We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful April Davis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with April below.

April, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump into the story of starting your own firm – what should we know?

I started my journey while working for a real estate investment company. Being in that environment exposed me to a different side of real estate one that focused heavily on relationships, strategy, and identifying opportunity beyond the traditional approach.

Over time, I began to see how deals could be structured in more efficient ways, and it opened my eyes to what was possible. With over 15 years of experience in real estate at that point, and strong relationships with agents, investors, landlords, and developers, I realized I already had the foundation to build something of my own.

One day, I told my husband, “I can actually do this on my own.”
His response was simple: “Okay… then quit.”

That moment forced me to confront my fear. I hesitated, second-guessed myself but deep down, I knew I was ready. It also aligned with something we had already been discussing homeschooling our youngest son so stepping out on my own made sense for both my business and my family.

Starting the business wasn’t the hardest part gaining traction was.

I assumed I would hit the ground running because I had the relationships, the experience, and the knowledge. But it didn’t happen overnight. It took time to build consistency and momentum.

One of the early mistakes I made was trying to mix business with people who weren’t aligned. Thankfully, that situation revealed itself quickly and allowed me to reset and move forward with more clarity and infrastructure.

As the business grew, things began to flow but success came with its own lessons. In my early years of doing well, We became comfortable and stopped investing back into the business the way I should have. We didn’t lose business, but we lost focus on what it takes to sustain and scale.

Around that same time, we expanded into other ventures, to mention one, we begin to build a rental portfolio. Rental properties and short-term/shared space housing. Specifically to Students and traveling nurses. The concept was strong and very profitable, but managing multiple properties and 20+ tenants came with a level of responsibility and stress that people don’t always talk about.

The biggest lessons was this:
More tenants didn’t just equal; more money! More importantly, it required more responsibility, more oversight, more repairs , more issues!! Growth is great but without a substantial cash flow it can thin your margins and drain your energy.

Looking back, I wouldn’t change much because every lesson shaped how we move today as a family.

Start with what you know but don’t underestimate the importance of patience and infrastructure.

Just because you have the experience and the relationships doesn’t mean things will take off immediately. Give yourself time to build momentum.

Be intentional about who you bring into your business. Alignment matters more than convenience.

Continue to invest in your business
even when things are going well.

And most importantly, don’t try to do everything at once. Focus, build, and scale with a the firm infrastructure.

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

My name is April Reese-Davis, and I am a real estate investor, entrepreneur, podcast host, and storyteller based in the DMV metropolitan area.

My journey into this industry wasn’t traditional it was shaped by both life experiences and exposure. I was born and raised in Washington, DC. During the early part of my childhood, we were a close-knit family, full of structure, love, and academic achievement. Unfortunately, things drastically changed when our community became heavily impacted by drugs. I went through a period of rebellion, trying to navigate pain, confusion, and instability.

Over time, I found my way back through growth, faith, and life experience. Real estate became more than just a business for me it became a pathway to stability, ownership, and long-term legacy.

I started working with Long & Foster in 2001 and remained committed to real estate throughout my journey, even while spending time at the DC Housing Finance Agency in 2011, where I worked on the Hardest Hit Initiative. Those experiences gave me both the traditional and non-traditional perspectives of the industry.

With over 20 years in real estate, I’ve experienced multiple sides of the industry from investing and property management to creative strategies that rely heavily on relationships and problem-solving. What I provide today goes beyond transactions. I help connect opportunities, create solutions, and bring value to situations that require both experience and trust. Assisting families that are facing distressful hardships, makes it more than Just Buisness!

In addition to real estate, I am the host of the podcast “Let’s Talk About It with April,” where I create space for real, honest, and often therapeutic conversations. My platform allows people to share their stories in a way that promotes healing, clarity, and understanding something I believe is deeply needed but often overlooked.

I also founded Davis Film Group, where we document real-life stories. This work allows me to sit with family members and capture them as they reflect on their loved ones’ journeys, strengths, and impact.

It creates a space for people to openly express gratitude something that is often only shared at a funeral.

The purpose is simple but powerful: to give people their flowers while they are still here. We create meaningful experiences where individuals can hear directly from their loved ones how much they are appreciated, valued, and loved.

It’s storytelling with intention.

What sets me apart is my ability to merge business with humanity. I don’t just operate from a place of strategy I operate from lived experience. I understand people, I understand pressure, and I understand what it takes to rebuild, grow, and sustain something meaningful.

I solve problems by seeing what others may overlook whether that’s in real estate opportunities, business structure, or simply creating space for people to be heard. My work is rooted in relationships, authenticity, and long-term impact.

What I’m most proud of is our family businesses. Everything we’ve built has purpose behind it! We’ve been able to create opportunities for our family and show our children what it looks like to build something from the ground up.

Watching my son step into leadership as a young entrepreneur has been one of my greatest rewards. He founded his clothing brand, Be Empowered, which promotes positivity and self-expression, and he also hosts free chess tournaments and an annual back-to-school event. I am very proud of his commitment to uplifting the community.

What I want people to know about me and my brand is this:

I am not just building businesses I am building legacy.
I am not just telling stories I am creating space for healing.
And everything I do is rooted in growth, purpose, and impact.

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

One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was the belief that doing more meant I was doing better.

There was a time when everything in my business was working. Real estate was flowing, opportunities were coming in, and naturally, more ideas started to surface. As a family, we expanded into multiple ventures to mention one “rental properties, short-term housing”. On the outside, it looked like growth and success. But behind the scenes, it came with a different reality.

Managing multiple properties, tenants, and responsibilities daily created a level of pressure and overhead that people don’t always talk about. There were constant repairs, complaints, moving parts, and expectations to meet. Even with a team, it required a level of attention that stretched us in ways we weren’t fully prepared for.

At the time, we thought we were maximizing opportunity but in reality, We were spreading myself too wide.

That experience taught me that growth without capital and proper infrastructure can become overwhelming, and success can become unsustainable.

I had to unlearn the mindset of chasing everything at once and instead become intentional about what we build, how we build it, and who we build it with.

Now, I prioritize alignment, systems, and sustainability over just staying busy.

Because I’ve learned that real growth isn’t about doing more it’s about doing what matters, the right way, for the long term.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

One of the most defining moments of resilience in my journey came during the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the time, my family and I had multiple streams of income real estate investments, an electrical contracting business, rental properties, over 20 short-term tenants, and Airbnb. On paper, everything was going well, but when the world shut down, there was a lot of concern and uncertainty. No one really knew what things would look like moving forward.

At the same time, there were signs of opportunity. People began traveling differently, construction continued, and there was an increase in commercial renovations throughout the city.

So in spite of everything going on around us with businesses closing, employees being laid off, and fear spreading we made the decision to lean in instead of pull back.

We jumped in headfirst and thrived during a time when the world felt like it was standing still.

Instead of folding under pressure, we stayed consistent. We leaned into what we knew, maintained our relationships, and continued to show up daily even when the future wasn’t clear.

What stands out most to me is that through all of that, we didn’t miss a beat. Our businesses continued to operate, and in many ways, we were able to sustain and even grow during one of the most uncertain times in recent history.

That experience reminded me that resilience isn’t always loud or dramatic. Sometimes it looks like showing up every day, staying grounded, and trusting what you’ve built even when everything around you feels unstable.

It showed me that resilience is not just about surviving difficult seasons it’s about maintaining your foundation, your mindset, and your faith while going through them.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @davisdevelopmentgroup / @letstalkaboutitwithapril
• Facebook: @davisdevelopmentgroup / @letstalkaboutitwithapril
• Youtube: @letstalkaboutitwithapril