If it hasn’t been made evident by now, we love people here at AAT! We love hearing about their stories and passions for our community, but we also love hearing about what our fellow locals do and why they do it! For example, we have some wonderful neighbors who own/manager some fantastic local businesses and serve our town tremendously by doing so! This fact is why AAT has partnered up with our good friends at B3 Glass, to bring you all “Small Business Fridays!” Each week, we’ll feature a different, local small business and talk with its owner and hear about their journey, their business in general, as well as their heart for their customers and our city!
There are a few purchases in life one might consider “major.” The purchase of your family dog may be considered major because you don’t want to get a pooch that’s going to sit around and chew on your favorite pair of Jordan’s or heels all day long! Some may consider buying the brand of shampoo they use every day a major purchase because they must go with the one that’s going to leave their hair looking fresh and on point! Whatever you would consider a major purchase, there’s one buy that few would argue not to be a huge deal; this would be the investment of buying a home. For many, buying a home is what they work their entire lives for; it’s a big event!
Therefore, because it does have so much significance, it’s important to have someone you can trust in your corner, helping you through it all. Today’s guest strives to be that very person. We’re talking about Jesse James from the Jesse James team at Re/Max Gold, Elko! Jesse and her crew work hard to make the home buying and selling process a lot easier for many Elko citizens.
However, before we get into their specific approach towards real estate, let’s find out how Jesse got into this business in the first place!
“I was born and raised here (Elko). I’ve tried to leave several times, but I always end up coming back! The last time I left and came back has resulted in me being here for forty years. When I had left the last time, I was working in Reno for one of the gold mine companies there; I came back to Elko and had my daughters. When I decided to get into real estate, I actually started as an assistant with a local realtor. From there, I came to love real estate quickly and learned that I could make a little extra money at it. In the beginning, I only wanted to sell one house a month; I just wanted to work part-time and earn maybe some vacation money, and now here I am twenty plus years later! Once you start, you can’t stop; it gets in your blood. You just want to keep helping people until it has a mind of its own! I can’t take any credit or glory for where we are today; it really has been all God.”
That’s wonderful, Jesse! Elko does have a way of bringing people back when they try to leave, but in your case, we’re glad it did! Now, tell us a little bit about your business with Re/Max Gold. It’s an award-winning company in the field of real estate; how did you become to be associated with it? What do you love about it, and what’s next for you in your journey as a broker?
“I started my career with one company, and thirteen years ago (2005) I opened my own brokerage, Trinity Reality. About five years later, is when I purchased the Re/Max franchise. The Re/Max Network (as of March 2018) has 120,821 associates, 7,930 offices, and can be found in over 100 countries. It’s just a good, recognizable franchise, and honestly, it’s been great being a part of it all. Recently, I have started to downsize my business a bit; we all have to work towards retirement. Although, I don’t think I’ll ever completely retire compared to just slowing down a little bit because I just love sales! I used to sell candles and makeup, and when I finally got into real estate, people told me that I found my niche! I really love helping people; it’s so rewarding. That’s what I want this all to be about. Purchasing a home is one of the biggest things a person can do in their life; it needs to be a rewarding experience. The process can be hectic and stressful, but that’s what I’m here for at the end of the day; I’m here to be the sounding board and relieve a lot of that stress.”
Jesse, what would you say to someone who is young and eager about getting into the real estate game? You have over twenty years of experience in this industry; what’s your approach to it and kind of wisdom would you pass along?
“I wish I would have gotten in this business when I was really young; I would have been retired by now! However, it can be a challenging business. You have to pick up the phone; you have to make the calls, and you have to go out and meet the people. It doesn’t just come to you. When I first started, I realized I wasn’t a cold caller; I like to go out and talk to people, and I figured what better place to meet people to talk to than Walmart! I used to go to Walmart, every day, and pass out ten-fifteen business cards while walking around the entire store, putting things in my basket. Then, I would go back around the store the other way and put the items back while passing out more cards.
“You just must put yourself out there; it doesn’t just magically happen. People have to trust you. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. You have to care about people genuinely. Yes, real estate has been very good to me, but I don’t focus on the money. The money is a by-product of doing a good job, especially in Elko where we do have that small-town mentality; good or bad, someone is going to talk to someone else. I’m not the best, but I do try to be as good of a job as I possibly can. I’m not perfect, but if you put your trust in me, I believe you will be satisfied with your experience.”
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Until next time, we’ll see you around, Elko!
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