Community Highlights: Meet Lauren Maher of Bellabay Realty

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Lauren Maher.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My real estate career started on the basis of survival. I was let go from the career that I thought I was going to be doing for the rest of my life, savings account drained and forced to live off credit cards, just trying to stay afloat with only my cat by my side.

I remember feeling so lost and purposeless, but I had no other option but to make it work. With my back against the wall, I put my head down and directed all my focus and energy into real estate and helping others. As a result, I ended up helping 31 families, almost reached 100k in profit, paid off all my debt, bought my first house, and pulled myself out of the victim mentality that had been holding me back.

I had no idea what I was doing; I just knew that I had to make a change, and I was tired of surviving; I wanted to LIVE. Like really live!

That first year was all about getting out of the hole, fast forward to a couple years later and I’m proud to say that I am living a life I used to dream about. And the crazy thing is, this life I’m living was my end goal in my dreams. Everything beyond this point is just a bonus, and I have to give most of my success to real estate because, without this career and the individuals I’ve met along the way, I wouldn’t be able to tell the same story.

Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My journey has been far from easy, but I wouldn’t change a thing because it has made me who I am today. When I started my career, I had no experience, and no one in my close family was a realtor, so I didn’t have a network from which I could find business either.

Because of that, I started my career on a team at Bellabay Realty, where they provided internet leads, so my first year was based on getting strangers to know, like, and trust me so they would feel comfortable enough to allow me to facilitate one of the largest purchases of their lives. And as a young 24-year-old woman, it wasn’t always easy to get people to take me seriously. As a Realtor, I am also self-employed, so if I’m not working, I’m not making money. My first couple years were very long days, working nights, weekends, and holidays, and learning to find that balance and feel okay setting boundaries was definitely a struggle for my mental health for a bit.

And then, of course, COVID-19 completely shook things up for the industry, and that was a learning curve in and of itself. And now, we have the most recent NAR settlement that is trying to change the way we are compensated and will no doubt change the industry once again. Change is constant in our industry so you just learn to roll with the punches and keep it moving.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
I have been a Realtor for the last six years and have helped over 120 families achieve their real estate goals. I specialize in first-time homeowners, and that is what I’m most passionate about because I have seen firsthand how it affected me and my clients for the better.

Because of the competitive nature of the Grand Rapids market, I have built strong relationships with investors to help find off-market properties for my clients, and that is what makes me different. I’m not afraid to cold-call, door knock, or simply just ask the right questions to help my clients secure a home.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs, or other resources you think our readers should check?
Since I drive so much, I’m really into podcasts. Some of my favorites are Bigger Pockets, Bossbabe, The Ed Mylett Show, Rotten Mango, and Elevation. I also love to read self-help books. Some of my favorites so far have been Atomic Habits, How to Win Friends and Influence People, and Think and Grow Rich.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.lauren.westmichiganhomesearcher.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/laurenemaher

Image Credits
Laya Lauchie, Aspen Kate, Mike Bilski, and Jamie Cheeks