Welcome — My Real Estate Story

If you’ve landed here, you’re probably thinking about buying, selling, investing… or maybe you just clicked around long enough to end up on my blog. Either way, I’m really glad you’re here.

To be honest, I thought this career would be easier (if you’re in real estate, you’re probably laughing at me right now.) But either way, I didn't choose this career just because I thought it would be easy, I got into it because I love people, I love strategy, and I love the idea of helping someone step into a new chapter of their life.

But let me be honest… my path here wasn’t exactly straight.

Straight out of high school, I went to college with absolutely no idea what I wanted to do. But everyone else was going, so obviously I went too.

I think I changed my degree about seven times. Last degree change took me 5 hours away to UWF because I was convinced I had finally figured it out.

Plot twist: I had not. As much as I love animals, working with them was a nightmare. To my fellow vet techs, you truly have my respect.

Anyway, back to the point.

With student loans stacking up and nothing to show for it, I decided to take a gap year and actually figure out what I wanted. During that time, I bounced between jobs and leaned a little too hard into my “finding myself” era, but eventually I had to sit down and get honest with myself about my future.

Here’s what I knew: my long-term goal was to stay home with my kids. So whatever career I chose had to give me control over my schedule and let me work mostly from home. My mom suggested Real Estate and it seemed to be the perfect option. (cue the Realtors laughing again).

Fun fact: Realtors are basically always on call and rarely home. Whoops.

Fast forward a few months and I was officially a licensed Realtor in Florida. It only took three failed exams to get there, but who's counting? Watson Realty Corp was the second brokerage I toured and I fell in love immediately. The Broker was amazing and the team felt fun and supportive. So now it was time to learn how to actually be a Realtor.

Another fun fact: The hours and hours of courses and state exam actually do not teach you anything about being a realtor. However, I do know how many sqft are in an acre! (43,560 in case you were wondering).

My first year was basically non-existent. I started at Watson and got engaged almost immediately after. I was still working full-time as a restaurant manager and now planning a wedding by myself. Real Estate became something I would "focus on later."

After the wedding, I decided it was time to dive back into this career I had started building for myself. I had big plans for my new husband and I, so I needed to start bringing in the dough to make them a reality.

I had started another job a few months before the wedding, and was working significantly more hours. The wedding was expensive, and rent and groceries have now doubled since moving in together... cutting back hours was not really an option. But I also knew I could make substantially more money if I could get this Real Estate thing going. I was in a pickle.

I tried to figure out when it would be the right time to dive into full-time Real Estate and leave my current job. God has a funny way of giving you answers when you ask for guidance. I prayed a lot, asking when it would be the right time to leave my other job. Not long after, I was let go over silly reasons and honestly, it felt like the clearest answer I could’ve received. That’s when I finally went all in.

Now here we are, about a year later. Yes, I'm still a "baby" Realtor, but this past year has been incredible. Every day has been a mix of challenges, laughs, learning, crying, and amazing moments; like handing keys to a first-time buyer or helping someone sell their home because they're ready to downsize or retire to that vacation home they've been dreaming about.

So this past year, here's a few fun things I've learned:

• Coffee is your new best friend

• You may catch yourself drinking a little more alcohol, apparently this is normal?

• Communication solves most problems (who knew?)

• Not every deal closes and that’s okay

• Being a Realtor is 40% opening doors and paperwork, and 60% being your clients’ personal therapist

• PEOPLE matter more than a paycheck

• Google is your unofficial mentor because sometimes clients’ questions are… wild.

• You learn to master small talk, often with strangers in empty houses

  
  

Now that I’ve shared what I’ve learned, here’s what I’m chasing:

I want to know this market so well that my clients never feel unsure. I want to be ten steps ahead, spotting problems before they happen and protecting the people who trust me with one of the biggest decisions of their lives. I want to be the steady hand when emotions are high. I want sellers to walk away with more than they thought possible and buyers to feel like they made one of the smartest financial moves of their lives. I want to make sure no one gets taken advantage of, no one feels confused, and no one feels alone in the process. I want my clients to feel confident. Educated. Protected. And most importantly, excited and happy every step of the way.

And yes, I’m saying it out loud. Within the next five years, I plan to be a top producer in Florida. Not just for the title, not for the money, but because it means I did this the right way. It means people trusted me. It means I showed up, learned everything I could, and delivered the best possible experiences for my buyers and sellers.

So if you’ve landed here because you’re thinking about buying, selling, or investing, just know this: you’re not getting someone who has it all figured out. You’re getting someone who will fight for you, learn for you, pray for you, and show up for you every single time. And if you just clicked around long enough to end up here, I’m still really glad you did.

Oh, and one last thing. Be careful when you pray for patience. It doesn’t just arrive, it’s assigned. And apparently, I’ve been enrolled in the masterclass.

Thanks for being here. 🤍

— Deanna I.