Maridel Y. Perlas

There are a lot of things that contribute to my success. First is my family - they supported me and helped me in any way they can to make sure that if I need to do something, they're very supportive. I also try to educate myself and learn a lot about the important rules in real estate, the new rules, and the legal part - everything, even the financial aspects. My background in the banking industry when I was in the Philippines has been invaluable. The banking industry, the marketing, and everything that I learned, I use it in real estate. It's the combination of family support and continuous education in both real estate and banking that has made me successful.

The best career advice I've received is to be patient and smart. I learned to guide my clients in the right direction and not force them to make a decision right away, because buying a home is a big investment for them. I try to guide them in the right direction and educate them so they can make informed decisions. It's about being patient, allowing your clients to trust you, and continuing to educate them while always being honest. You don't rush people into one of the biggest decisions of their lives.

My advice to young women entering real estate is to always be learning. If there are any new rules, make sure you're up to date and know your market. Be patient and guide your clients through education. If you're educated and you have the knowledge about everything, then you'll be better off serving your clients. It's about continuous learning, staying current with changes in the industry, understanding your market deeply, and using that knowledge to educate and serve your clients with patience.

The most challenging aspect of real estate is managing your pipeline of clients. You can work with a client through the entire process - pre-qualifying them, educating them, showing properties, inspections, through escrow and everything until you close and provide them with their keys. But after that, you have to market yourself again and work on having clients in your pipeline. If you wait until you finish one escrow to start looking for the next client, it's like you're starting all over again. I try to market myself and develop and increase my pipeline so that while I'm working with one client in escrow, I'm also working with another client. That way, I continuously have escrows and income every month. Otherwise, it can take a month or two months before you can put another client into escrow, which means there's a gap where you don't have any income. The fluctuation of income in real estate is real, and if you don't work on your pipeline, it's harder because you have expenses every month. On top of growing the pipeline, there are also a lot of rules and laws in real estate that are changing almost every six months, so I try to learn those and educate myself. It's not just about learning and serving a client - you have to educate yourself and be on top of the markets.

Patience is most important to me, along with being cautious and not making harsh decisions. I believe in thinking things through before making a decision rather than deciding right away. I always tell my children to make sure that whatever they want, they think about it and ensure all their actions are towards whatever their goal is, making sure they're in the right direction. I also believe that whatever you think happiness is, you always feel it in your heart. When making a decision, I lead with my heart first. It's about being patient, thoughtful, and following what feels right in your heart.