We were lucky to catch up with Kirstin (K Sha’Ree) Oliver recently and have shared our conversation below.
Kirstin (K Sha’Ree) , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
The biggest risk, which also may seem like the smallest risk, that I have ever taken, that changed my entire life; was in the year of 2016 approximately 3 months after my daughter was born, on December 2, of 2015.
I got up, packed everything, broke my lease, and took my three month old baby girl, from Baytown Texas, to the Galleria side of Houston Texas to start completely over with nothing.
Where another set of her grandparents parents’ live and still reside.
What really made it such a risky chance was that, the old 1999 Kia Sephia…that I was driving,
Was about to lose literally just one, wheel bearing, and if that wheel bearing,
would have broken just but one single bolt, during a drive on the Houston I-10 Freeway, with my 3 month Old daughter, as well as I was pregnant for a second baby,
and all my things stuffed in that car that, I could take at the time….
This no doubt, could have drastically changed the course of our entire destiny.
Here’s the situation at hand.
I was a single mother with a new born, on my own, and pregnant with a second child, my children’s father was incarcerated at the time, no one really even knew about the fact that,
I was also going through a miscarriage.
(Rest Easy to my unborn child <3 )…
This risk, was an ultimate risk, that created an entire new reality for our lives.
Some for the best of times, and some for the rough of times.
But To a path that only god knew, the risk I was taking was enough to put any human on edge.
The fact of life or death, honestly was all I saw-
that, I could personally choose from.
I could sit in Baytown and die, with my dreams, my second baby,
and in turn possibly save the first baby with a life unforeseen,
or…
I could gamble with all three of our lives, and just try to make it to another part in our path.
By taking the drive on the bearing, risking our lives.
Knowing that car wasn’t even really going above 30 miles per hour, and the wheel would be making that wobble feeling, and bumping noises.
It was horrible.
I needed to leave my home town in Baytown Texas,
to the Galleria side of Houston Texas which, I was also familiar with after living there on and off since the age of 5, with my step dad and then coming back around my Freshman year of University of Houston,
also noted, I dropped out after my marital separation.
I had to figure out just what I was really about to just do with my life, at this point….
Now that I was a soon to be Navy military wife divorcee being abandoned by my ex husband, with babies, at 23 who in fact, was not my husband’s at the time, and no father to assist,
I had to figure out how in the world, I was to assist everyone in this new situation I was about to create.
You have to know the raw fact …
I had no clue what I was doing, and I’m an open book, this was my life, and I simply must say that I just had to get to mixin’ up some lemonade with these lemons I had.
So, I packed us up, I prayed for safe travels and We left.
From my honest heart, and soul
the plan,
turned out way beyond, the imagination that anyone around us nor I could see by far.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Originally, after traveling the US country, selling CDs from Texas to Chicago.
I signed up for some classes at Houston Community College, not really knowing what I was doing, but just doing.
My background has always been Technological Engineering, Math and Graphic Design, although I grew up with a family who owned rentals. The worlds would were bound to collide.
I just did not know it would, or that it would have ever transformed into the way that it did.
I was then referred to a broker by a good friend of mine, at the time who is still my current Trusted Broker as well as my business partner.
He started me off with the internship position, and from there I worked under a leading top apartment locator, who taught me the industry in many different facets, my broker never left my side though.
I am a Houston & Texas REALTOR, I provide Representation services to Prospective Home buyers , Sellers, Tenants and Landlords with in their real estate needs.
We mainly focus in on luxury residential as well as we are working on some commercial division integrations that are set to take place in the near future.
We build Real Estate Professionals from the ground up, teaching them competency and ethics to successfully transact real estate transactions through out Texas.
What sets us apart is the diligent work we place into each transaction, every transaction is different and unique and it is our job to accommodate our clients as such in a way, that we cover all grounds.
We work on a no excuse policy, we get it done, the right way, and the first time.
I would have to say that I am most proud of my team, my daughter most of all and my family, it takes a tough support system to stick it out in all odds for the greater purpose at hand.
The KST ELITE, REALTORS, along with the KST ELITE FAMILY have always shown up and showed out when it comes to what we are all building individually and collectively.
Appreciation is an understatement for the amount of work that they put in to support us at our toughest moments as Realtors and Entrepreneurs.
I am honored to have worked to gain their trust; I vow to continue to do the right thing by them no matter what.
What I would like the people to know is that one thing we serve first is God,
and after that we make life work the best way we know how.
However Prosperity comes with much given, to much will have to be required, so
The KST ELITE and K Sha’Ree Ent.
Brand will forever be here to serve you first and foremost,
and we will always put our clients best interest first above all and stand on our code of ethics no matter what occurs.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
The biggest lesson that I had to unlearn was almost every single thing I was ever taught… honestly!
Which means basically my entire thought bank on everything and anything that I might of even thought
was right, before becoming an Entrepreneur.
I had to reprogram my entire mindset!
But to narrow it down to a science of understanding, what being a leader and Consulting Representative really truly is and how to continue to thrive when all odds seem to be stacked against you?
Firstly there is a fine line between realism and a negative mindset.
Before I dive deep in to that concept, we should sometimes consider the facts of the matter and compare the two,
which is the basis of being honest and stating factual driven information
and what it means to have a negative way of thinking towards yourself and others around you.
Let me explain what I mean, some people take an actual true fact, that can be proven,
and seemingly diagnose it as a negative thought process.
Not because you are actually being negative in the way of what you are saying or thinking,
but rather the truth is that most humans just do Not simply like to Hear the Truth.
I had to reprogram my mindset, by every morning for the past 4.5 years I have listened to motivational speaking every morning before I leave the house after I listen to a good speech I Jam my hustle music,
this literally drowns out the real negativity that is about to be forced my way from any way,
I have already did the protection foreground work before leaving the home.
When you learn to retain the facts, drain out the negativity and be honest about what liabilities are at stake then you are able to think more logically about the moves you are getting ready to make.
Then the negativity comes from others peoples o
Here are 3 things I had to relearn, and stick by and they all circle back to one lesson in general:
#1 ) Peoples opinions and what they think of you are to not be taken personal. It does not define you or your capabilities and 9 times out of ten they are truly just unsure to how to dream as big as the next person with out c
#2) Having a Lack of Confidence – Another association with others opinions,
however confidence in your self and the ability to know that
you are capable of anything you put your mind to, you invested into your knowledge and career you can not allow others to depict your future for you trust it is not enough to believe you in yourself but you also still have to put in the sleepless hours.
Some successful players can operate later on in their career on an 8 hours of sleep schedule,
but more then likely they have spent those drilling sleepless days it takes,
to get to those residual income streams.
( “However I’d Bet that those same successful top producers, no matter how much they make,
are more then likely still up days on end on occasions*)
#3 ) The last factor of the lesson I had to unlearn,
is that having other side hustles takes away the energy you have for he growth of your business.
The truth is we all have our own ways of making thing happen, if that method works for you, and you are doing the right thing by all parties involved. Do not let others again tell you how to get to your dreams unless they are,
who you are working hard to become.
You are not going about it wrong, just because you do not choose to do it the traditional way.
In order to go somewhere extravagant you must work your way up the,
and there are no easy roads to the greater heights that you want to go to.
That is also depending on what you are individually defining success as in
your own existence.
I came to these conclusions from the fact that my whole life I was called so many things and told so many things negatively and some people do not really realize that it is embedded in them to try to slow down your path due to fear of seeing others win over the next.
The main backstory to this lesson and factors was once I was running in a neighborhood doing my 3 miles a day and this was in like 2018, I had become licensed and also sold a few number of houses. However I so dearly wanted to break the million dollar price rang at the start of my career because of how just amazed I was at the amount of money that real estate sales could actually make me, I was about 24 and I was new to the industry and I was hot and the market was on fire with sells and bonuses… so I asked my direct mentor At the time what he thought about me calling the listing agents of some of those million dollar listings that I was running by and see if they would allow me to host an open house.
His answer to me stunted my immediate growth, for one I never did follow through with calling the listing agents, and two I later learned that I had to break his answer down into factual statement and compare it to a negative thought process of thinking his answer was a completely false statement, which made it a negative way of leading me,
when in fact some years lead to current time and even on the hit show selling sunset one of the Oppenheim;’
m brothers clearly stated that it is so vital to do open houses, you just never know what you will get from it.” And they feature a way more expensive real estate market in California then Texas. Although that is a reality show his comment was 10o% accurate.
The moral of the story, is because I never took a chance I never tested my theory which may in turn have stunt my producing a million dollar property my first and second year in the industry, which would have been something unseen at that time for someone like me.
I was already producing Millions of dollars in volume but not in one unit, I am not down to the science of producing 1 million in volume in just two transactions, which makes me a luxury Realtor.
I was told that I could never do an open house at a luxury listing due to the fact those type of listings usually have other qualifications and most of those agents want to see a pre-approval before you come in the door. This is only true if the seller otherwise says other, the seller is just in the market to sell the home, so more often then not they will work to get it sold.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
To answer this question, of what my biggest contributing factors to my reputation in my market, was I Instead, asked those
major real players in my market sphere, that work with Me as a Realtor as well as, work
for KST ELITE, REALTORS on a day to day basis in the Real Estate Market.
Here were their honest responses to the question:
The first person I asked was:
My Biggest ELITE client account, in my transactions data base as of today.
We have been in standing special agency relationship for going on 3 years in apxt.:
She stated she worked with me over all other realtors due to
my personality, my go ‘getter’ vibes, and my no limitation thinking!”
(Also note these hit home for me as, I almost cried when receiving these responses!)
KST ELITES’ Top Producing ELITE Realtor Associate :
stated for him in his experience he chose me as a supervising Realtor Associate due to:
“my market knowledge, my communication skills, and my dedication!”
KST ELITES’ Interning ELITE Realtor who is working towards her license, currently
and relocated to Texas, from Georgia for reasons, but part of her goals were to work with KST ELITE
some how, in some way one day and she successfully obtained the intern position.
I asked her what made her chose me over all others that she could have interned with,
she went on to explain her key factors:
“Reputation”
“Selflessness..” She went on to say that I, “wrote a book to help other people understand a real estate transaction.”
My “Research ability: she says that, if I have a client and they are asking for something in particular, I will take moments to research, to understand them as the client.”
My “Faith /Morals : “your word is your word, you live by it!!! and that “I practice what I Preach and I give Sermons.”
“Adaptability:
She stated that “under pressure I adjust well, in any environment, and that I adjust to understand.”
That I am “not always the best in the room, because I believe in growth.”
And lastly she exclaimed
That To her I ” am a Creator.”
She said, She Ultimately chose me over all others in the profession
to obtain her license through, was because
I “create jobs and life for others.”
“Through Motherhood and Brokerhood.” She felt I am a woman who pursues greatness and never looked back.”
I then Asked, last but not least, KST ELITE REALTORS’ Broker, Managing Partner and Co-Founder.
Who has been my own broker since fresh fish meat to an industry full of sharks.
He awarded me into his intern program in 2017,
Then he awarded me with the 2017 Top Producing REALTOR award my first year in the industry, as well I can say that never left me even when I left him.
I asked him, why he chose to take me on as an agent overall the other qualified candidates:
His response:
“ The reason I chose to take you on as an agent is because you had a passion for real estate, and your ambition. You started off as an intern and worked your way up the ladder really fast. You believed in your vision, so much that you were willing to quiet your steady job to become a full time Realtor and now your getting ready to be a Broker.”
And after he sent me his response,
he then exclaimed to me that he was
“proud of me”. And I honestly can’t tell you how much that is motivating me to keep going stronger.
These were their true statements.
I am eternally grateful, and super blessed to have gained their support, and trust
because with out them there would be
No KST ELITE, REALTORS.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.har.com/kirstin-oliver/agent_KiOliver?renew=1
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ksteliterealtors/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/k-sha’ree-500520183
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ksharee12
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0SmijCvG7CEJPVujlBlTYg
- Other: https://www.har.com/kst-elite-realtors-llc/broker_KSTE01 https://www.yelp.com/biz/kirstin-oliver-keller-williams-advantage-realty-conroe
Image Credits
KST ELITE, REALTORS FRIENDS AND FAMILY