We recently connected with Karina Duke and have shared our conversation below.
Karina, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s something you believe that most people in your industry (or in general) disagree with?
For the most part, the Real Estate Industry has been seen as a profession in which one gets to make quick money without much experience required. I didn’t want to be perceived like that. Prior to becoming a Licensed Real Estate Agent, I worked as a Loan Officer for a Mortgage Company. And before that, my career began at a financial institution. The number one reason I decided to become a Realtor®️ was that very early in my Mortgage lending career I got to observe how so many buyers and sellers were putting themselves and their most significant investment at risk in the hands of non-professionals, poorly educated Real Estate agents. I saw firsthand how the agents’ lack of professionalism and limited understanding of the Real Estate Market affected the parties involved during the home buying or selling process. I made it my mission to cross over into the Real Estate Industry with the goal of educating my clients throughout the home buying or selling process. I also really wanted to provide exceptional service and most importantly, to always do what was in my client’s best interest. Every day I get to see that to most agents, making a sale or getting a paycheck is their number one priority, not doing what’s best for their clients. Though Real Estate Agents are upheld by a strict code of Ethics, most agents seem to be strategizing for the best way to bend those codes. I don’t believe that every client that comes to me may benefit from purchasing a home. Rather than discouraging a prospect, or the opposite, highly encouraging them to get into a house, I have made it my goal to help educate every single prospect prior to them opening an escrow, so they are completely informed and aware of what buying a home really involves. Home buying or selling is not a one-size-fits-all, and it’s of the utmost importance that every person who is considering buying or selling understands that. Most agents disagree with how I approach my clients and how I focus my business around education. I’ve been told that my only job is to either get clients into a house or represent them in the sale of their property and that’s it! Nothing more. Though there’s some truth to that… going above and beyond by educating the client is also something I am passionate about. Market data and facts are a huge part of my daily appetite for knowledge and how I run my business. It’s also part of the information I get to present to those who trust me to help them purchase or sell one of the most significant investments in their lives, their home. Helping my clients make informed Real Estate decisions is my life’s mission.
Karina, 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?
My banking career began with Home Savings of America back in 1999. My passion to educate and help clients in that financial realm began when I was given the opportunity to help people who only spoke Spanish. I realized then, that there was a large part of the population who needed guidance and to have their hands held (educating them) during their financial decisions. From there, my corporate career began to grow. I was given the opportunity to move up the corporate ladder in various positions within the bank, always with the desire to continue to educate my clients and do so with their best interests at heart. One of the things that I’m the proudest of is my respect for fairness. I respect people’s choices, opinions, and mistakes. I do not discriminate, judge, or play favorites. I treat all people equally with compassion and honesty. I want anyone who comes into my life, whether through business, personal connection, etc… to know that they can count on me and that more than anything I always honor my word. Yes, we are in the era of signing contracts to make the business official, but to me, once I have given my word and committed to something, I will follow through, no matter what! My word is just as valuable as a signature on a paper.
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Building an audience through social media hasn’t been easy. Though many people are under the impression that to grow an audience all one needs to do is to create a video, post a selfie with a great filter or pretend to be someone they aren’t, it’s actually not it! The other big NO, NO is buying followers, likes, shares, etc. That actually works against you, so do yourself a favor and don’t do it!!! My experience has been about generating value for my audience by personally engaging with my followers, while sharing the normal and more authentic side of me. The more real I present myself to be, the more attracted to press FOLLOW the lookers feel. Yes, consistency is one of the MOST important keys to social media growth, but also engaging with the audience who has taken the time to support the account. We are unfortunately living in an era in which people are more comfortable engaging with others through a platform instead of in-person interaction. So engaging with the community by responding to their posts or comments has been highly effective. Here is a short story… Prior to getting my Real Estate License, I created an Instagram blog with the only purpose to promote the beautiful City of Temecula and its Wine Country Region. I succeeded in growing @Temecula_livin, not because of the beautiful images I was sharing, some I had personally taken, but because I became a valuable contact for those who were planning to visit the area. The blog also facilitated a way to connect with local businesses and entrepreneurs. I saw the opportunity to share who the people behind the businesses were and the vision of their trade. Temecula Livin’ has also led me to become the visitor curator to all who reach out asking for opinions on places to visit, ideas for things to do, tips on the best way to save money during a visit, best romantic getaways, and great tour companies, etc… you get the idea! As you can probably realize by now, creating and sharing something of value has become my personal vision and mission, and it also unveils my endless passion for the place I call home, Temecula. For this reason, my Instagram Blog has organically grown to what it is now, with 10K+ participants and still growing! Temecula_Livin has also developed into the number one lead source for my Instagram @TemeculaLivin_Homes account, the one I created exclusively for the local Real Estate Market. I have slowly but surely matured into the go-to Relocation Expert and information source for those who are considering a change of address to the Temecula Valley and surrounding areas, not only to live but to do business. The journey hasn’t been easy, it has been much more difficult than I first thought it would be. I have had to learn to pivot as the new trends come up; IGTV, Stories, Carousels, Lives, Reels, etc… and it continues to be without a doubt a constant learning curve. But if there’s something that you need to keep in mind it’s this. Social media provides FREE advertising if you are a business owner, and if you are not taking advantage of it at this point in time, you are doing your business a huge disservice! I’m old enough that I remember paying for ads in the newspaper, Yellow Pages, local magazines, and many other places. In this day and age, you have that control in the palm of your hand to put your business’ name on as many social media platforms as you want, And the best part is, it costs you NOTHING!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
As an immigrant, the shield of resilience becomes part of our being the minute we cross the border. It veils our souls to protect us from all the falls and deep dives into the abyss that can crush our spirits. It becomes an essential part of the new person we transform into when we arrive in this country. From the age of 14, (a very young age), I had to hold onto the desire and motivation to become someone better and reach success in a foreign country. I was painfully aware that this path wasn’t going to be easy, I had many cards playing against me, the language barrier, the economical status, my culture, and the limited resources my family had. Learning how to swim against the current taught me how to survive, and it showed me the strength I had developed within me. Though this might sound easy, there were many times when I felt so tired and exhausted that letting go and emotionally drowning seemed so much more appealing than continuing to fight against all odds. I have always known that my strong will and the infinite desire to succeed have been stronger than anything else I’ve had to overcome in my life. This became very clear to me when I was given the precious gift of becoming a Mother, that holding onto life was no longer about me, but about my unborn Daughter. When I found out I had become pregnant at the age of 20, just after going through a separation from my first husband, I felt a strong force took over my will and my attitude shifted from doubt to certainty. From that moment on, I had the responsibility to become someone greater, not just for me, but for my child. I cried uncontrollably for an entire day when I found out about my pregnancy, not because I didn’t want to become a Mom, but because I was afraid I didn’t have much to offer to my baby. I remember thinking, I can continue to feel sorry for myself, or I can pull myself together, move on and take control of my life. Next thing you know, I’m standing at an isle at Barne’s & Noble staring at the stack of self-help books that promised to teach me about the different phases of pregnancy, and how to survive separation. From then on, my life has been filled with constant learning, a heavy dose of books that came and went, perpetual online reading, as well as audio classes, podcasts, college, and anything and everything I could find. Self-growth, education, curiosity, and an array of new experiences have allowed me to grow into the person that I am today. Who am I, you might ask? I am a strong woman, mother, wife, supportive friend, caring daughter, professional, entrepreneur, blogger, podcaster, philanthropist, community supporter, and humanitarian, but most importantly I am a dreamer. Dreamers live a life of excitement with a unceasable desire to explore and learn. This vision and my plans for my family and my future are non-negotiable. Because of this, my dedication to excellence reinforces the type of service I provide for my clientele. As I represent my clients during their home buying or home selling process, my ultimate goal is to work for my client’s best interests. No transaction is ever too small, too easy, or too time-consuming. To me, every transaction deserves its time, respect, dedication, and 100 percent of everything I can give of me to make it successful. I want my clients to feel in their hearts, that they made the best choice in choosing me. And I want those who surround my family’s and my life to know that they are extremely important to me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://temeculalivinhomes.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/temeculalivin_homes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Temeculalivinhomes/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karina-duke-2b92a134/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/temeculalivin_h
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/karina-duke-temecula-livin-homes-temecula
- Other: ► IG: @Temecula_Livin https://www.instagram.com/temecula_livin/ ► FB: @TemeculaLivin https://www.facebook.com/TemeculaLivin ► TikTok: @KarinaDuke https://www.tiktok.com/@karinaduke Podcast https://www.latinasconfortalezapodcast.com ► IG: @Latinasconfortaleza https://www.instagram.com/latinasconfortaleza/ ► YouTube: Latinas con Fortaleza Podcast https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC27Tg5gRRXgqnflSEzIPnbQ ► Web: https://www.latinasconfortalezapodcast.com
Image Credits
Harper Visuals Photography
Karina Duke’s Photography