We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Naseema Mohamed a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Naseema, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. The first dollar your firm earns is always special. We’d love to hear about how you got your first client that wasn’t a friend or family.
I remember sitting in my exam prep class, imagining the day that I would get my first client. I could picture myself meeting with them, listening to their needs and wants, and taking them to tour homes. Once I passed my real estate exam, I was excited to be one step closer to working with my first clients. I met with a few different brokerages, and finally found one that I felt was a good fit. You don’t realize until you’re officially signed with a brokerage that the business doesn’t simply just fall in your lap. Granted, that wasn’t what I expected to happen – but you don’t really think about how it has to happen. My first clients were a referral from a friend. I was anxious, nervous, excited, optimistic. I carefully outlined questions that I wanted to ask them at our first meeting to ensure that I was capturing everything I needed to best fit their home ownership dreams. Shortly after, we began touring homes. Once we found the home that checked off most of their boxes, we submitted an offer. What a scary and exciting moment for both of us! I never mentioned to them that they were my first client. I approached everything about the situation as if I were in their shoes. During each step of the process, I consulted a mentor and asked them questions that I would have asked if I were the buyer. My mentor mentioned that this was such a forward thinking approach and that this was surely a great way to make the homebuying process smooth for my buyers. We made it through negotiations for repairs and I was even able to have the seller pay for most of my clients’ closing costs! Fast forward a couple of weeks and we are at the final walk through of the property. This is our final step before going to the title company to sign the papers at closing. I begin to feel the nervous excitement running through my body. I am absolutely elated for my buyers! The seller completed the repairs as requested in the contract and my buyers are coming to the closing table with minimal funds out of pocket. They are purchasing their first home as a young, married couple. They are picturing themselves with their future children, making fabulous memories in this home. After we sign the papers at the title company, I handed the keys over to my clients with the biggest smile and a housewarming gift. My first clients have their home! I officially have my first deal under my belt! This is the beginning of a new, exciting career for me. It was in that moment that I knew this was the right career for me. Being part of such a big milestone in people’s lives is truly special. Purchasing a home is one of the largest investments that people make in a lifetime. Having the privilege of guiding them through the process and ensuring that they’re getting what they deserve is more fulfilling than I ever imagined!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Naseema Mohamed. I was born and raised in south Louisiana and have been living in the greater Houston area for over 10 years. I have always had a passion for serving the community and helping others. Over the years, I found myself in many service-related jobs; from food service to banking and later retail management. As many people can likely relate, I found myself feeling the burnout of retail – working long hours and doing a job that didn’t feel very impactful in the world left me with a void of sorts. I felt like I should be doing something more, something bigger, to help people in my community. Then one day, I got laid off from my job. It was scary because I have never gone more than a week being unemployed. But in hindsight, I believe it was God redirecting me into my calling. At first, I wasn’t sure what I was going to do after losing my job. My husband observed that I was always watching shows like House Hunters and My Lottery Dream Home. He asked me if I had ever thought about being a real estate agent. It definitely had crossed my mind before, but it seemed more like a faint idea than something that could fruit into reality. My husband really made me see that I could use my customer service skills/experience, combine it with my ability to talk to pretty much anyone and learn the business. I am still so grateful to him for that conversation, because it really sparked something inside of me that made me feel like I could turn that somewhat distant dream into a beautiful career. I decided to take some real estate courses while working a part time job. A few months later, I was taking my real estate exam. This was such a nerve-racking part of the process, as I was told by the instructor and several others that most people do not pass the real estate exam on their first try. By the grace of God, I passed on my first attempt!
I got my first client as a referral from a friend. I remember after they signed their closing papers, that I decided to share a little secret with them. When I told them that they were my first clients, they were absolutely blown away! They raved about how I handled everything with such professionalism and how I made everything feel so easy and seamless. I was even able to negotiate that the seller pay over $5k towards closing costs for them! My first clients’ joy, excitement and pride of purchasing their first home really gave me the feels. It made me feel like I was doing the right thing and this was where I was supposed to be in my life’s journey. I decided that I wanted to build my career doing real estate – specializing in working with first time homebuyers.
One of my biggest drives for pursuing this career is making a significant impact in my community. I have always had a heart of service, and real estate has become an excellent vessel for doing just that. Homeownership is not just about making beautiful memories in a place to call your own – it also establishes generational wealth for families. What greater impact is there than to help families build generational wealth? Especially in the Houston area, real estate is an asset that will perpetually appreciate in value. Families can pass on homes from generation to generation, or strategize on using equity in their homes to build wealth for a lifetime (or more).
I pride myself in being thorough with my clients. They can trust that the will have guidance every step of the way during their home buying journey. I make them feel at ease that they have an experienced professional in their corner to fight for what they deserve. I genuinely care about my clients and surprisingly, this is not the industry standard. There are agents out there who only care about closing the deal. The relationship with my clients doesn’t end at the closing table. I maintain relationships with them for life! I have had the honor of attending clients’ weddings and kids’ birthday parties. I remind my past clients that I am always there to help them with referrals for contractors on home projects or disputing valuations for property taxes. The value of being there for your clients beyond the transaction of their home purchase is priceless.
As I developed my career in real estate, I have also elevated my presence in the community. I volunteer with the local school district, serve on the board of directors for my local chamber of commerce, and even speak to grade school students on career day. Making connections with community leaders and local elected officials also helps me be a voice for my clients. I share concerns and compliments on behalf of my clients with our community leaders so that we can be sure the people in power are helping to keep our neighborhoods safe and our cities appealing to its residents. I always continue to educate myself and keep current with real estate laws, contracts, and best practices so that I am serving my clients in the most optimal way.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
One of the biggest factors in building my reputation within the local market has been my consistency in operating with honesty and integrity. I am a stickler about the Golden Rule, and I believe that it makes a difference! I understand that you only get one chance to make a first impression with people – whether it’s a new client or a business partner such as a fellow real estate agent, a home inspector, a loan officer – you want people to know that they can trust you as the local expert and they know they’re in good hands when working with you. Being sharp and current on real estate contracts, negotiation strategies, and always serving my clients best interests first are key in maintaining a positive reputation in the community. Whether it’s a personal or professional environment, you’re always making an impression on others. When you serve with your heart and working with integrity is at the top of your priority list, there is no doubt that you will be someone that people want to work with and enjoy being around.
What’s been the best source of new clients for you?
The best source of new clients for me has been referrals from friends and past clients. When you create a positive experience for people, it is easy for people to feel confident in referring you to their friends, family, and coworkers. People want to work with those that they like and trust. Each time I have a new client, I treat them with the utmost respect and gain their trust and confidence that I am their local expert that will guide them through the process. Buying a home is a challenging and exciting process. There are hurdles of all sizes to overcome. When these issues arise, I always reassure my clients that we can resolve things or find an outcome that suits their best interests. (Sometimes that means canceling a contract, and that is okay! We have to let go of one thing to be able to get to the next better option out there.) Working through challenges together strengthens our realtor-client relationship and in turn builds their confidence in having me in their corner. As you work through difficult situations with people, they tend to remember when you helped them. As a famous saying goes, “people won’t remember what you said or did, but they will remember how you made them feel” and I think that rings true in my field of work as well. My clients will remember the joy of winning a bidding war, the relief of having a successful negotiation of terms with the other party, and the excitement of getting keys after signing closing papers. I’m honored to be associated with those feelings and leave a lasting impression in their lives.
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