We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Catherine Figueroa a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Catherine, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?
“No risk, no story.” I love this saying for so many reason. I believe our life is so much more than a list of success and failures. It’s about the stories we create for our lives. Our legacy. The wisdom we obtain, and the impact me make along the way. In 2021 I took a big risk. I’ve worked in marketing and public relations for 11+ years. It’s all that I knew and my comfort. I knew how to work in marketing, I knew social media and how to make strategy. I knew how to be a team player. That was like home to me, after having that many years in the field and gaining that much experience. I felt stuck. I felt like I had outgrown it. My personality is always craving change and newness. I feel like if I am not learning, I’m not growing. I started to feel this way without even knowing what my next step would be. For a while I thought maybe I should go back and finish college. I thought maybe I needed to feel full filled in that way, completing something so grand, like a masters degree. I quickly realized that wasn’t exactly the best route for me. My parents are investors and I have been surrounded around real estate for a while through them. We started the process to purchase our home in 2020 and closed on our first home in October of 2020. This experience and my exposure to real estate investing through my parents collided together and brought a spark in my heart and mind for real estate. I dove into learning all about it. I wanted to learn not only how to become a licensed real estate agent but also what it looked like after being licensed. What does the job entail and is this something that fits me. I quickly learned the ever changing, marketing filled, people centered role, fit exactly what I am good at and also love to do. I had planned to part from my comfortable job, doing what I knew how to do so well and enter into a journey of something new. Real Estate agent. I am no stranger to change, I have gone to school for makeup artistry, started a small business, launched a kids clothing brand etc. But this was the first time I was leaving my main source of income, with two kids and just having purchased a home. I started real estate school in 2020 and to be honest, I was putting it off for so long. I stayed at my job as I went through school and had a million excuses of “I am too busy, i’ll get to it” anytime I felt guilty of not finishing real estate courses. I remember vividly journaling one day about all my fears in this risk I was taking. I wrote down all that could go wrong and why I shouldn’t be taking this risk. I also wrote at the bottom of the page, “I will be out of my full time by August 2021.” As fate would have it, July 2021 I was let go from my comfortable full time job. Life happens for you and not to you. My fear was so crippling I wouldn’t have made the move and stuck to my word without a little push. I am grateful for the push into this risk. I was pushed into alignment on purpose and for a purpose and everyday I live with so much hope because of that outlook. Today, I am happier than ever. I am working with amazing clients for the best real estate company in the world. Surrounding by the greatest people who support and love me. I am not where I want to be but this experience has made me realize how resilient and strong I truly am. We all have the power inside of us to not only survive but to thrive in risk and in the unknown.
Catherine, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Hi. My names Catherine. I’m a realtor with ONE Sotheby’s International Realty. I am passionate, driven and self motivated. I strive to put others needs first and provide luxury service to all my clients. I have an extensive marketing and public relations background, which gives me an upper hand when working for you to sell your home. Aside from real estate and marketing I have also knowledge and experience with photography and content creation. I am most proud of my journey. It shows my resilience, my strength and my focus. I work hard and am committed to my business. I believe kindness is the key to everything and approach every situation head on with grace and kindness. I am very organized and am always honest. Think of me as your guide through one of the biggest investments in your life. Did you know 90% of millionaires built their wealth through real estate? Make this year the year of ownership, whether it’s buying your first home, selling your home, buying your vacation home or adding a property to your investment portfolio ! I believe in you, together we can get you there.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
To be completely honest, this is probably one of the hardest parts in any business. It takes true intentionality to create systems to continue the connection with clients throughout time. Aside from saving important dates like home anniversary or birthdays I also like to keep in touch with my clients throughout the seasons. I believe in the power of social media and it’s something i normally do with my clients, with their permission. This helps me see some of their big updates and stay in touch on the regular through a digital social platform. Aside from this, I love to host a couple of client connects throughout the year where I invite clients to coffee or even dinner to continue connecting with them and also to continue adding value in our professional relationship however I can. This career is truly so important to me and I am very passionate about it. My “why” is people. I strive to be intentional at connecting with my clients so that I can always provide luxury, excellent service to them. I have had clients tell me “You make us feel so cared for” and “I truly can see how much you care about our family.” Those comments mean the world to me. It’s a bigger reward than any financial gain. It’s an opportunity to be a guide and support for people during some very big decisions. Buying a home, selling a home or investing are core moments in life and it means that world that I get to be a guide through those moments. This is truly my brand. My brand is you, the client.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
Consistency. I know everyone says this, everyone always is saying that word “consistency.” For good reason, the first 1-3 years are probably the hardest as an entrepreneur, I know this from experience and from mentors and people I look up to. I am currently in the middle of this beautiful process. I have learned the best way to continue to grow is to continue to tailor your systems to always provide consistently great service. Being wise and knowing when to expand or when to ask for help. The worst thing to do is to feel the responsibility of carrying the weight of every aspect of your business. There is no way you can, and if you do it’s inevitably going to lead to burn out. There is space for collaboration as you grow your business, see those opportunities as a chance to lean into the parts of your business that need your attention the most. In the beginning of my business journey I was naturally leaning to marketing and content creation because that was my niche, what I knew how to do. Quickly I realized I had no time to connect with clients, go to networking events and meet other colleagues etc. So I tailored my approach, I budgeted to be able to hire someone to handle my marketing and search engine optimization. This allowed me to focus on the parts that needed my attention, and I saw growth. Write out every task in your business and prioritize what needs YOUR attention specifically and look for areas where you can collaborate with a professional for areas that can be done by someone else. I also hired a transaction coordinating team. They kick in after my client is under contract and helps coordinate that journey to the closing table. This allows me to then split my focus in a more profitable way.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng/associate/180-a-df220812164810837561/catherine-figueroa
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catherinefig/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/catherinefigueroa.realtor/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-figueroa-9b4bb9a1/
Image Credits
STEPH TARNO PHOTOGRAPHY https://stephtarno.com Drives Media http://drivesmedia.com/