Today we’d like to introduce you to Jen Rierson.
Jen, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After staying home with our children for 12 years and running a small business from home, I decided it was time for me to do something bigger. I just wasn’t sure what. I enjoyed decorating and explored the idea of interior design and decided against it. I also loved photography and explored the idea of making a career of it and decided against that as well. Real estate had always been in the back of my mind from the time we bought our first home years prior. One of my best friends had asked me to manage her property for her after she left San Diego and I thought “sure, why not”… the only problem was you needed a real estate license to do so. She gave me a huge nudge to just go for it. So, after talking with many other agents, our own real estate agent encouraged me to just get my license and see what happened. So, I did. I was very blessed to find a brokerage willing to take me under their wing and train me from the ground up. I literally knew nothing but was eager to learn everything. I thought if I just sold one house a year that would be nice. My same friend came to me and asked me to sell that home she originally asked me to manage for her. After selling her home, I was so excited that I could make such a nice supplemental income for my family. Remember, we had been living off of one income, a family of four, on a military salary for 12 years.
To top it, I LOVED what I was doing. I felt like the luckiest woman alive to be doing something I loved so much, supported by my family and be providing financially for them. Many of my past clients from the previous business I ran, our church family and my husband’s work community started to come to me for their real estate needs. After year two as an agent, I started exploring ways to grow my business even more. I had seen the business model of another company and an idea had sprouted to offer Military, Law Enforcement and Educators help with their closing costs. I collaborated with my broker on the logistics and immediately started sharing with everyone I knew that would fit this mold or knew someone that would. 2016 & 2017, I was named Top Producer of my brokerage. It was such a sense of accomplishment. I slowed things down last year when we sold and bought a home which we ended up remodeling. 2019 is proving to be another fantastic year and I’m still helping many homeowners and home buyers with their closing costs. I love that I am able to give back to others just trying to get by and achieve their own goals. I also love being able to provide concierge-type customer service to each of my clients. That is so important to me in this day and time where everything moves so quickly and sometimes the personal touches are lost. I feel that is what is growing my business and has my clients coming back and even referring people they know. I’m so grateful for every opportunity I have been given on this journey.
Has it been a smooth road?
In the beginning one of my biggest struggles was I was not exactly an outgoing person. I didn’t like speaking in front of groups of people, the thought of it terrified me. This career path has pulled me out of my shell. I feel like I am such a different person than I was six years ago. I used to be easily intimidated but I’ve learned to hold my own. Advice to other women (particularly moms that choose to stay home and raise their children)… don’t be so hard on yourself. Be thankful for the time you have with your kids and know your time will come. If you have a dream, hold on to it and you can make it happen. Don’t ever give up on that. If you had asked me 18 years ago after my daughter was born if I saw myself here, I would have said absolutely not. Follow life’s journey and let it lead you. It will happen all in good time.
We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
I honestly don’t feel any barriers to leadership in my industry. I’ve been fortunate enough that I haven’t ever had an incident that didn’t work out because of the fact that I am a woman. I guess I’m lucky because I’m sure there are many women that have been passed over in other industries just because they are a woman. In fact, when I first joined my previous brokerage, it was all female agents. Not on purpose, it just kind of worked out that way.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.JenRierson.com
- Phone: 619.227.0801
- Email: JenRierson@gmail.com
- Instagram: jenriersonrealtor
- Facebook: @JenRierson
- Twitter: @Jen-Rierson
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