We recently connected with Joan and have shared our conversation below.

Joan, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

You know, when I think about taking a big risk, it was the decision to go into real estate at 57. At that point, I was over $100,000 in debt, and I couldn’t afford real estate school. A dear friend believed in me enough to pay my tuition—and that changed everything.

I had already been working over 80 hours a week just to stay afloat. What most people didn’t know was that I had also been quietly struggling with symptoms from a brain tumor for quite some time. Despite that, I threw myself into real estate school, went at night, and passed both my state and national exams on the first try.

It still took six months to close my first deal, and by the following March, I needed Gamma Knife surgery to finally address the tumor I had been living with all along.

Today, I look back and see how that one decision shifted the entire course of my life. I now run a flourishing real estate business, I’ve built a personal portfolio of properties, and I live a life I once only dreamed of. That risk—at a time when everything felt uncertain—was the beginning of something extraordinary.

Joan, 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?

If you’re just meeting me now, let me start by saying this: I’ve never had a linear career path, but I’ve always followed what felt true—and that’s led to a pretty extraordinary ride.

Before real estate, I owned an Italian restaurant called Pasquale’s and built one of the largest off-premise catering businesses in New Mexico, A Bit of the Ritz. My days were spent feeding hundreds, sometimes thousands of people at a time, all while raising my three children. It was organized chaos—stressful, rewarding, and full of heart. I learned early on how to manage logistics, negotiate under pressure, and keep calm when the oven caught fire or the power went out mid-event. Real estate, in many ways, just felt like a natural next course—minus the marinara stains.

Now, I run Encore Real Estate Advisors, where my specialty is creating ease and clarity in what’s often a high-stakes, emotional process. Whether it’s helping someone relocate across the world or across town, I bring a level of intuition, professionalism, and advocacy that’s earned the trust of clients, brokers, and global partners alike.

At the core of my work is one simple goal: to help people unlock their best lifestyle. That means different things to different people—downsizing with grace, finding a forever home with character, investing wisely, or letting go of a property that no longer fits. I’m here to guide that process with equal parts strategy and soul.

What sets me apart? I know how to tell a story—because I’ve lived a few. I’ve built businesses from scratch. I’ve led teams, navigated personal challenges, and never shied away from reinvention. I don’t just show properties—I bring them to life, matching people to places with care and precision.

And what am I most proud of? That nearly every transaction I close is a referral—from someone who felt truly cared for. That’s my bar.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Reputation isn’t something you declare—it’s something you earn. And for me, I think it was built one decision at a time.

I never set out to be the most polished or the loudest in the room. I set out to be the most dependable. The one who calls back. The one who tells the truth—even when it’s uncomfortable. The one who shows up with a solution before the client even knows there’s a problem.

In a market like Santa Fe, trust is everything. Word gets around fast—so every interaction matters. Every showing, every phone call, every tough conversation… it all adds up. I treat people with respect, I advocate fiercely for my clients, and I follow through. That alone, over time, built something stronger than a brand—it built a reputation.

I also stay in my lane and in my integrity. I don’t try to be all things to all people. I know who I am. I know who I serve best. And I surround myself with people—clients and colleagues alike—who value that level of clarity and commitment.

What probably surprised people most is that I didn’t try to blend in. I brought all of me to this business. My catering background. My international ties. My life experience. My willingness to say, “Let’s try it a different way.” That realness resonated.

At the end of the day, a good reputation is just the result of doing what you say you’ll do, over and over again—even when no one’s watching.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Hands down, my best source of new clients has been referrals—from past clients, friends, fellow brokers across the country, and even people I’ve never officially worked with but who’ve seen how I show up in the industry.

When someone sends me a referral, they’re not just handing over a name—they’re trusting me with a relationship. That means everything to me. So I treat every client like they’re the one who referred me. That’s how the trust continues to grow.

I also get a lot of clients from what I call the quiet observers. They’ve watched how I market a listing, how I speak at events, or how I handle negotiations. They may not reach out right away, but when they do, they already feel like they know me—and they’re ready to work with someone who takes their goals seriously.

Of course, it helps that I’m deeply connected through global networks like REALM™ and KW Luxury, which open doors to high-net-worth clients from across the country and internationally. But even in those cases, the introduction is almost always relationship-based. I don’t believe in cold leads. I believe in warm connections that come from trust, experience, and results.

So if you’re wondering what works—showing up with consistency, delivering excellence, and staying in integrity. People notice. And when they do, they send others your way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://encorerea.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joandigiovanna/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joan.digiovanna
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joan-digiovanna-encore/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@joandigiovanna
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=fq6be9dtqnwnrpqrosqvlq

Image Credits

Joan DiGiovanna