Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Piske.
Hi Jason, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My parents were both Realtors. As a child, we would tour new home developments and I would run ahead into the house, greet them when they arrived, and show them around. After high school, I didn’t want to get into real estate. Instead, I pursued a dream of being a recording engineer, so I packed my car and drove to Nashville. Through hard work and a lot of luck, I was able to follow that dream. I earned many awards and accolades and worked with amazing musicians and artists. After 9-11 happened, I began to reflect on my life and the path I was on. I had focused so much on my music career, that I had put other dreams on hold. One of those was to have a family and be an active and integral part of raising my children. I ultimately left the industry entirely, got a 9-5 corporate job, and started raising a family.
We eventually landed in San Diego, and after doing the 9-5 corporate work for a few more years I decided that I wanted to be my own boss and go back to following my original dream of being a realtor.
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?
I don’t think the “smooth road” exists. I have followed many paths, had many dreams shattered, and reinvented myself multiple times. When I graduated high school, my plan was to attend a local community college for two years, then transfer to ASU. I had a scholarship to the college, could live at home, and enjoy smaller classes before moving to the larger school. A few months after I graduated high school, my dad was transferred out of state. The rest of the family was moving as well and I had to decide to move with them or stay in Phoenix. I chose to stay. I dropped out after the first semester, got three jobs, and built up my savings. I then went back for another semester.
I eventually landed an entry-level job at a collection agency. I worked my way up by doing anything asked of me and learning about other teams and departments. Within a few years, I was a Collection Manager with a staff of 45, newly married, and had just turned 21. A year later, I was separated, lost the job at the agency, and starting over with a new company.
By the time I was 25 I was going through a mid-life crisis. I was divorced, working at yet another new company, not in school, and very unhappy. I would go out with friends and run into people from high school. They all had finished college and started careers, and I was just stagnant. Like the line from the Pink Floyd song, I had missed the starting gun.
So, I took a hard look at my life, and what I wanted to do. I spent several months thinking of what type of job or industry I wanted to work in. I looked into colleges, trade schools, consulted friend and family. I eventually found a school that was halfway between work and home that would teach me the basics to being a recording engineer. I could keep my job while I attended school, but when I was done, I would need to move as there weren’t a lot of studio jobs to be had in Phoenix. The school arranged an interview for me at a studio in Nashville, so when I finished the coursework. I packed my car, drove 2000 miles to a city I had never been to, didn’t know anybody that lived there, all for an interview. I got the job!!
I was a recording engineer for 6 years; it was a dream come true! But it came at a cost. I worked 7 days a week, all hours of the day, and had to cancel on friends many times because I had a session. At the time, it was a price I was willing to pay. I was young, single, and loved doing it. A few years later, I had met someone and got married, and bought a house. We talked about having a family, but it was one of those “someday” things. With as often as I worked, I was concerned about missing out on important events and moments in a child’s life.
After 9-11 I re-evaluated everything. My priorities instantly changed with the realization that we are never promised a tomorrow, and putting things off, like having a family, was suddenly something I didn’t want to do anymore. So, I made a plan and left. I began working in the collections department for a Fortune 500 company. Like the collection agency before, I did anything asked of me, learned about other departments, and worked out a career path that would keep me there until I retired. Less than a year after starting there, my first son was born. Three years later my second son was born, and just a year later, I got a big promotion and was relocated to Florida in the summer of 2017.
This is where the wheels fall off. By early 2010, the downturn in the economy didn’t improve and my position was eliminated. My plans, career path, etc. came to a crashing halt. I was suddenly looking for a job again. I worked for another two years in Florida for different companies, but couldn’t maintain it all. Eventually, we decided to move to San Diego, where my wife was originally from. Two years later, we were separated, I was starting a new position at a medical device company (in collections). It was the lowest point in my life. After the divorce was finalized, I was sitting in traffic one morning, thinking about what I could do differently career-wise, that would allow me to not have to commute an hour every day to and from work. I remembered my parents would work from a real estate office, but also from home. So, I decided to look into getting my license.
When I first decided to go into real estate, I had to balance my time studying for the license with working a full-time job and being a single father. Once I got my license, I learned about additional expenses involved with starting and finding time to do the things Realtors do outside of showing houses and negotiating contracts. Realtors are usually commission only, and it can take a while to get that first check. Meanwhile, there are expenses for cards, signs, broker’s fees, association fees, headshots, flyers. At that time, I didn’t have a lot of money to spend on these things so I had to take it slow, buying what I could when I could.
I also learned the hard way that I didn’t know as much as I needed to in order to overcome some of the challenges. My first two contracts never made it to a completed sale. I was discouraged but never gave up. I continued to take classes, learned from other agents, worked with coaches, anything to gain more knowledge so that I could help my clients.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a realtor. I help people fulfill their dream of buying a home. Whether it’s a first-time home buyer buying a condo, a family moving to a bigger place in a better school district, or an empty nester downsizing to something more manageable, I focus on making the process as smooth as possible.
There are thousands of real estate agents to choose from. I work hard for my clients throughout the process, whether buying or selling. My experience as a collector and manager for large corporations has made me well versed in negotiations. I fight hard to make sure my client’s needs are met. I have advised clients to NOT buy a house after completing inspections. It’s never about me, it’s always about what is best for my client.
Any big plans?
I am continuing to build my business and look forward to partnering with other in the future to provide even more services to my clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jasonpiske.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jpiskerealtor
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jasonpiskerealtor
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jpiskerealtor
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGBgs8Pd6r3i8JzSfT1JgVw
