We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Toria Wallace a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Toria, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? We’d love to hear the backstory the illustrates how you grew the firm

I love this question so much and I agree 100%; I think people will see someones success but not completely understand the process it took to get there. One thing I love about myself is my transparency so I have always been completely open and honest about my journey as a real estate professional. I received my real estate salespersons license in April of 2014 and started working at an independently owned & operated franchise. I wasn’t trained and didn’t have much guidance, so a lot of what I learned was from trial and error. The next brokerage move I made, I was sure to ask more questions to be sure that I’d have support. It was actually to a broker that I had interviewed years prior when I was still in high school. I was welcomed with open arms, and there were more people that looked like me. I didn’t stay with that company, but I did learn a lot from the broker and the individuals there. In 2017, I had a rough year. That year, I had worked for 4 different brokerages. I call that year my ‘rock bottom’ year because that’s literally where I was. That year, I planted so many seeds. Today, in 2023, I am enjoying the harvest from those seeds. I truly faced so much unexpected hardship during that time that nobody knows about. I lost deals, customers and clients were “stolen” from me, I even lost clients simply because of who I worked for. That was hard for me. Being so young in the business at the time, it weighed on me because I took so much of it personally. I didn’t realize God was letting these things happen earlier in my career because He knew I needed tough skin for longevity in this business. He knew I needed to be able to handle rejection, and He knew I needed to see for myself that I can handle anything that comes my way. Not only for me, but for my clients and customers. I think experience is the best teacher, whether they are good or bad experiences. I’m currently working at one of the best real estate companies in Southeast Georgia and I know for a fact that everything I’ve learned, everything I’ve been through, and everything I’ve experienced got me ready to be right where I am. I remember wanting to make the move to Rawls Realty years ago, but I felt I wasn’t ready. I wanted to be in a specific place in my career and in my life personally before I worked here. I remember being so nervous just by the thought of this brokerage move and hearing God tell me I’m ready for it. I’ve been with Rawls Realty for almost 2 years now and I must say it has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in my career. Real estate is already a tough career but having support makes it easier to maintain and keep going.

Toria, 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?

My name is Toria Wallace and I’m an Associate Broker of Rawls Realty. I began selling real estate at the age of 19 so I call myself a ‘real estate baby’. I was born in Savannah, GA but raised in Hinesville, GA although my family is originally from Montgomery, AL (Roll Tide!). I got into real estate at a young age but it has definitely been a dream of mine since I was 13 years old. I’ve always had a love for houses, architecture, interior design & decorating, and business. I specialize in residential and commercial real estate and have almost 9 years of experience in real estate sales. I believe in ethical business practices and carrying myself with class, professionalism, and integrity. I believe I am my client’s voice when they’re buying or selling their home. It’s the biggest transaction in your life, so it’s only right that you have the best representation — it matters. I assure all my clients that they’ll have an exceptional real estate experience and I am here for them every step of the way. I bring a personable approach to real estate. I’m big on being relatable to my clients, being transparent, being honest, and ultimately being myself. My clients get the real me and we truly have a great time, too.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

Referrals. I can truly say at this point in my career, my business is strictly referral based. My past clients are to thank for that. They are always thinking of me and that truly is the biggest compliment I could ever receive. I take care of my clients and they take care of me in return.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I didn’t start really posting on my social media until 2017. I have a business page as well as my personal page but I post business on my personal page as well. I think there should be a balance. There was a time when all I posted about was houses and house related things then I realized people should really know me. I say I always want to be relatable no matter how successful I get and I always want to be me, Toria. I used to wonder how I can meet a client for the first time and feel like I’ve literally known them forever and I do believe it’s because I’ve created a balance on my social media, especially Facebook. I meet a lot of my clients on there, too.

Contact Info:

• Website: toria-wallace.com
• Instagram: @realestatetoria
• Facebook: facebook.com/toriawallacerealtor

Image Credits
J. Wright Snapped Toria Wallace