I always believe that to succeed in life you must surround yourself with people that are better than you. Learn all you can from their experiences and contribute where you can; always remembering that learning and helping is a two way street.
Well today's blog is about a Realtor I had the pleasure to meet and learn from. When you picture an excellent agent you envision a person that will go out of their way to help you. Janet Peraza is one of those people and is why she is our ACE. I hope her story inspires and shows what our partners are all about. Enjoy!
Her story began in her native city Havana, Cuba. She was in school and working when her family emigrated to the U.S. She elected to stay put while studying engineering, and then getting into tourism. Her dedication and ambition got her promoted to the Ministry of Tourism. She persevered there until the economy in Cuba faltered, and she decided to join her family in America.
After moving to Kentucky to be with family she started school and got a job. She worked as a restaurant hostess and quickly rose to management. She performed to such a high degree that she was selected to manage her own restaurant, embracing that opportunity for two successful years. The business was thriving, but she felt something was missing. Ergo, she opted to explore the real estate market. After becoming and agent in Kentucky her passion for real estate was ignited. Working with accomplished agents there was a great foundation for learning the nuances of a professional real estate agency,
Considering the independence of the real estate industry, when her family moved to Tampa, Fla., she joined them. She continued her real estate career reveling in how the field brings her closer to people. Janet thoroughly enjoys meeting and helping others. This is paramount in her business. Her success in Tampa is founded in her ethics and personal values. She maintains these tenets in all aspects of her endeavors.
Her values may be simple but they are powerful assets that are sometimes missing in our industry. Work hard and be thorough is Janet’s mantra.
Consider this: Janet represented a young couple who were paying too much in rent and wished to own their own home. She understood they did not have the necessary down payment for purchasing a house. Janet was undeterred and felt an overwhelming obligation to help this couple achieve their dream. She researched all the potential resources available to help them qualify for a loan. There were city and county programs that assist first time buyers, but most were not easy to qualify for and required an enormous amount of paperwork. Some reps might have found these programs and provided the information to the couple and stopped there. Not Janet, she took it to the limit!
Janet not only researched the programs available, but also worked tirelessly for hours to help them correctly complete the necessary forms. Concurrently she was looking for a suitable purchase. She stayed involved to answer any questions from the city/county, and help submit information. How many would have gone this far to help? Some had already said, “Let us know when you’re ready, let us know when you qualify and then we’ll help you”.
Ms. Peraza knows it’s about more than just selling properties. Once she helped her clients through the paperwork and qualification process many additional steps needed to be taken; i.e. home inspections, psychological testing, etc. Janet facilitated all of it.
For the home inspection the city required the property to be fully operational. Appliances, air conditioning and plumbing all had to be ready for occupancy. Unfortunately, the house in question needed appliances. Janet worked diligently, using her connections, to acquire the needed items for the couple. She also located a refrigerator, microwave and dishwasher, not to mention helping the clients install them. She introduced the clients to resources for minor repairs, thus enabling them to pass the home inspection. Going even further she even helped clean the house and did some minor touch-ups, including caulking the bathroom. How many agents would have gone to such lengths? Not many.
Considering the amount of hours spent on this transaction, Janet’s commission was eye-opening for its paucity. Such is the proof of her dedication to her mantra. Janet truly does love helping people. That’s what got her into real estate and it’s what keeps her going. In her own words: “You don’t do this just for the money, although the money is important to pay the bills. You do this because you enjoy helping people,” That’s the type of person she is, always willing to help, and it’s reflected in her business. The business which is growing along with her dreams and aspirations.
Her credentials are indisputable. She has a mechanical engineering degree and a business administration degree. She was a business owner, restaurant manager and now she is a real estate agent.
I learned about her efforts directly from her clients. It was heart warming seeing the joy in their eyes as they shared their experience. ARETSI had the pleasure to be on the other side to this process, We saw firsthand what an impeccable professional she is and what an extreme pleasure to work with. She responded to all inquiries in a timely manner, always followed through on issues and kept the client up-to-date. Bottom-line, it was a great closing and together we made a clients dream come true.
All the above delineates why we are happy to present Janet Peraza with our inaugural ACE award. We believe her type of effort and commitment should be recognized, and we are proud to do so. Congratulations Janet and may you have many more successes.
To contact Janet https://www.aretsifl.com/janet.
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