We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Etta Young a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Etta, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with talking about how you serve the underserved, because in our view this is one of the most important things the small business community does for society – by serving those who the giant corporations ignore, small business helps create a more inclusive and just world for all of us.
Act of service comes to mind when I think of serving the underserved, and I do this by living a life of service, being responsive to the needs of others, and being a voice for the underserved youth and women in my community. From a mother and a non-profit founder standpoint, the value of service manifests as a thoughtful mother who sees every young girl as her daughter and not a lost cause, who sees their dreams and not their environmental limitations, and who sees love and not a disappointment. This principle of valuing all people while committing to a life of service is something I have strived for throughout my life.
Etta, 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?
My name is Etta Young. a Realtor, Investor, and Philanthropist in the DMV (Washington DC, Maryland, Virginia) area. I was born in the West African country of Liberia. The daughter of a Nigerian Ghanaian father and a Liberian mother. I was raised in Accra, Ghana, and currently live in Maryland, where I provide real estate services. I have over three years of servicing clients in residential, commercial, and investment transactions in real estate, and I have built a reputation as a knowledgeable and trustworthy realtor. Nothing thrills me more than meeting and networking with people while meeting their real estate needs. I love being a business owner and a supportive member of my community. I find joy and strength when serving those in need and continually seek opportunities to help others. As a realtor, my top priority is meeting my client’s real estate needs and addressing their concerns. I am fully dedicated to rigorous standards and have extraordinary integrity in helping my clients achieve their goals. I love working with buyers and sellers, including first-time homebuyers, lifelong homeowners, someone relocating, or even someone renovating a property. I provide clients with best-in-class service to help them purchase or sell their homes.
While I love real estate, supporting and advocating for the underserved is essential and dear to my heart. A long dream of mine has been to start a nonprofit dedicated to adolescent girls and women. I enjoy creating and supporting educational programs that promote empowerment, encouragement, and building self-esteem for our youth. I am the founder of A Mother’s Touch Foundation. A nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting adolescent girls and women in rural Ghana, West Africa, through education, physical and mental health, hygiene, and self-esteem. The hope is that these young girls will utilize their new skills, knowledge, and resources to create a sustainable life in their communities. A Mothers Touch Foundation provides Prom send-off ( Our Daughters Prom) in Maryland. This program is designed to support our high school youth girls from group homes, shelters, and low-income families. Our program allows us to partner with school counselors/coaches to pick who demonstrate exemplary academic skills and community service to receive a complete prom makeover, including hair, makeup, dress, shoes, and a photo shoot. This program is to help build self-esteem and empower. I work closely with multiple nonprofit organizations locally and internationally.
How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?
Good business ethics with integrity, authenticity, and transparency helped me to build a reputation in the real estate market. All my clients get the same respect and service regardless of the transaction size. Authenticity in my professional relationships is essential to me, and customer feedbacks help me to grow and transform my services. I cherish loyalty from my customers, which is my best walking-talking advertisement.
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
I keep in touch with clients and curate brand loyalty through regular phone calls or emails. I make it a point to build a relationship with clients by remembering and calling on their birthdays and the anniversary date of their home purchases. I send greeting cards, gift cards, and sometimes a drop-by visit to see how they are coming along with their new home. I send out periodic newsletters and emails that allow me to foster solid personalized connections, which produce positive referrals and customer loyalty. With a pleasant, efficient, and personalized customer service experience, I build a strong community of loyal customers that forms the basis of long-term growth and business relationships.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.ettayoungproperties.com/
- Instagram: ettatherealtor
- Facebook: QueenEtta Young
- Linkedin: etta-young-62276280