Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Colleen Marquez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Colleen, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Some of the most interesting parts of our journey emerge from areas where we believe something that most people in our industry do not – do you have something like that?

In my industry, as in all industries, Profit and Loss guides every decision. In real estate this can mean wholesale and mass production, buying low and selling high, commanding the rental market, and in some cases or it can mean focusing on luxury buyers with more money to spend. In all of this, the “person” can get lost. I am an advocate for Equal Opportunity Housing – everyone regardless of who they are, how they look, what they believe – should get the same 5-star treatment. Eliminating unconscious bias in housing is something that we need to improve on as an industry. Part of believing that it is our duty to help provide fair housing to everyone also means holding the big players accountable for their share of the responsibility. A corporation has a larger opportunity to corner a market because of their access to capital. We see this in cities like Nashville, TN where land/ property is scarce. When a developer or property management company buys a majority of the low to median income housing and then sets the rental rates – they take away opportunity for the individual to have access to home ownership. Monopolies in hosing can hinder first time home buyers and create environments where the individual is cornered into being a renter. Long term renters build equity for the investor vs. themselves. Thankfully, organizations like THDA offer first time home buyer grants and programs to enable the “person” to become a property owner. The onus falls to the players in Real Estate to give back (or hold back)! I give a minimum of 10% of all of my earnings back to those in need and I believe that if the big players reserved a portion of their business for lower margin investments that fuel the people to become independent homeowners – we would all be better for it.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I started out as a college drop out in a Cadillac dealership. I was an Executive Assistant to the General Manager, and I had my hand in dozens of areas of the business – one of which was Leads distribution to our sales team (and conflict resolution with unsatisfied customers). I got the idea in my head that I could sell cars better than our current sales team of all men. The sales manager literally scoffed and laughed me away when I shared my idea with him. So, I took the first entry level sales job that I could find doing 100% commission outside sales door-to-door for AT&T. From the very beginning, I was really good at sales, so I began teaching sales trainings. Then, I interviewed, hired, and onboarded a team of sales reps of my own and trained them to do outside sales. Later, I began sourcing for potential sales reps and head-hunting top talent. After doing all of this, I transitioned into more corporate environments where I began recruiting for Fortune 100-Fortune 500 companies for Sales Managers, MD’s, Technologists, Nurses, Operations, Civil Engineers — all across the nation. Finally, I settled into Technology, Marketing & Creative Consulting where I sell Talent Acquisition as a service, as well as Managed Services. I consult with CIO’s, CTO’s, CMO’s, CISO’s on infrastructure, operations, applications, analysis, security, data and storage, A.I., UX | UI, digital strategy, marketing, sales, and design and build cutting edge teams to carry out high yield Corporate Road Maps. In my role, I help families thrive by delivering livelihoods and relationships. During this time, I found a love of real estate. Not only was I doing corporate relocations within my 9-5 but I have always loved design and helping others. Real Estate allows me to use all of my experience from Contract Negotiations, Project Management, Consulting, Go-to-Market Sales/ Marketing Strategies, Design and a Love of Individuals to better the lives of others. Moreover, I have always been an advocate for EEO and by extension, EOH. Diversity is what makes our country great. How boring would it be, if we all looked the same, thought the same, talked the same… When minds can come together in collaboration – great things will happen!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I am a believer in Jesus Christ which can be very polarizing. I don’t hide my faith, and I believe I was created with a purpose to: bless those around me, to be a light in a dark place, and to reach out. I believe in truth, honesty and transparency. I believe in doing the next right thing – hard or not. I believe that there is nothing I can lose or miss out on, that was meant for me. I believe that there is no limit to opportunity. I believe that there are rewards in being helpful, generous and kind. Unfortunately, this type of thinking is well praised as an idea and is simultaneously, not an industry standard in practice. One thing I think folks have a preconceived misconception about my love for God is that I am “judgmental”. The truth is that I am a very imperfect person myself so I have always empathized more than I have ever judged. I want for the world, peace and joy. I don’t always get it right and I won’t stop trying.

Lastly, I don’t shy away from hard conversations. I do not have a hard time sharing my opinions. I am stubborn, extremely hardworking and- I am covered in tattoos; I am pretty hard to miss in a room full of professionals.

These are the things that set me apart and that lay the foundation for who I am and what my reputation is.

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

I was attending Real Estate school while working a full-time job for a blended family of 4 kids, including my youngest son who has special needs. I would make dinner at 4:30 for the family before I left for school and would not get home until after 9 o’clock. I had to find time to study and to learn; it wasn’t easy. I pride myself in passing my exams with high marks my first go round. I was thrilled to start my Real Estate journey and a few weeks after my exams – my life changed forever. My husband passed away very suddenly. I was devastated. I spent 30 days working through the logistics of his passing and then went back to work because I had a home and a family to provide for. This was not the jumping off point I had envisioned for my Real Estate career.

Despite my soft launch, after I had time to grieve, I got right back at it. I would not let my dream die and because of my resilience, here I am now! I work with an amazing brokerage at Byers & Harvey, I have a wonderful builder that I partner with, Homefront Builders, and I have folks in my corner cheering for me – that is all I could ever ask for. Thank you, Jesus!

Want to connect with Colleen? Check her out at www.HomeOnTheRockTN.com
@HomeOnTheRockTN on Instagram

Contact Info:

• Website: www.HomeOnTheRockTN.com
• Instagram: @Homeontherocktn
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/homeontherock.tn/
• Linkedin: www.LinkedIn.com/in/ColleenMMarquez