We were lucky to catch up with Jesamine De Leon recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jesamine, thanks for joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

Without knowing failure, we wouldn’t understand success.

In 2020, I was the only woman in a male-dominated brokerage. Being in the commercial real estate and coding space, this was nothing but the norm. Taking hits of undermining comments and belittlement meant nothing to me, until the day my brokerage went under during the pandemic and let everyone go, including myself. Cutting everyone off meant they could legally take all the agents’, and even my own two listings, into their own representation. With one listing being one of my first deals where I represented both the buyer and seller for a million-dollar home, I was heartbroken.

After speaking with CAR legal and accepting the terms of my fate with this brokerage, I gave my clients a call to tell them the news. I had thanked them for allowing me the honor of working with them and apologized for the sudden change.

What happened after our calls truly filled my heart with ease and assurance, knowing that I was the best Realtor they had worked with. Although taken back by the sudden change, they were acceptant, knowing that the COVID pandemic wasn’t an easy dilemma to go through. “We only signed to work with the brokerage, knowing we were working with you.” Shortly after these calls with my clients, I received three long, heartfelt reviews from them. Each one detailing their appreciation for my efforts and praise for the respected client-relationship I had worked so hard to gain.

“Courage allows successful people to fail and learn powerful lessons from the failure. So in the end, they didn’t fail at all.”
– Maya Angelou

Jesamine, 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?

Let’s face it, living in Los Angeles isn’t exactly the most inexpensive town to live in. So, like many millennials in the nation, I’ve acquired a multitude of different titles, skills and side gigs to help me succeed. All of which I love! Below is a brief breakdown of who I am and how I strive to help others.

• Los Angeles Commercial Realtor – For five years now, I’ve had the honor of representing buyers and sellers pursue lucrative Los Angeles commercial real estate endeavors. From creating and presenting market data and Offering Memorandums, to assisting commercial leases and assuring smooth transactions in both residential and commercial opportunities, I truly love what I do.

• Coding & Website Expert – Being fluent in HTML5 and CSS3, I create websites for client listings and even for businesses that need help showcasing their true talents. This also includes writing copy and even running online ads in all social and search engine platforms!

• Drone & 3D Tour Photographer – Would I even be a tech nerd if I didn’t own some cool gadgets? Part of being in the real estate and digital marketing field is having the fun tools to truly bring out the best in every listing / business! I occasionally fly my drone to showcase a property or even take unique perspectives of artistic ideas. I also create 3D virtual tours for my own and other realtors’ listings! This helps truly showcase the entirety of a property, which helps potential buyers get a true grasp of what’s available.

• Aspiring Data Scientist – I’m the type of entrepreneur who loves a challenge and continuously aims to improve my skills. Coming from learning style codes like HTML and CSS, the next best step is learning Python and all the assets of Data Science. Here, I’m currently en route to perfecting my knowledge of gathering data and computing algorithms to help businesses solve problems, forecast potential problems and improve overall business.

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

There are essentially two books I’ve read that have helped shaped not only my moral character, but my entrepreneurial development as well. Those two books are Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends & Influence People” (a true classic) and Stephen Hawking’s “The Grand Design.”

Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends & Influence People” is one of those books that I could read over and over again throughout time. Part of being in business is learning how to properly handle people and conversations, and this is certainly the golden book for these moral golden rules.

“Instead of condemning people, let’s try to understand them. Let’s try to figure out why they do what they do. That’s a lot more profitable and intriguing than criticism; and it breeds sympathy, tolerance, and kindness. To know all is to forgive all.”

Stephen Hawking’s “The Grand Design” is a book that helps remind me to extend my skills and ability to try every single day. Part of being an entrepreneur is taking risks and going outside of your comfort zone. This book helps remind me that in a vast universe, here we are. So small and influential, mistakes and encouragement all play a key role in making a vital impact.

“Scientists tend to risk theories they admire”

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

There’s an old saying, “if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.”

This isn’t always the case and maybe this is why the saying is becoming outdated. In truth, if we want something done right, you’ll need a team of influential people behind you who have the same willingness, desire and goal. Being a realtor would mean nothing if I didn’t have such motivating clients, inspiring brokers, dedicated title reps, knowledgeable mortgage consultants or a tech-savvy transaction coordinator supporting my every move.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.realtorjes.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jesawho/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realtorjesamine
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesamine-de-leon-007004

Image Credits
Personal headshots by www.oseikey.com.