My Real Estate Journey As Someone Two Years In

Someone once asked me in my late teens, “What is your why?” “What do you mean?” I ask as I have no idea what that question meant while during that time, I think I know everything because that is simply what teenagers do, but with the simplest answer I heard, “What is your purpose in this life?”

That short exchange of words created such a deep longing as to what I have to offer this world and what sort of impact I was going to make in it. Servant leadership is something that kept sticking in my head but furthermore it was a sense to truly give back in the most unselfish way. My purpose, I discovered, is to be an impact in God’s kingdom and to live not with the motivation of my own personal gain but uplift those around me and be an impact in their lives. The money and means for living will come, which is challenging especially with the society we live in today but that is not my purpose. I was blessed enough to encounter an amazing opportunity with a career that fit my “why.” That career just so happened to be in real estate.

How was I introduced to Real Estate?

I was first introduced to real estate at an early age in middle school around 2008. My mom had owned her own dance studio around that time even before I was born. One of her high school friends who just so happened to be the broker of a strong local real estate company planted the seed that she would be a great real estate agent with her poise and personality. Well, that seed sprouted into something my mom never expected. She ended up selling her share of the studio and took a full dive into the real estate industry.

Her first couple of years in the business were nothing special. It was 2008 and we witnessed one the worst market crashes the country has ever seen. Everything related to the housing market was dead in the water. From the most experienced realtors to newly license agents, everyone was on the same playing field. Consistency and perseverance allowed my mom to gain momentum with her career and has continued to grow since. It was only made since with the demand my mom was facing that she needed to expand and with the perfect timing my father got licensed as well.

During this time, I was their team’s unlicensed assistant. I would help set up mailers, get open house materials organized, and occasionally go on appointments. Essentially, I was a fly on the wall. Let me be honest with you. I was not swept off my feet with real estate at this point. I was getting paid for busy work and in my mind that was it. Things clicked when I was able to witness a closing. My parents had been working with these clients that had been so stressed and anxious about buying their first home. Calls at all hours of the day about every step of the process with a few fires to put out but my parents would handle it with ease and care that truly came from the heart. Seeing the joy and gratitude of those clients as they received the keys to their new home lit that spark. The fact that my parents were able to help be an impact in their lives, support those clients in one of the most stressful times in their life, while building relationships they have continued to this day is what truly had me hooked.

What was the market like when I got started?

In 2021, I had just got licensed in February before my last season of college football. I started the initial set up of my career with my family’s team but did not jump in full time until after graduation in January of 2022. The market was in the beginning stages of correcting itself with the market boom we witnessed in 2019-2020. Interest rates were reaching their lowest and were beginning to increase. It was the heaviest seller paced market I had witnessed with buying demand at a high and supply at a low. If you had a listing, it essentially sold itself based on competition alone and if you had a buyer, it better be a cash or conventional loan approved deal or if not, you had buyers waiting.

Luckily for me, I was not going into the industry blind. I had a system and foundation in place that my family had set up as well as a brokerage that had an amazing support staff. Of course, I had and still have questions to this day but with a strong foundation, you are more projected for success. Over the past two years in 2021 and 2022, my family’s team and I have ranked within the Top 15 in gross commission income in our office and earning multiple awards as well due to the amount clients we have helped and the care we give to them. Again, the awards and money will come but you need to care for your client first and foremost.

Being a realtor has not been all sunshine and rainbows. I have dealt with clients that mentally drain you, deals that are on the brink of crumbling, short notices with multiple fires you need to try and put out simultaneously, and time constrains that seem impossible to work in but there is always a way to approach a situation.

Here are a few takeaways from my time so far in Real Estate:

1.      Do not be afraid to ask questions: You are not going to know everything and that is okay. What is not okay is you are asked a question you do not have an answer to and try to make up an answer. “I do not know but I can get you an answer” is a perfectly fine statement to make and shows you are honest.

2.      Set goals and principles for yourself: Working hard is great but if it is an aimless effort, you may be hindering what you truly want to achieve. Write down specific goals that you want to meet and how you are going to meet them. Having something that is tangible and can look back on will keep you in the right direction. Goals should be S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely)

3.      Take time for yourself: Yes, some personally “me” time is necessary every so often. It is not selfish if you are burning yourself out at both ends which I know some of you are. Go for that walk, read that book, try that new fitness class. Take time to fill up your cup. How can you ever expect to pour into others if you have an empty cup?

4.      What you put in is what you will get out: Real Estate is 100% on your time. If you want to treat it as a full-time job that is what it will be. If you treat it as a side hustle that is what it will be. Do not get upset if you are treating it as a side hustle and are not getting the results of it as full-time.

5.      Less is sometimes more: The best part of real estate is there is some much that you can do. The worst part of real estate is there is so much you can do. Real estate has so many niches. There is residential and commercial and within those frames you have investing, single family, multifamily, office space, industrial, property management, and more. My recommendation is pick one or a few and make it your specialty.

6.      This is not Selling Sunset on TV: Not every deal is going to be extravagant and effortless. There are going to be some where you question why you are even in the industry all together. “You pray for rain, you gotta deal with the mud too. That’s part of it.”- Denzel Washington

7.      Know your “Why”: What is your purpose in this world? What is the impact you want to leave? Where is your heart? Are you living solely for yourself or to impact those around you? These are questions you need to ask yourself.  

Cameron has been licensed in Kentucky since 2021 with his family team, Team Barrett at HUFF Realty, where they deal with residential sales. Cameron and his team have been in the Top 15 of their brokerage for 2021 and 2022. Team Barrett was awarded Chairman’s Club Status for having 70+ total closed units in 2022 as well.