Today we’d like to introduce you to Samantha Barmasse.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Samantha. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in Southern California and went to college down here in San Diego at USD (Go Toreros!) One of my first real jobs out of college, almost 11 years ago, was at a large Real Estate firm as a Receptionist. I had always known that I wanted to be in the real estate industry in some capacity so I was super excited to work there, even if it was answering phones for $10 an hour. I will always be grateful for that first job because it opened the door to so many new opportunities. One of those was working for a team of agents as their Escrow Manager. It was that job where I learned all about being a Transaction Coordinator and where I found my ‘niche’ in the real estate field. After six years at that office, I decided it was time to take that next step and start my own business. I didn’t know exactly how it was going to look but knew that was what I wanted. The experience and knowledge I gained from working there, gave me the confidence to go off on my own. Fast forward five years later, and I can honestly say that was the best decision I could have made. 🙂
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Overall, this journey has been pretty smooth, but with everything, there are always challenges. The earliest challenge I can think of is when I first left my job to start my business. I went from receiving a steady paycheck every two weeks to only earning a commission when I closed a file. This was incredibly scary for me, as change and inconsistency aren’t always the easiest for me. Originally, the plan was to do real estate sales full time and TC as well, to supplement my income. I learned very quickly that sales were not something I thrived in, and that being a TC was something I was good at, and loved doing. I remember one agent who I still work with today, told me to go through my phone and call all my contacts to let them know I am now on my selling real estate, and to let me know if they needed any help with buying or selling. The thought of doing that stressed me out so much, and I just avoided doing it.
To think, I couldn’t even call friends that I know would support me, to let them know about my new venture. It was then that I realized I needed to switch up my plan and focus on what I did know, and that was being a Transaction Coordinator. From there, I spent my time and energy on building up that part of my business and getting more clients so that I could get that steady income back (and a little bit of that confidence that took a beating too). I joined a co-working space downtown to surround myself with like-minded people and went to a lot of networking events. I went to events that were not even all real estate focused, but all different kinds so that I could expand my network with new and interesting people. It took a little while to get where I wanted to be, but as it stands today, business is great and I am very thankful to be in San Diego, doing what I love.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
I am an Independent Transaction Coordinator, in the Real Estate field. Essentially, I manage all the paperwork, timelines, and details during the escrow process. My clients are local realtors in San Diego and they hire me once they have a buyer or seller ready to open escrow on a home. There are so many moving parts and a lot of paperwork involved in a real estate transaction. Anyone who has ever purchased or sold a property can attest. That being said, I am responsible for keeping the entire process moving forward and keeping open lines of communication with all parties involved. A few key parts of the process that I manage are disclosures, inspections, contingency removals, and broker compliance. I work with my agents and their clients, to complete all the necessary disclosures and documents required for a transaction, and make sure everything is fully executed, all while staying within the timelines. I also work with escrow officers, lenders, and agents on the other side of the transactions to make sure everything runs efficiently and on time.
A few of the most important traits in my profession are organization, multi-tasking and being detail oriented. I have anywhere from 20-40 escrows going at any given time, so staying organized is very important, as I need to be able to update my agents at any given time on a certain file, You also need to be able to manage interactions with many different personality types, in a professional manner. Realizing the importance of these traits has allowed me to work so well with my agents. We complement each other’s strengths and weaknesses and work together as a team, to create a seamless and enjoyable experience for buyers and sellers. At the end of the day, I get so many agents telling me they wouldn’t want to do what I do, and they don’t know how I do it. That is the exact reason I know that this was the right path for me. It is also great to know that other people can recognize that I love what I am doing. And I mean, any time I can make a spreadsheet, or a checklist, I’m in!
If you had to start over, what would you have done differently?
If I had to start all over, I probably would have done things the same way I did. You always have to start somewhere, so being a receptionist in the field that I knew I wanted to be in, opened a lot of doors for me to create my path. The real estate industry can be tough. It takes drive, dedication, hustle, consistency, and thick skin to be successful. It also takes a lot of hard work, like anything. Real Estate is so dynamic and challenging but I love it and wouldn’t change what I do. I get the opportunity to work with so many amazing people every day and to help other people build their dreams. I am also constantly learning new things about all the different facets of real estate has to offer. So that being said, if I did have to start over, I would do just that because sometimes the best way to learn something is to jump right in and do it. Just make sure you do what you’re good at and passionate about. That’s the most important thing I have learned thus far. You will be surprised what you can accomplish if you just start.
Contact Info:
- Email: sbarmasse@gmail.com
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