Real estate is second nature to me. It is in my DNA. I grew up in real estate, and I am a third generation of real estate brokers. This legacy began with my grandmother, Margaret Gilmer, who is no longer with me physically but in spirit. She owned ERA New Center Realty in Detroit’s New Center area over 40 years ago. Yes, we go way back with this real estate empire. Everyone in my family, including my mom, brother, sisters, aunts, uncles, and cousins, was or is in the family real estate business. Many have branched off with their own companies now.
As a young child, I remember going to the real estate office after school and observing the day-to-day interactions between the real estate agents. Eventually, as I grew older, I started working there. I also recall accompanying my family on listing appointments and being around different investment properties, witnessing the work that needed to be done. Watching my family live this entrepreneurial lifestyle, with my grandparents owning over 100 homes in the city of Detroit and making millions of dollars while giving back to their community, I knew that this was the life I wanted to lead.
At the age of 18, the day after high school graduation, I gained my first-hand experience in real estate sales by selling one of my investment properties, which had been purchased for me as a child. From there, my love for a career in real estate sales solidified. Around the same time, I enrolled at Jackson State University but soon realized it was not the right path for me and ultimately dropped out. Still only 18 years old, I decided to attend real estate school, earned my salesperson’s license, and never looked back.
Entering the real estate market during the major crash shaped me into the guru I am today. I have experience in short sales, BPO/REOs, selling to investors nationally and internationally. It was during this time that the idea of property management struck me, as I primarily worked with real estate investors, and the market was flooded with great deals for them to purchase. My career began with a specialization in investment real estate, which I continue to focus on to this day. After becoming a broker, my career expanded to include commercial real estate, which is a perfect service to offer my clientele.
The remarkable thing about a career in real estate is that you never know what you’re getting yourself into. It is full of surprises and new adventures. You never know what the next deal will be or who it will be with, which makes my career incredibly exciting! It is a continuous learning roller coaster. And today, it brings a smile to my face to see that I stand here as a real estate broker with over 15 years of experience in real estate sales and property management. I am doing it on my own terms while owning my own boutique real estate firm and investing throughout the Detroit market myself.