When I started my career, I didn’t know much about business or sales; I just knew that it was a path to a brighter future. I only learned about my value after I'd put in the work and saw what I could give to others as well as my own family.
Sitting in the barber’s chair, I slowly closed my eyes as the clippers cut through my thick braids. I was happy to know that I was donating it to Locks for Kids, and that it was going to help cancer patients—a disease that both my parents had encountered. It felt like something was ending. But it also felt like something was beginning.
On my first day of real estate class, I felt like a misfit. Everyone else in the room seemed very grown-up in their business attire. I was suddenly self-conscious of my white t-shirt and sweatpants. No one else looked like me. At 21, I was the youngest person in the class. Everyone took a turn telling us why they wanted to get into real estate. It seemed everyone had a story. I didn’t have anything to say; I was there because I needed to start a career, and I had a family member that suggested real estate as a good opportunity given my natural skill set and affinity for numbers.
I didn’t know anything about homeownership. I grew up in Sunrise, a neighborhood in San Antonio. It’s not as nice of an area as the name suggests. My mother raised my sister, my brother and me in Section 8 housing. My father had moved out of the country when I was very young. He came back when I was about 11, and I moved in with him. The neighborhood was nicer, but I mostly wanted to spend more time with him and get to know him. He had several afflictions, and I knew our time together would be limited. After he passed, my sister and I moved back in together.
When I started my real estate career, I didn’t realize everything would be so expensive. My sister explained that I would need slacks and a button-up shirt if I wanted clients to take me seriously. But I had to make money before I could even afford them. My sister offered to help with gas—she worked at Pilot—just so I could get to and from the office in a car that had no air conditioning; I was sweltering in the South Texas heat.
I still remember how proud I was the day I came to work with new shoes. One of the agents I worked with, Jason, greeted me. He was something like a mentor in those early days and suggested we look at the newer lots out back. We did, and as we returned to the office, I looked down in horror. My new shoes! They were scuffed and dirty. Jason laughed. “If your shoes are clean while you’re on the job, you aren’t working hard enough,” He informed me.
Over time, I learned how to talk. It seems like such a simple thing, but the way you communicate with people on the job can dictate the business and the relationship that will follow. Of all the things I learned, it was one of the most valuable skills.
My proudest achievement was buying my mom her own house. As I mentioned, she had cancer. It was growing, and the best thing to do was keep her comfortable. I thought back to those classes I’d taken. How many people had such a strong reason for wanting to be an agent? I realized I had one now: To bring freedom and relief to the people I loved.
My mother lived in that house for about five months before she passed away. But I still have a reason for working in the business; I am a few months away from becoming a father for the first time and providing my daughter with a better life and opportunities than the ones I had is my true driving Force.
Today, I bring my clients 16 years of experience. My past is still a part of who I am. It keeps me grounded, and I find myself relating to my clients, often becoming close friends with them. I don’t approach selling homes like a used car salesman. I look out for everyone; my buyers and I are shopping for their new home together.
I know what it’s like to be in their shoes. Even starting my real estate career as young as I did, I didn’t own a house until I was 29. I saw so many homes, and I wanted the one that was perfect for me. It took time to find it and I now own several houses. I know the anxiety and trepidation that homebuyers can experience during a transaction. And I know the relief they feel when it all goes through and the keys are handed to the new owners. I look forward to the opportunity of experiencing that with you!
Sincerely,
Daniel Rodriguez
REALTOR®
