REAL
ESTATE.
How It Started
Like a lot of college students in 2020, I was stuck at home, bored, and feeling a little unproductive. The pandemic had kicked us out of our dorms, and I was back in my childhood bedroom wondering how to make the most of an unexpected break from campus. One of my friends had recently gotten their real estate license and was already closing deals part-time while still taking classes. I figured: why not me?
So I took the chance. I enrolled in online courses through an online college, passed the exam, and became a licensed real estate agent at 19. From there, I joined Meacham Real Estate, a smaller brokerage in Ohio, and eventually transitioned to Keller Williams Classic Properties in Columbus. It was a crash course in not just real estate but brand-building, relationship management, and selling myself in an industry built on experience I didn’t yet have.
Building a Personal Brand
Here’s the thing about real estate: it’s a business of trust. And when you’re a 19-year-old kid with a baby face trying to sell grown adults a home worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, trust doesn’t come easily.
So I leaned into transparency. I didn’t pretend to be a seasoned expert. I told my clients upfront that I was new, but that I would work harder than anyone else to get them the answers they needed. I was honest, responsive, and made it a point to be hyper-prepared. If I didn’t know something, I found out fast. That commitment helped me build credibility because people don’t just buy homes, they buy into people.
And that strategy worked.​
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Eventually, I landed my first buyer client: a couple looking to downsize after their kids moved out. We toured multiple listings, used MLS to compare comps, crunched numbers, made an offer, negotiated back and forth, handled inspections, paperwork, loan approvals, and ultimately closed on a $155,000 condo. That transaction taught me the real lifecycle of a sale and how to be a reliable, composed presence at every step.
Marketing That’s Human
My lead generation strategy wasn’t fancy. It was scrappy and authentic. I used what I knew: Social Media.
Facebook posts. Instagram stories. TikToks with house tours. I even networked with other agents, hosting open houses or helping with showings in exchange for referrals and mentorship. Every coffee meeting, every shared listing, every favor paid off.
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Instead of trying to “look corporate,” I leaned into being relatable. People were tired of cookie-cutter agent promos—they wanted someone who felt approachable, especially first-time buyers and younger clients. That’s where I found my niche.
What Real Estate Taught Me
Even though I eventually pivoted away from real estate, the lessons stuck:
Trust is everything. Especially when you don’t have a track record.
Your brand is your personality, not your business card.
Marketing is just storytelling that converts.
And being new doesn’t mean you’re not qualified, it means you’re hungry.
Real estate didn’t just teach me how to sell homes. It taught me how to build relationships, build confidence, and build a brand that people want to work with.