I got into real estate in 2020 through a friend who was both a mortgage loan officer and a Realtor®. He suggested I look into lending, so I jumped in — and to learn the industry as fast as possible, I first became a certified notary signing agent. Since about 70% of home purchases are financed, I wanted to know every document a buyer and seller sign. I pitched myself to title companies, started doing mobile signings, and — lucky timing, right in the middle of the 2020 refinance boom — I did over 350 signings that year. I saw just about every situation and every document you can imagine.
From there, I moved into lending as a mortgage loan officer. I'll be honest: it was brutal. It was late 2021, rates were climbing, and nobody was buying — much less refinancing. I closed just 4 loans that year, and if it weren't for the notary income, I wouldn't have lasted.
So I pivoted again — this time to becoming a Realtor®. I knew it was more complex than lending, but I was strong on the documents and strong on the numbers, and I figured both would carry over. I got licensed in 2023 and never looked back.
I started in retail real estate with a team, learning how to walk buyers through the whole journey — pre-approval, working with loan officers, coordinating the full transaction to the closing table. Then I joined an investment firm working off-market properties with investors, and that's where I really learned to represent sellers: relocations, distressed situations, downsizing, heirships, foreclosures, retirements, fire and flood damage — just about every situation you can think of. And working with investors sharpened me in a way nothing else could, because with investors there's no emotion. Just numbers.
So here we are, about to talk about your home — and you're probably wondering what I can offer that others haven't.
You've probably heard it all: how fast someone can close, list it on-market, list it off-market, "my cousin's a Realtor®, and he'll do it for 2%." Everyone has a strong opinion — but nobody lays out your actual options with honest pros and cons.
Yes, I'm a Realtor® — but if you break down what I actually do, I'm an equity-protecting marketing company.
“Leo is a great realtor® and very knowledgeable! He takes pride in his work and genuinely wants to help his clients."
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