Title: 
Sales associate
Company: 
Century 21 Opportunity
Location: 
10220 Old River School Road
Downey, CA 90240
United States
California US

Education means sales

“Surround yourself with positive and successful colleagues.”

Karina Veliz isn’t just a salesperson. She’s an educator for first-time homebuyers. Veliz draws together lenders, escrow officers, title representatives, and homeowners insurance reps to take renters through the process of buying a home. “Many people don’t realize how easy it is to become a homeowner,” she says.

Her willingness to educate customers and her ability to speak Spanish have earned Veliz a niche in the Hispanic community, says her broker, Daniel Nevarez. She closed nearly $9 million in sales in 2000, her second full year in the business.

“I’ve had some tough deals,” she says, “but there’s a saying, ‘We get by giving.’ When people know you’re giving your all to make a deal happen, they instinctively follow that lead.”

Veliz says salespeople who want to break ground in untapped markets should work with a mentor: “Join an office that will help you. It doesn’t matter whether it’s big or small. You can’t miss if you’re with a broker who motivates and supports you and truly cares about your success.”