We were lucky to catch up with Lara Mitchell recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright, let’s jump into one of the most exciting parts of starting a new firm – how did you get your first client who was not a friend or family?

As a new agent, I had a low capital budget but I had a lot of time. I am very eager to learn and ready to pound the sand. Indeed, your first few clients in real estate are not going to be your family and friends. Not because they do not trust you, but because it’s too personal. I did door-knocking, open houses, and hanging out in our local Tim Horton’s coffee shop. I got my first client at an open house. Getting your first client in an open house is an exciting opportunity for me because I get to showcase a product that is already available. As a competitive person, I always want to stand out in everything I do. 2 weeks before the open house, I created and ordered a postcard to invite 100 homes in the neighbourhood. I made sure that all my brochures are ready, presentable and reflective of how I work. A week before the open house, I started doorknocking and inviting the neighbours. In some cases, if the neighbours like where they live, they like their friends or family to be in the same neighbourhood. On the day of the open house, I came an hour early to talk to the owner of the house. I asked them a few questions about the house. What’s their favourite part of the house? What attracted them to the house when they bought it? What are their expectations? The reason why I do this is that I love storytelling. Other than explaining the obvious feature of the house, I want to be able to paint a picture for the potential buyer. I had Timbits, refreshments and a mini table area with crayons and colouring books for the kids, in case a parent brought their kid. I also printed some open houses scheduled in the area and some statistics on how the community performed year after year. I had 10 open house signs placed strategically in the community.

There was a handful of people who came and when I asked them how they find me, their answer was, I saw the signs leading to this house. Except for this one buyer, who responded ” I saw it online”. I knew he was seriously looking to buy a house. This is the moment I have been waiting and preparing for. I gave him a brochure containing all the paperwork that I have done. I asked him some subtle questions and started telling a story about the house. I pointed out the material names, and sizes, and educated him on the different materials used in the property. During my spare time, I hang out at home depot and visited a lot of showhomes to learn about standard, above-average and luxury finishes. He stayed for an hour and by the time we are done, I asked him for his contact information. he willingly gave it to me and the rest was history.

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?

In my past career, I have been a successful sales account executive in the telecommunication industry. 15 years to be exact! I had world-class sales training at Telus. I was highly trained in solution-based selling. In case some of the readers don’t know, Solution -based selling is a sales approach that focuses on identifying and understanding the specific needs, challenges, and pain points of a client, and then offering a customized solution to address those needs. I love it because it’s a client-centric approach that involves active listening, probing questions to uncover the requirements and then presenting a solution that meets those needs. It’s a perfect fit for real estate because you have to be skillful, professional, and knowledgeable. You have to handle the product with extra care because it is the biggest investment one can ever make.

Early in my career, I have to work with any type of client. As I gained more experience, I built the idea of “My People”. Who are they? They are my ideal clients who share the same core values I have. A couple or single person who values family, hardworking professionals, trustworthy, loyal, respectful and values long-term relationships. If they are a couple, I’m looking to see if the husband values the opinion and wishes of his wife. I want a client for life. Sometimes I want to be friends with them after the transaction… Only sometimes. hahaha!

My tagline is ” Your success is my investment”. There are only a handful of realtors who will do a monetary investment in selling your home. What do I mean by that? If a client is lucky, they get a realtor who will advise them on all the things they need to do to prepare the house. Some of them, just list the house without preparation. There is some exception though, like foreclosures, tenant-occupied homes etc. However, they are not willing to invest in those things. They are just sharing their knowledge. Working with the Lara Mitchell Group, they can expect a hands-on realtor who will work with you and provide the tools you will need to prepare the house. They can guarantee that I and my team are involved every step of the way because your success is our investment.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I am from the Philippines. I came here in 2002 to be with my ex-husband, who I met in Manila in 2000. It was not a healthy relationship. I was mentally and physically abused. I had no family here and no friends of my own. In 2003, I worked as a card dealer in a Casino in the NE. It was not ideal for me but I have to suck it up. I need to survive. My career and life changed when I applied and got accepted at Telus. I started as a telemarketer. It was a rough time for me. I have to work in the casino from 7 pm to 2 am then at Telus training from 8 am to 3 pm. It was physically hard and my situation at home didn’t help. I weigh 90 lb, and I was this tiny little Asian trying to survive in Canada. I used the bad experiences at home as a motivation to do well at Telus. I told my competitive self, I need to be good at something. Six months later, I quit the casino and got accepted as a permanent employee at Telus. I spent 12 wonderful years at Telus with 2 president’s club awards and multiple accolades.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

My first husband was abusive. Growing up in the Philippines, women are taught to be patient, domesticated, the light of the family, the one who holds the family together, strong and dependent on their husbands. I was lonely, sad and confused. I thought what I am going through is normal in a typical Filipino family setting. Working at Telus gave me not only my career but also, gained my own friends that turned into family. Linda Chan and Shahd Mohammad are the 2 pillars who made me realize that what I have been going through is not normal in Canada. They taught me to be independent, and they have been my salvation whenever I get into a fight with my ex, They helped me leave him and moved on to a better life. I am grateful to them forever.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://laramitchell.royallepage.ca/
• Instagram: @iamlaramitchell
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamlaramitchell
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lara-mitchell-4a8a7510/
• Youtube: Lara Mitchell Real Estate Group – Calgary Realtors
• Other: Youtube – Lara Mitchell @laramitchell5889