Today we’d like to introduce you to Chelsea Howland.
Chelsea, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
When I was 21, I had 2 daughters, a newborn and a 3yr old. I was having a hard time working and being away from my babies. I started looking into options where I could work from home as a legitimate career. The one and only thing that caught my interest was Real Estate. I enrolled in the Real Estate program at Hondros College of Business – committing 32 hours a week to school! I was licensed just 2 months later after passing the state & national exam. I quickly gave Real estate all that I had. I door knocked, called owners of expired listings, attended extra office trainings and continuing education classes. I gain my first Buyer by paying for leads on Zillow, even though only 1 of 500 calls were legitimate leads. The satisfying feeling of helping that Buyer purchase their first home just resonated extreme joy within me and I knew where I was supposed to be. Not even days later, I started door-knocking in a small neighborhood and gained my first listing! I was able to gain the trust of my new client and show my knowledge enough to that client that they didn’t even know they were my first listing for a very long time. To this day, that client has completed 4 transactions with me and has referred their own family to me. With every house sale through the years, the satisfying feeling of helping others accomplish their goals got more and more rewarding. Real estate isn’t easy; it can actually be really hard. We are expected to “stay in our lane” of expertise by the state but our clients often expect us to act as their real estate agent, lawyer, counselor, and accountant. Learning to juggle satisfying the needs of a client as well as not crossing the legal line of our duties can be difficult. We are dealing with the biggest purchases most Americans will ever make, it’s a delicate, stressful decision and our job is to make sure they have someone looking out for their best interest during the process and in the contract while also trying to calm nerves and guide them well. I was with a brokerage that I really loved and loved the agents too for 6 years. In the 6th year, I was working a deal with another agent who for lack of better words was a bad apple of agents, he was very unethical and took a gray area of the contract to cheat my clients out of their original agreement. I went to my brokerage for assistance and legal help and was turned down because they agreed that portion of the contract was too gray, even though the gray section was pre-written by their own lawyers. Myself and my clients felt very let down by the brokerage. We fought through many challenges but got them into a home that they love right on time for their situation. I decided to look into other brokerages. I interviewed with a few Brokers and in each interview, I asked them how they would handle that particular situation; this is what led me to Red 1 Realty. Not only did I feel their support, morals, ethical practices, resources, and close-knit feel was desirable, but had I been with them the previous year with the volume I brought in from the previous brokerage, I would have brought home $20,000 more due to their amazing brokerage split. I was here at a brokerage that I feel understands what Real Estate has become and rewards their agents for such by giving them their money they rightfully earned. But something in me knew this is not 100% where I should be, I’m a leader, a mentor, and so compassionate about what I do, this is bigger. I started my own team. Brighter Homes Group. In the first year, I welcomed a brand-new agent, Jessica McNeil, and a seasoned agent from another brokerage, Kaeli Getz into my team. We have enjoyed getting our team name out there through advertising, sponsorship, coloring contests, etc. Our team is made up of woman that are extremely passionate about helping others achieve their goals, moving to the next stage in their life, and minimizing the stress of purchasing/selling a house by offering our knowledge and resources at the client’s disposal. My team members are hard workers, also striving to meet their own goals individually. I’m so excited to see how our team continues to grow and be an impact on our county.
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?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, like everyone, I had a lot of personal life changes that have required me to go back and forth between being a part-time agent with another regular paying job to a full-time agent. Readjusting spending habits and learning how to budget around commission only instead of regular pay was difficult. There was a time I had a closing scheduled for my seller. The transaction seemed to be going so smooth, then the day before closing, the Buyer ghosted us. As an at the time unexperienced agent, I was in shock, but I also was scared. I had already budgeted my bills around that closing, and now that paycheck was gone. That was one of the biggest lessons I learned as real estate as my job… it’s NOT a paycheck until the sale is closed.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about Brighter Homes Group – Red 1 Realty?
My team and I are Realtors for Union County, OH, and surrounding counties. We are experts in the buying and selling of homes. We are set apart from other agents by our passion and dedication. We don’t just write contracts, we have trashed out homes, helped stage homes, painted sheds found temporary housing, and so much more. We never want our clients to feel alone or overwhelmed at any point of the process. We are not pushy; we believe the biggest sale or purchase of your life should happen on YOUR time. We provide the facts and let you decide if the facts are beneficial to you. I am proud of building my own team and having team members that I know share the same passion, compassion, and goals that I do. I’m excited that my clients gain more access to agents at any time. My family vacations don’t delay their home search because my team is there to step in. Our clients will never be alone at a closing or any other time due to an agent being sick, overbooked, etc. because we have agents on our team to step in. I’d love for readers to know that we are truly a 1 stop team. We have the resources for every step of your real estate needs. We have preferred lenders, home inspectors, insurance providers, surveyors, etc. to make sure they are receiving the best of the best service. We will take you to all the showings you desire until you find the perfect home, there is truly no limit and no rush from our team. We will write contracts to benefit you while also getting you the house. We offer a service that emails you new listings that meet your criteria within 30 seconds of it being listed so you don’t miss a single listing. As sellers we can guarantee to provide you with comparables to justify pricing that makes sense for you as well as the market. There won’t be a thing you don’t know; you are always going to be kept in the loop. We over-recognizable signage and marketing that will get your home sold for its top value.
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My advice for those starting out would be to make sure your morals, goals, and expectations align with the company you are committing your time to. Remember that you are an independent contractor; you do not work for the Brokerage, they work for you, or they don’t get paid. Be confident, don’t let the nay-sayers define your ability, instead, prove your ability. But most of all, find what makes you happy within the position and make that your drive. If helping first-time home buyers is what brings you joy, target your advertising to non-homeowners; if your joy comes from helping homeowners downsize, market accordingly. Don’t waste your precious time on areas of real estate that don’t bring you joy. You are your own boss, love what you do.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.brighterhomesgroup.com
- Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/BrighterHomesGroup/
