Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Watkins.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Most people would probably say they’ve always had a passion for real estate and that wasn’t the case with me. I’ve always loved looking at gorgeous houses, but who doesn’t love that?! I never saw myself wanting to be a realtor when I was younger. That changed when I bought my first home at the age of 26. It was one of the best experiences and it gave me my first taste of the real estate world. I didn’t have an agent so it was just my parents and I. They helped guide me as best they could. They bought a house 24 years prior, but things had changed in those years that it was like they were learning everything all over again so that was a fun part of my life to experience with them.
A few years prior to me buying my home I was working as an assistant store manager at a big box company. I wanted to get my real estate license, but my work schedule never allowed me to take the classroom course. I learn better in person so I knew that online classes wouldn’t work. Fast forward to almost six years later, a new job and new schedule make it possible for me to finally take the class. I was working full time and going to classes at night three days a week from 6-10pm and I lived 45 minutes away from the class so it made for very long days during those 6-7 weeks. Luckily, I passed both the class and state exam the first time because my time and money were scarce at that point.
I obtained my license and put it on “inactive” for six months until I was able to put some time and effort into becoming a successful realtor. I joined a reputable brokerage that was known for their excellent training and I soaked up all of the knowledge I could from realtors who were in the top 5% and top 10% of their association. I’ve since joined another brokerage, but I’ve been able to incorporate my Undergrad and Master’s degrees (Communications & Marketing) to help me further my real estate business to where it is now. It took some time to get here, but I’m looking forward to the future and what this industry holds for me!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When you’re in real estate school they don’t teach you how to read/write contracts, get clients, build systems, etc so the first part is trial and error. I was fortunate to have my license with a reputable brokerage that offered a ton of training and classes to help get my feet wet. Being an entrepreneur there’s always going to be highs and lows on a daily basis, but one of the biggest struggles I had was getting my name out there. I was a “secret agent” for a long time. No one knew that I was in real estate school except for one person…not even my parents knew and I talked to them everyday, lol. I didn’t tell my parents until after I passed the test and got my license. Even then, I still didn’t let the world know or introduce myself as a realtor. Whenever anyone asked what I did for a living my response was always “I’m a tennis instructor.” Then one day I told myself that no one is ever going to know that I’m in real estate if I don’t say anything. From that point forward I told myself anytime someone asks what I do for a living I’ll tell them I’m a realtor. Just making that small change allowed me to be more open with others around me and give them a glimpse of my personality and what I do for a living. Now, anybody that wants to listen, I’ll talk their head off about real estate and how it’s helped me, lol.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Watkins Realty Group specializes in all residential sales from First Time Home Buyers to the person that’s bought five homes to the newly or seasoned investors as well as someone wanting to sell their home for top dollar. I’m looking to get into the commercial side within the next year or so, but right now if it involves buying/selling a home then I’m your girl!
What sets my business apart from others is my dedication to my clients. I’ve been teaching and educating people for almost ten years so understanding what my clients want, need, how they think and how they communicate are paramount to the success of my business. My goal with every client is to ensure that they have the best experience possible and I do that by actually listening to them. There have been several times where I’ve had to terminate contracts because I knew that particular house wasn’t for my clients for whatever reason and it didn’t matter how much money I was going to lose. My clients trust me to help them make one of the biggest financial decisions of their life and it didn’t sit right that they moved forward with that deal. What’s right for you is meant for you and you’ll know it. If you lead with the client’s best interest in mind at all times then you can’t go wrong.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
My advice for finding a mentor is it’s about relationship building. One of the complaints from people that mentor is that everyone wants to “pick their brain” over a cup of coffee or take them out to lunch. Ask yourself what are you going to do to make them mentoring you worth their while? You might be paying a fee or they might get part of your commission, but if they’re in your same office a lot of times, they’ll do it for free. So the best thing to do would be to offer to help them with a project/task that they need to complete in exchange for their information. That way they don’t feel like they’re giving away all of their secrets and years of struggle for nothing. It’s seen as an even exchange in their eyes. Plus, volunteering your time and effort helps show them your willingness to learn and improve. Genuine relationships with people will go a long way in them wanting to help you. Don’t always be so eager to take their knowledge, be willing to help as well.
I’m the type of person that I have no problem paying for education if I believe it will help me. Real estate is one of these businesses where you have to “pay to play” and education is no different. My first brokerage, I paid a big chunk of my commission to have a mentor. Although I’m no longer with that brokerage, it taught me that you always have to educate yourself and if learning from a top producing realtor means I have to pay to acquire the knowledge then that’s what I’ll do.
There are several ways to go about finding a mentor/getting the right training. You have to pick the style that best suites you.
Contact Info:
- Email: erinwatkins.realestate@gmail.com
- Website: erinwatkins.normanliving.net
- Instagram: __erinwatkins__
- Facebook: erinwatkinsrealestate
Image Credits
Professional photos were done by @purecollaborations (IG handle)
