We were lucky to catch up with AMY KENYON recently and have shared our conversation below.

AMY, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you tell us about an important lesson you learned in school and why that lesson is important to you?

The most important lesson I learned in school and my career is that success is not necessarily defined by monetary gain. I studied Spanish, Education, and Linguistics at UC Davis, driven by my passion for education. While this path wasn’t traditionally seen as leading to ” monetary success,” I was committed to making a meaningful impact on the lives of inner-city children. As a teacher at a bilingual school, I primarily taught 5th grade and focused on instilling a growth mindset in my students.

One day, during a growth mindset activity, I asked my students who they considered successful. Being inner-city bilingual students, many felt they didn’t know anyone successful. I reminded them of their parents’ incredible journeys—immigrating to a new country, often without knowing the language or having financial resources, yet overcoming these challenges to build new lives. Their determination and resilience were true measures of success.

Inspired by this conversation, I brought in friends who had experienced various setbacks but ultimately achieved success. These included a businessman who overcame $400,000 in debt to build a $30 million company, a former athlete who found a new career in entertainment after a career-ending injury, and a former janitor who became the CEO of a major entertainment company. I also shared my own story of struggling with math throughout my education but finding the right resources to not only master it but also help my students succeed.

This presentation has stayed with me, especially during times when I felt overwhelmed in the competitive and cut-throat world of commercial and residential real estate. It reminds me that true success comes from overcoming adversity, persevering through challenges, and experiencing personal growth. Success isn’t just about monetary achievements; it’s about resilience and the journey of growth.

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

Despite my passion for teaching, it wasn’t fully paying the bills. I wanted to provide a beautiful life for my children, where they would want for nothing, and real estate was a means to achieve that goal. Encouraged by some investor friends who believed I would be a great asset to their investment team, I decided to pursue my real estate license. I eagerly started my career, hitting the ground running with investment deals. It felt like drinking water from a fire hose; I wasn’t fully prepared for the challenges ahead.

I remember one of my early investors asking me to send him some properties. I sent one that was contingent, not knowing what “contingent” meant at the time. When the investor pointed out that the property was already in contract, I had to quickly learn the meaning of the term. This lesson was impactful, teaching me that real estate is a constant learning process and underscoring the importance of becoming an expert through lifelong learning.

Integrating that growth mindset into my daily activities has made me an excellent problem solver and negotiator for my clients. I listen to their needs and do the homework necessary to make their transactions successful. I research the location, history, and comparables of homes or commercial properties, considering repairs and other elements to ensure the smoothest transaction possible. This approach has been crucial in navigating the competitive and cut-throat world of real estate, reminding me that true success comes from overcoming adversity, persevering through challenges, and experiencing personal growth.

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

Being in real estate has never been an easy career. I deal with people’s significant savings to buy the biggest asset they will ever own, which often results in highly charged emotional situations. A realtor must be trusted, liked, and competent in what they do. Despite exhibiting these qualities, there are times when people take advantage of realtors’ hard work and dedication. Some clients work with multiple realtors simultaneously, pitting them against each other to get the best deal. Others ask for reductions in commissions to put more money back in their pocket.

Realtors work incredibly hard. For 16 years, my family has endured disruptions like last-minute showings ruining family days, long hours at open houses, and waiting for me to finish client calls during family outings. They’ve watched me write contracts at midnight, only to have clients cancel the next day. My family has sacrificed a lot for this career, and often, clients do not see or respect these sacrifices.

I’ve worked with clients for almost two years, showing them 40-50 homes to find the perfect one, only to have them ask for my commission or inform me that their brother in another city will write up the contract. From these experiences, I’ve learned the importance of having buyer contracts firmly in place before investing my time and energy. I love helping people in real estate and have a true passion for it, but I want my efforts to be recognized and treated with professionalism, just as any other business person would expect in a business environment.

Despite setbacks from clients who have disrespected my time and profession, I have continued to persevere. I believe there are far more good people than selfish ones, and I dedicate my efforts to creating successful transactions for those clients.

In real estate, it’s not just challenging clients that can be tricky; our successes are heavily influenced by the real estate market and interest rates. Over the past few years, many realtors have left the industry due to low inventory and high interest rates. One way I have managed to thrive in a difficult market is by creating and nurturing strong client relationships. Additionally, I developed a digital marketing platform for realtors, integrating AI services to help obtain clients, build relationships, and develop key industry practices for success. This platform increases my digital presence and allows me to showcase my services to a broader community of buyers and sellers. In challenging times, it’s crucial to creatively problem-solve and differentiate yourself from the competition.

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

The cornerstone of my reputation in the real estate market is my unwavering work ethic. I am dedicated and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done, understanding that the standard 8-5 work hours often don’t apply when striving for excellence. My success also stems from my ability to creatively problem-solve. Instead of resigning to the notion that some problems have no solutions, I approach each challenge with the belief that there is always a specific answer waiting to be discovered, and it’s my responsibility to find it through diligent detective work.

I am also goal-driven, setting clear, specific objectives for myself and assisting my clients in doing the same. By visualizing the big picture, we can create a series of achievable steps to reach our final destination. My approach combines hard work, creativity, and strategic planning, enabling me to navigate complex situations and deliver exceptional results for my clients.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: RealtorAmyKenyon
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-kenyon-28404b62