Her Story
About Charlene
I've been a real estate paralegal for 27 years, practicing across North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. My work focuses on preparing closings for residential homes and commercial properties, which involves comprehensive title work, preparing lender documents, deeds, deeds of trust, and all the loan documents that accompany them. I coordinate the entire closing process, dealing directly with lenders, realtors, buyers, and sellers, obtaining necessary information and documentation from all parties. I've been a notary for 27 years in both North Carolina and Georgia. My greatest professional strength is my proficiency in title work. I'm currently in between positions after being laid off from a major title company that outsourced my position overseas, but I had six interviews last week and am hoping to be back to work within a week or so.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Charlene
01What do you attribute your success to?
I believe that when I begin something, I finish. I never leave anything not finished. You have to finish what you start. I always tie up loose ends and never leave them open, ever. That's been key to my success - completing what I start and ensuring nothing is left unfinished.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is being on point and honest. To me, it's always been about being straight up, off the cuff, and always disclosing everything. I'm a firm believer that if you don't disclose everything and tell the truth, it's always going to catch up with you. So I've always made it a point to be consistently honest and disclose everything.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
In my industry, you have to be consistent and on point. Consistency is so important, and you have to be able to multitask and be good at it. You also have to deal with stress and not let it get to you because it's a very stressful industry. You have to maintain your composure at all times, even with immense stress, and you can't take it out on any of your clients, your agents, or anyone else. Managing that stress level while maintaining professionalism is critical.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges right now are maintaining the business we have and keeping the client happy so they keep coming back. That client is usually your lender and your realtors. It's about building and maintaining those relationships so they continue to work with you.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
To me, the most important value is to always be straight up and honest. I believe in always disclosing everything because it's always going to catch up with you if you don't. I've always been a firm believer in disclosing everything, telling the truth consistently, and being diligent. Honesty and transparency are at the core of everything I do, both professionally and personally.
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