We were lucky to catch up with Ileana Tavarez recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Ileana thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.

I knew I wanted to be in real estate since I was 15. My mother was a Realtor for many years and I followed her around for a week after school to document her day-to-day for a school project. I was privy to the business good, bad, and ugly. From there, my mother hired me as her part-time assistant. My goal was to become a licensed agent by the time I was 18. Unfortunately, life had other plans. I ended up moving across the country from MN to TX and obtaining a job at a successful tech company that went public within the last few years. I started to climb the corporate ladder while working towards obtaining my real estate license in TX. During my first year in real estate, I worked both jobs full-time. At the end of that first year, I received a raise at my corporate job. I did okay in real estate given the circumstances, but I wanted to help more people and have a bigger impact. I felt that the more money I made at my 9-5, the harder it would be to go all in on real estate. After discussing my concerns with my husband, I decided to take a leap of faith and go all in on real estate. That 2nd year was filled with changes which caused me to become overwhelmed. I switched brokerages in order to receive better support, I began to restructure my business, I became pregnant with my beautiful daughter, etc. During my high-risk pregnancy, I did a few deals here and there and used my time on bedrest to further my education and study the market. 4 years later and I make more than I did in the corporate world while helping others build generational wealth and obtain their goals of homeownership or investing. Some people didn’t believe I could do it, but I always knew I could and would. You have to believe in yourself and in your intentions. Staying true to myself has served me well, and I am confident it will serve you well also.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a 2nd generation real estate professional who provides clients with expert knowledge they can depend on. I specialize in residential real estate helping folks buy/sell real estate in Austin, TX. I have a large network of real estate professionals around the world and can help connect you to someone with integrity almost anywhere. A little bit about me, I was born and raised in Minnesota. I have been on my own from a very young age and have learned the true meaning of grit. It has taken a lot of hard work to get to where I am and one of my passions is helping others overcome adversity as well. I moved to Austin, TX from the midwest 9 years ago specifically for the historically strong real estate market (as well as the better weather of course), and I have given it my all ever since. I leverage my strong sales, customer service, and quality assurance/compliance background to help others reach their real estate goals. My mission from the very beginning has been to build a business based on genuine relationships and I believe I have accomplished that thus far. Ultimately, I provide friendly yet knowledgeable residential real estate services and I will be by your side from start to finish and beyond.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I believe that the most important thing I have done is be my authentic self. I show up the same way no matter the circumstances. I am an overall positive person so that part comes easy to me. I also don’t compare myself to anyone else. I am my own competition and seeing my progress makes me as proud as seeing someone else’s. I believe that having integrity and understanding my morals is something that has helped me show up authentically. I always come from contribution. A majority of my clients have been my friends or are referrals that have become my friends throughout the process. I don’t take their support lightly as I understand there are other agents they could have chosen to work with. I always have my client’s best interest in mind and focus on doing the right thing. I also am very data-driven and don’t expect people to just take my word for it. I send over as much information as possible including any available documents and my own insights as well. I also run numbers to help my clients determine the property’s value. I never reach out to a client regarding a problem I haven’t figured out potential solutions for. For example, if there is a major concern in the inspection report, I proactively discuss it with my handyman (with the buyer or seller’s permission depending on who I’m representing) to get an idea of what it would cost to address said issue. When it comes to my fellow agents, I treat them with respect as we have a common goal for our clients, and we work towards a win-win. Proper communication is key.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Not necessarily a lesson I had to unlearn, but one thing I’ve been working on for many years is my mindset. I have gone through many situations that knocked me down and it often took a toll on my mental/spiritual well-being. My life has changed drastically in the past 10 years since I’ve been practicing mindfulness. I am mindful of my thoughts and redirect any negative self-talk to better serve me. Your subconscious mind creates your reality, so reprogramming my subconscious thoughts has been a large part of restructuring my internal dialogue. This practice has led me to purposeful manifestation which has changed my life as well.

Contact Info:

• Website: ileanatavarez.kw.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ileanatavarezrealtor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IleanaTavarezRealtor
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ileanatavarez/

Image Credits
Peter Kim Photography