Today we’d like to introduce you to Brenda Petersen.
Brenda, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was born and raised in San Diego, raised by immigrant parents. My father came to the United States from Tepic, Nayarit as a young child and worked in the grocery business for 30+ years. My mother is from Tijuana, Baja California and was the most loving stay at home mom ever. I grew up in the South Bay, playing with my younger brother, loving everything Barbie and dreaming about one day traveling the world when I grew up.
I attended Sweetwater High School and as a senior in high school, I entered in my yearbook for a “future career” that I wanted to become a real estate agent. It’s something that my mother had envisioned for me and had purposefully dragged me to all the Open Houses she could find. I personally didn’t mind too much, I could dream about a beautiful life while I strolled all the hallways and made plans for the future about having a home of our own someday. My father worked three jobs to try and obtain the “American Dream” for our family. I had the opportunity to be a witness to not only his hard work but our family purchasing our first home. One very bad experience with an agent and one very respectful experience. I archived all those ups and downs in my mind and later made the decision to help others in their home buying journey. All those plans came to a screeching halt when at 19 years old I met my husband, married, started raising his 5-year-old daughter, and had a little girl of our own.
All my plans and goals had taken a backseat to my new life as a young mother and wife. We decided that it would be in the best interest of our young family to stay at the company I had been working at since I was 16 years old. It had one of the best health insurance benefits out there and we would have peace of mind to know our girls would be covered in that sense. My husband has always been the breadwinner working in construction, and with the fluctuation in amount of work, there were times when a change in occupation may have been necessary. We both had our roles in our family and we worked as a team to raise our girls the best way we could with what we had. Our daughters became a huge inspiration to me when I began to witness how they were achieving their dreams and wondered in the back of my mind if I could do the same. Needless to say, they grew up. Our daughter Elizabeth is an El Cajon police officer and our younger daughter is in her second year at FIDM, a college she had dreamed about attending since she was 8 yrs old. On December 31st, 2017, I decided 20 years later that it was time to make my dream come true. I picked up my laptop and made a “New Years Resolution” to get my license for real estate. I purchased an online course my best friend had recommended. At that moment, I was terrified. It was $500+ dollars, and took a deep breath and clicked the button to purchase. I knew it was gonna be hard, but I was ready for the challenge with the promise of a new career. I worked, studied, prepped my house to be put up for sale, studied, our daughter graduated high school, we moved, I kept studying. I honestly thought I wouldn’t be able to get through it. But, my daughter was my biggest cheerleader and she really kept me going.
Six months later, I had finished the course and I was on my way to taking the big exam. I was scared and I could not believe that here I was accomplishing something I had only dreamt about. I passed on the first try and I was in disbelief of my accomplishment. I quit my job of 22 years and joined Keller Williams in January of 2019. Quitting my job of 22 years was one of the scariest things I have ever done but for starting something new was even scarier. I have been out of my comfort zone for months, but I intend on making the best out of this new career and new life I have before me. I want to make my parents, my family, and the little girl inside of me proud. Although I am at the beginning of my journey, I have learned so much at Keller Williams already. And now, this girl is ready to make YOUR dreams of homeownership come true. I have the heart, the drive, and the soul for the career as a Realtor.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I can definitely say it was not a smooth road. Life never is. My advice to women of any age never gives up on something you dreamt or are currently dreaming about accomplishing. Sure, there are lots of hard days, roadblocks, and self-doubt, but just keep truckin’. Better to have gone for it and failed than to have never tried at all.
What should we know about Keller Williams Realty San Diego East Foothills? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a California Realtor and I love what I do. I am in the business of guiding people through obtaining their American Dream, whatever it may be. It can be a very stressful situation with tons of documents to read and lots of steps to go through before getting those keys in hand. Lucky for you, I am a calm, knowledgeable individual with a big heart and a passion for getting you to where you want to be. My last transaction ended with an email from escrow saying, “this was the easiest escrow ever!”. I strive for that to be the case each and every time I work with a client.
Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
Yes! Having my mother push me to do better than she had and guiding me into this business. The experience my family had with the home buying process and witnessing own my children make their own dreams come true that has now set me up for success.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1030 Fletcher Parkway
El Cajon, Ca 92020 - Phone: 619-402-7703
- Email: brendapetersen@kw.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sdrealtorbrendapetersen/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brenda.petersensandiego
Image Credit:
Brianna Petersen, Elizabeth Bailey
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