuing to dedicate my time and energy to people who have supported me is incredibly important. With those relationships, I have found past clients are more than happy to be a cheerleader. I am always more than happy to brag and boast about a business owner or service when I had a positive experience, so I am hopeful that occurs for me too.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

I have met many people, who became clients, in such odd ways. I work at a coffee shop nearly everyday (shoutout to Madcap on Fulton Street), and because of that, I see familiar faces who eventually inquire about who you are or the profession you are in. I am not the biggest extrovert, but these simple conversations turn into relationships, and whether I gain a client or a friend, I truly just love the organic aspect of it all. I also use Instagram daily, or at least try to, but again meeting people who are local and enjoy similar things is always cool. I have had clients and friendships grow just from that platform.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.zillow.com/profile/JessicaSmithMI
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smithsellsthemitt/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmithSellsTheMitt/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi5y9Vsfrp4S4NntSDkhh_w

Image Credits
Kelsey Pasma