We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Esperanza Camara a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Esperanza, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Back in 2020, my retail management role was eliminated. I was offered a different role, but it didn’t feel right, because if I accepted, that meant someone else would lose their job. I cried to my husband, telling him I felt displaced and I didn’t want to go back. We were driving home from the beach, I was in the backseat with my almost 1 year old, and he looked at me through the rear view mirror and so matter of factly said ” So don’t. Don’t go back. I will figure it out” I was shocked at his response, as we had always been a two income home. I called my sister and she was elated that I was even thinking about leaving. She told me that if we ever needed anything, she’d be there to help and that she’d never let my baby be without. The confirmation from my husband and sister was enough for me, but I took a few hours to think and cry about it a little more. I took the situation as an answered prayer and an eye opener; so when it was time to make my decision I said said no thank you, I took my severance package, paid off some debt and invested the rest. See, you can spend 8 years at a place, miss out on lots of family and friends’ events, give your blood sweat and many tears, and you will always be replaceable and just another name when it comes to a budget cut. I learned so much from the experience, but mainly I learned that it’s okay to take risks. It was a risk, leaving stability and a place that I had spent almost 1/3 of my life working at. But it was a risk that needed to be taken.I stayed at a job far too long, because I was scared to take the leap, honestly I was complacent. The moment I wiped that last tear, I realized, this was meant to be. This risk? Was ordered by God. And I just had to play my part and close the door. The next day I ordered a bunch of outdoor toys for my son, because Mama was home and it was time to kick it! Summer of 2020 was honestly a turning point in my life. The freedom I felt was euphoric, and the happiness I felt, was a tad bit foreign. But it taught me so much, like, it’s okay to walk away from something that no longer serves its purpose, and i’d rather live modestly, than spend my precious time doing something that doesn’t bring me true happiness.

6 months in, of being home with my toddler, I started to get some ideas. After watching countless episodes of HGTV I decided that it was time for a new career. I decided that I could be a Real Estate Agent. It took me about 4 months to go through schooling, study and pass my exam, a month after that, I signed with my first brokerage. And that, my people, is how a closed door, can turn into an open house *laughs hysterically at own joke*

Esperanza, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I was born and raised in North Portland. I currently reside in Beaverton with my husband and my two children, ages 1 and 3. Giving my children a wonderful childhood is my top priority, so I am constantly trying to find fun things for the kids to do. We as a family love the outdoors and going to the beach and the mountain. My husband and I snowboard when we can, I’m not an olympic boarder but I do get a thrill out of it whenever we hit the slopes. Family is everything to me, and I take my job as a mom, incredibly serious. Im a full time mom, part time agent.

One day I was helping my best friend move into the new home she had just bought, and she was raving about her real estate agent. She was saying how he really understood the struggles that her and her husband faced as a Black couple trying to buy a home in a white state. That night I went home and kept thinking about our conversation and how I don’t really know many Black agents. So I did some research. 75% of all Agents in the U.S. are white, Black people make up about 5% of agents in the U.S.
That was the statistic I needed to read. My obsession with HGTV lit the spark, but this sad statistic ignited the flame. I was going to become a Real Estate Agent, because simply put, our community needs more agents that look like them. Representation matters and it matters the most to people who are underrepresented.

I service all clients from all different backgrounds, ethnicities and cultures, I don’t discriminate. I truly love being a part of such a special journey for all my clients. But when I have a Black client, I especially want them to know that their black experiences will not be invalidated. And I will go head to head with anyone who thinks they’re going to give my client the short end of the stick. Because, they already received the short end of the stick, way back when. Oregon as a state is only 2% Black, Blacks weren’t allowed to live in Oregon until 1844. And even when they were finally “allowed” to live in the state of Oregon, they did not reap the benefits of their white counterparts.
We learned about the Oregon Trail, but what we didn’t learn, is that Black people were not given the 32o parcels of land, like whites were given. So every Black person that moved here, moved here with nothing to their name. So I as an agent understand why my Black clients may not have their great grandparents home to sell, or why they may not have help with a downpayment. The generational wealth gap increased exponentially the moment whites received stolen land, for free and blacks did not.

I pride myself in being relatable, humble and authentic. I don’t believe in conforming to what society says an agent should dress and look like. Every time you see an agent on tv they are always white, always wearing a skirt suit and always holding a clipboard. That’s not me, and I don’t want it to be me. When my clients go on showings with me, I want them to feel like they are going to see a house with a friend, a really knowledgeable friend. So I will dress up or down, depending on my clients style, all while keeping my original style. You know, I love my Blazer, jeans and J’s combo. When I am out with my clients ,we joke and laugh, we get real, and we have hard conversations, but we are always authentic. I want my clients to always feel like they can come as they are when people work with me I want them to feel at home. That’s always the goal.

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

As a working mom, I had to unlearn the culture of being overworked, overwhelmed and always busy as being normal. It’s not normal to be exhausted all the time. So I really had to prioritize rest. I feel like in our day and age, a mom is seen as lazy if she finds time to rest. But I see it as a privilege that I deserve. I deserve to be well rested, I am not a second class citizen in my life. Just like my kids get to rest and nap and play, I also believe that I am worthy of those things. I will take a nap with my babygirl at 2pm in the afternoon just because I can. I put my phone on do not disturb as often as I can. I think that because technology is so prominent right now, that everyone thinks that you should be available at the click of a button. But the only people who have that kind of access to me, are my family. So if I am not in a time sensitive work period (in escrow or more importantly inspection period) I will not always respond immediately. Because responding to the outside world, immediately all the time is exhausting.
Unlearning the idea that its normal to be exhausted has really allowed me to become more aware of my body’s needs, and my mental health. I used to blame everything on being tired, but now I am more self aware and able to identify if I just need more “me time” or a date night or if I just need to hit the gym. Being self aware is a form of self love and it is life changing.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

I text my clients often, usually about random things. I honestly rarely talk ” houses”. I prefer to reach out and ask how they’re doing, or send them something that reminds me of them. I also connect with a lot of my clients on social media. Whatever I do, I want to be authentic about it. You are never going to receive a cold call from me, it’s not my thing. But I will check on you, or send you a funny meme or reel that made me think of you. I would say that personal connection is my brand. I care about people the most, and the connection we have. I can help you find a house, no problem. But my goal is to also give you a positive experience when finding that house. I want the experience to be as intimate, and positive as possible,

Contact Info:

• Other: [email protected]

Image Credits
Kaitlin M Green