I have degrees in history and graphic design. I was young, had just gotten out of college and I answered a Craigslist ad for marketing with Sally Forster Jones. I thought, since I had a graphic design degree, that's what I'd be doing. I think when you're first starting out you have to be very open-minded and take the first good opportunity—don't be afraid to take it, even if it’s not exactly what you thought you’d be doing. Put your “feelers” out there and talk to as many people as you possibly can. I started doing Sally’s real estate marketing before moving on to Transaction Coordinator, which involved opening and closing escrow and everything in between.

I worked really hard and stayed very late, sometimes as late as 10:00 p.m., making sure everything was right. It's a high stress job. I'd have 15 open escrows that I would juggle at the same time. I really jumped in feet first and had to learn the backside of the industry. Normally, a lot of different states have lawyers to do what real estate agents in California do. We're like little mini-lawyers and being on a big team allowed me to learn a lot in a short amount of time.

Since my family is involved in real estate and development it was a relatively smooth transition. One of the reasons I answered that Craigslist ad was because it was two things I really liked: graphic design and real estate. It was something I liked, within what I had been doing.

I grew up in Danville, California. I went to University of Arizona and then went back to the Bay Area. I wanted to leave because that's where I'm from. Some people have a natural inclination to leave, which I did. The next best thing in my mind, besides going to New York, would be going to LA. I made the transition because I wanted to move here and live in L.A. That was six years ago and I met my husband in the interim, and started this career that has treated me very well.

I think luxury properties are a nice goal for people. I have been fortunate enough to come into the industry and represent these incredible properties, but I do everything. I am not opposed to helping a friend out with buying a condo or with a lease. I don’t think any real estate agent should turn down something just because it’s small. We're in the service business. I am fortunate to be able to represent luxury properties and it tends to snowball. If you have one giant property, the next one comes because people feel comfortable that you can represent them. 

My dad is in development but also in the entrepreneurial world. He's been an incredible role model to have. My history degree taught me to be a good writer. Your business acumen is very important; you want to present yourself in the best way possible, such as laying off the emoticons until you have reached a level of comfort with the person you're emailing. College is great because your time management skills get put to the test. You're working hard and, even if you're not getting a technical degree, a more general degree is still a fabulous education. If you're not sure what to do, pick a general degree that will teach you how to write and how to be analytical.

It actually didn't! To be honest, high-end real estate people were buying no matter what—even when it crashed. There may have been six months where it slowed down but then people started coming in and buying with a lot of cash, foreign and local investors alike. There are always people buying in the high-end market, especially in LA. We’ve seen a huge increase in the last couple of years, a lot of properties that were over 10 million dollars. Many wealthy people took the opportunity to buy because the market was down.

People are very smart, tenacious and ambitious. If you don't have your full heart in this process, don't do it. It takes a lot of time to be a good agent. You have to do your homework—know everything about title, escrow, transaction periods, etc. You need a well-rounded knowledge of architecture, locations, prices, etc. You really need to know what you're doing and, if it's just a quick fix because you think the money's good, then it's not going to work for you. It's extremely competitive. Real estate is a pretty natural conversation, but people gravitate towards authenticity. Your natural real estate passion should be obvious to your clients.

For every realtor, there is a client. I might be a really good match for someone who doesn't want to be pushed, but others might never buy a home unless they have a realtor that pushes them forward. My style is not pushy because I'm not like that in my real life. I'm going to make sure you feel comfortable and I'm going to give you all the facts, guide you and let you make decisions. At the end of the day I need to go home, relax and feel good about myself. Nobody wants to feel bad about what they've done throughout the day! You're going to have good and bad agents, just like in any other profession. Staying true to yourself and having integrity is key because people recognize that. I really do believe that the cream rises to the top.

This isn't a normal 9-to-5 job; it's longer than that. The top agents might go on vacation but they're attached to their phones because they need to be accessible to their clients. It's a very time consuming job, but for the most part, I don't have a set schedule. I try to workout as much as possible. Pilates and yoga are my two favorites, either in the morning or evening. Taking a little bit of time to myself goes a long way. I know what time I'm waking up, but my day is all over the place, so I prioritize and whatever needs my attention the most is what I’ll be doing first. Time management is key.

I know people that don't like it as much because clients will say, "Well, on Zillow it says..." when the information might not necessarily be accurate. I like online resources. I think everyone should have a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips. It makes for a savvy consumer. I'd rather have my clients be as educated as possible using, for example, RedFin or Trulia. It makes my job easier because they know what is selling and what their price range should be because they've done their homework. There are some misconceptions that you might need to teach clients, but as far as the Internet, videos and listings online go, I think it's great. It's also a great way to get your listings sold.

No matter where we are, at the top or in the middle, we all have one thing in common: we're always searching for the next sale. That's probably the #1 obstacle. You always ask yourself if it's going to happen. Sales are just sales—if you don't put the time and effort into it, then your next month is going to be horrible! Every single real estate agent feels the pressure to find that next sale, and you have to keep yourself positive, which is hard when it's a relatively solitary line of work. A lot of times you are out on your own. You’re your own mini-business, so you have to keep yourself going every single day.

For me, I have to be kind to myself, remain positive and keep going. There are bad days and good days, but hopefully more good than bad. The sale is going to come, at some point, as long as you put in the work. But really put the work in. 

If you have a dream, start talking to your family and friends about it. If it's really a passion of yours, just pursue it—no matter what. I think it's important to have a career and something that you're proud of; it creates a well-rounded person. I didn't know I was going to fall into this but once I did, I made sure to give it my all.

Be true to yourself; don't pretend like you're someone that you're not. If you're funny and quirky, let that shine through in your business life. People will respond to that. In real estate you'll see a lot of glitz and glam, but don't let that consume you. Be grounded and, ultimately, be a good person. Even if you're not in a position you like, don't stop working hard. Always give it your all. It will never work if you don't give it your all.

I definitely want to focus on being Jonah Wilson's buyer's agent. I want to make that work! He's never had a buyer's agent and I've never been someone's sole buyer's agent. I want to really take my career to the next level. I have certain monetary goals that are pretty big, and I want to make this transition to Hilton & Hyland and with Jonah successful.