Today we’d like to introduce you to Ed & Jess Sarkissian.
Hi Ed & Jess, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Jess and I (Ed) worked for the same corporation for over fifteen years. Like so many other couples, we first met at work over eight years ago. We each saw something in each other that we found instantly attractive. It took a couple of years, but what first started as a strong friendship eventually blossomed into a relationship. One of the many things we have in common is our drive and willingness to work hard for our dreams, and our desire to help others achieve theirs. We both also realized that we have a passion for Real Estate. Jess owned a few properties when we first met, and I have been a licensed Real Estate agent since 2006. It was the perfect match… and STILL IS!
Eventually, we both received several promotions in our corporate jobs, managed well over a hundred people, and made a great income. We used this income to accumulate several more properties, then got MARRIED! Jess and I also had a deep desire to travel the world. So, we did. We spent time in Thailand, Greece, Germany, Italy, France, Portugal, Spain, England, Holland, Hawaii, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Monaco, the Vatican, and Armenia! Our travels brought us closer together, but it also gave us a deeper appreciation and a renewed perspective of just how good we have it in the United States.
Our travels also made another life altering impression on us. We realized just how little freedom we had working for a major corporation. Besides the fact that we had to request time off, our actual worth to the organization was whatever a severance package would be in the event of layoffs (which happened to many of our friends in the company). That’s when we made a decision to take control of our destiny, use our transferable skills we attained and polished in the corporate world, and start The Ed & Jess Team. It became obvious that we had the personal experience (buying and selling our own properties), and a robust skillset which we can put to use to benefit others. We haven’t looked back since!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not. Real Estate is not an easy business. The vast majority of agents quit within their first year. That’s because there’s a relatively low barrier to entry, but it takes a tremendous amount of time, patience, effort, skill, and investment to become successful in this industry.
There’s also no shortage of competition including some well-established agents and brokers. Initially, we struggled with building a steady pipeline of leads. We also made assumptions that friends and family would always use our services. The latter is a common error agents make. They assume that because someone is family member, you don’t have to work to earn their business. Therefore, they fail to consistently communicate with them, market to them, or even directly ask for their business. We learned that the hard way when a close family member sold their house and didn’t give us an opportunity to earn their business. Initially, that hurt us, but after reflecting we realized that we took that opportunity for granted and didn’t do what we could have done to earn their business.
Business, and life in general, is about learning from mistakes and failures and constantly improving yourself. We are firm believers in “falling in love with the process”. We now have a process in place to ensure we minimize the likelihood of these types of situations. However, it’s not guaranteed that we won’t experience that again. All agents do, so it’s important not to take things personally. Learn, grow, and move on!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Ed & Jess Team – Real Estate?
The Ed & Jess Team is a full-service Real Estate business serving families, investors, and businesses in Southern California. Although we reside in San Diego and do most of our business here, we have roots in Los Angeles and Orange County as well. We specialize in investment properties because we’re investors ourselves, but we also provide relocation services and love getting to know people and helping their dreams come true.
Jess and I are also active in commercial real estate. We have had several clients in this space and enjoy the challenge of helping businesses scale and improve their operations with real estate.
We differentiate ourselves by our work ethic, experience, personal touch, and a suite of services unrivaled in the industry. Our marketing program is also very robust. For example, our listings are posted on hundreds of websites and are also marketed internationally ensuring we get maximum exposure, which provides the best return in the shortest timeframe possible.
Ultimately, we put our clients’ interests FIRST and go the extra mile to ensure we exceed all of their expectations!
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Never give up. It’s that simple. Anything worth doing takes resilience and a consistent effort. Success doesn’t always come easy, but it’s always worthwhile. It’s cliche, but it’s not about the destination. Instead, it’s the journey that’s the most rewarding.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ownsandiegohomes.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edandjessteam/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edandjessteam
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/edandjessteam
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPMdRIJqiEQS4mVbhTstR6Q
- Other: https://www.google.com/search?q=San+Diego+Real+Estate+-+Ed+and+Jess+Team&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAA_-NgU1I1qDAxNDNKTUkyNDC1TElMSjG1MqhIM7IwTEs0Sk40Nkk0NDY2XcSqEZyYp-CSmZqerxCUmpij4FpckliSqqCr4JqikJiXouCVWlysEJKamAsAhg3Ph1QAAAA&hl=en&mat=CZ2DPb5-wUYlElYBNqvzOl-i4RpbHa5gloNGwR_m-MJRJyw63kbywjseEQkEg5KJ9GpnHRtUcsxF-SHqC7WJDWZV8fbxSeOhrZ87AMq2GHRaPFcZG0HpWG8k4n8Zbf8Vmg&authuser=0
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