When people think about building a successful real estate career, they often think about big marketing budgets, social media strategies, and polished branding.
But my story started a little differently.
Let me take you back to 2008 and 2009—right in the middle of the foreclosure crisis. I was a brand-new, hungry agent just trying to figure things out. I didn’t have much of a budget, and I definitely didn’t have a long list of clients. But I was determined to make something happen.
At the time, I lived in the Richwood neighborhood. There was a foreclosure property nearby that had been taken back by a local bank through a deed in lieu of foreclosure. Like many foreclosure homes at the time, it wasn’t being maintained.
So I had an idea.
I reached out to the bank and made a simple offer:
If I took care of the lawn and maintained the property myself, would they give me the listing?
They said yes.
So I got to work. And here’s the part that always makes people laugh—I didn’t even have a regular lawn mower. I used one of those old-school push mowers with the spinning blades. It was basically a workout every time I cut the grass.
But I showed up. Every time.
I maintained that property until it sold. But more importantly, I built a relationship with the asset manager at the bank. And that one relationship changed everything.
Over the next 2–3 years, I went on to handle all of that bank’s foreclosure listings—selling around 10 to 15 homes a year.
All because I was willing to do something others weren’t.
That’s why when I hear agents say, “I can’t afford marketing,” or “I don’t have the resources,” I always think back to that season of my life.
You don’t need everything to be perfect to get started.
You just need to be willing to do whatever it takes.
Success in real estate—or any business—is built on consistency, creativity, and relationships. Sometimes it means thinking outside the box. And sometimes… it means mowing the grass yourself.
If you’re willing to put in the work and show up when others won’t, opportunities will come. And more importantly, those opportunities can turn into long-term success.