You would have to use a wide lens to capture the many facets of real estate agent and broker Jessica Freeland. As a new graduate of the University of Minnesota, Freeland was equipped with a Bachelor of Science degree, but like so many of us, had no clue what her next move would be.<\/p>\n
\u201cI felt a little bit like a lost soul,\u201d she confesses, her easy smile belying any trace of distress. Regardless, it was a feeling that was short-lived. \u201cI quickly identified what I didn\u2019t want. I knew a desk job, having someone micromanage me was definitely not for me. But, I knew I love working with people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inspired by this epiphany, Freeland immediately quit her recruiting job and headed to the nearest Barnes and Noble where she purchased materials that would help her narrow down her career search.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was still pre-worldwide web,\u201d she explains, \u201cso my research had to be done \u2018old-school.\u2019 I sat on my parent\u2019s patio thumbing through a book about careers. It offered a very intriguing description of a real estate career, including such notable points as: endless earning potential and tons of flexibility. To me it sounded like a win-win opportunity. Best of all, it was a career that virtually guarantees plenty of interaction with all types of people and the opportunity to help them navigate the process of making one of the most important purchases of their life.\u201d<\/p>\n
To further cement her positive feelings about this possible career choice, Freeland called her good friend (and soon to be business partner) Sara Schulman to get her thoughts. \u201cSara was just as clueless regarding career options,\u201d says Freeland. \u201cWhen I explained everything, I had been reading she was just as enthusiastic as me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now that she had found the perfect path, Freeland was ready to go. But first things first. Wanting to be as prepared as possible Freeland reached out to another of her many friends. \u201cThis was a good friend from college and he set me up with a woman by the name of Issy Gale,\u201d she says. \u201cMind you, this woman has been in the business for over 50 years. She\u2019s so vivacious, so full of life and has such a passion for real estate that it was just contagious.\u201d<\/p>\n
Freeland and Schulman didn\u2019t waste any time getting licensed, all the while under the tutelage of their new mentor. \u201cThankfully Issy really took us under her wing,\u201d says Freeland. \u201cAt the time she owned a small real estate firm and she really showed us the real ropes of real estate. What you learn in class is just the basics. To really go out there and pound the pavement, connect with the client and understand what you do day-to-day it\u2019s crucial to have a mentor. And Issy really guided us for quite a few years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Having always been something of a Type A personality, striving to be the best at everything she does, it\u2019s not surprising that during this mentorship, both Freeland and Schulman also received their mortgage licenses. To be sure, this is not common and certainly not a requirement, but both women felt the additional knowledge would not only strengthen their expertise but benefit their clients as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cComing forward, we didn\u2019t continue in that direction,\u201d says Freeland, \u201cbut it was an excellent learning experience. It has proven immensely beneficial to fully understand what it takes to generate a loan and all the complexities of that aspect of real estate. Besides, we feel the more you know, the better you can serve your clients.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next few years the two women worked with Gale at her small brokerage and even worked at a few other larger firms. \u201cI can\u2019t say I ever had a negative experience at any of the real estate companies,\u201d says Freeland. \u201cBut then finally in 2007, Sara and I recognized that there was going to be a decline in the real estate market. It hadn\u2019t hit yet, but we had enough information to have a true pulse on the market. We also noticed that the rates of many real estate agents were increasing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Cognizant of the impending changes, Freeland stayed up all night writing a business plan and researching the real costs of being a broker and how that might help her clients.<\/p>\n