Today we’d like to introduce you to Jodi Flavell.
Alright, so 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?
Today I work across several parts of real estate and lending as a Realtor, mortgage loan officer, investor, property manager, and house flipper. On paper it probably sounds like a lot, but to me they all connect. I love helping people make big decisions with confidence and showing them that there is more than one way to build a life through real estate. Whether someone is buying their first home, investing, selling a place full of memories, or planning for the future, I love being part of that process.
One thing that has always been true about me is that I love learning. If something catches my interest, I tend to go all in. Sometimes that looks productive, like learning more about investing or growing my business. Sometimes it looks a little unexpected, like recently deciding to take stand up comedy classes just because I thought it sounded fun and challenging. I like trying things before I feel fully qualified and figuring them out as I go.
Real estate was not actually my first career.
Before this, I spent 14 years in transportation sales. Somewhere in the middle of that, because staying in one lane has never really been my thing, I also attended cooking school at Le Cordon Bleu in London. I never became a chef, but I loved the experience. Looking back, I think that season of life taught me something important. I enjoy being challenged, staying curious, and building something meaningful.
My love of real estate started long before it became my career.
I grew up during the HGTV era and was completely obsessed. I loved watching people take spaces that felt overlooked and turn them into something special. I remember thinking, I could do that.
Then in 2008 I bought my first house and immediately learned that watching renovation shows and actually owning a project house are not exactly the same thing.
The house was a foreclosure and needed a lot more work than I appreciated at the time. I definitely bought it first and explained the plan to my family later.
Looking back, I am incredibly grateful for how much my parents helped me with that house. My dad spent countless hours fixing things up, and my mom would paint while I was at work so I would come home and see the progress. That house became what it did because they gave their time, energy, and probably a lot more patience than I deserved. Somewhere in all of that, I got hooked.
Over time I realized I was less interested in houses themselves and more interested in what they mean to people. Buying a home is rarely just about square footage. It is fresh starts, security, building wealth, taking risks, and sometimes proving to yourself you can do something you were not sure you could.
That interest kept growing. I have renovated homes, managed rentals, made mistakes, learned lessons the hard way, and figured things out project by project. I think all of that has made me better at helping clients because I understand both the excitement and the stress that comes with these decisions.
Outside of work, I am usually planning my next trip or hanging out with my beagle, Dilly, who occasionally becomes more popular online than I am. Travel has become one of my favorite ways to stay curious. Every place reminds me there is more than one way to build a life and more than one way to create a home.
One of my favorite parts of this job is that no two days are ever the same. Some days are big moments and major decisions. Other days are quieter conversations around kitchen tables that somehow end up being the part I remember most.
If there is one thing that has followed me through all of this, it is that you do not have to know everything before you start. Most of the good things in my life happened because I took the first step and trusted myself to figure the rest out later.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Like most people building a business, my biggest challenges were not dramatic movie moments. They were years of small moments where I had to decide to keep going before I felt ready.
One of the hardest parts was that I did not come from a family already working in real estate or investing. There was no playbook sitting on the kitchen table and no one showing me exactly how to build this career. A lot of it was trial and error, asking questions, making mistakes, and being willing to look inexperienced while I learned.
Early on I also struggled with confidence. I think people assume if someone takes on a lot of projects they must naturally be fearless, but for me it has usually looked more like being nervous and doing it anyway. Every new step came with questions. Am I ready? Do I know enough? What if I fail? Buying my first foreclosure, becoming an investor, flipping houses, adding mortgage lending, growing a business. None of those came with certainty.
Real estate also has a way of teaching you humility. Deals fall apart. Renovations cost more than expected. Timelines move. You can do everything right and still have things outside of your control. Learning to adapt without taking every setback personally has been one of my biggest lessons.
Another challenge has been wearing multiple hats. Being a Realtor, mortgage loan officer, investor, property manager, and business owner means there is always more to learn and more responsibility. I had to stop believing I needed to know everything myself and start trusting other professionals, building systems, and asking for help.
What I have learned is that growth rarely feels comfortable while you are in it. Most of the opportunities that changed my life started with me feeling underqualified and doing it anyway.
Looking back, I do not think confidence came first. I think confidence showed up after I survived enough things I thought I could not handle and realized I usually figure it out.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about The Flavell Group?
My company is called The Flavell Group and the name ended up fitting better than I ever expected. What started as one business slowly grew into several connected businesses that all support each other and ultimately help my clients in different ways.
At the center of it all is real estate. My primary role is helping buyers and sellers navigate one of the biggest financial decisions of their lives. My goal is always the same. Help people feel informed, supported, and confident in their decisions.
As I worked with more clients, I realized there were ways I could help beyond just buying and selling. That led me to get my mortgage loan officer license. I wanted to better understand lending, help clients navigate financing, and make the process feel less intimidating.
Then in 2020, I bought my first investment property and unlocked a whole new side of real estate. Since then I have continued growing through investing, property management, and renovations. I joke that I am building my own little Monopoly board one property at a time, but there is some truth to it.
Today The Flavell Group brings together real estate sales, mortgage lending, investing, property management, and house flipping. Every piece teaches me something different and helps me better serve my clients.
At the end of the day, I still get excited about the same thing that got me hooked years ago. Looking at a house and seeing not just what it is, but what it could become.
What makes you happy?
As I have gotten older, my definition of happiness has changed. I used to think it would come from reaching certain goals or accomplishing more. Instead, I have found that happiness usually shows up in much smaller moments.
Travel has become one of my favorite parts of life. I have been fortunate to visit 51 countries and every trip reminds me how much I still do not know and how much there is to learn from other people. I love seeing how people live, trying new things, and stepping outside of my normal routine for a little while. Traveling has made me more curious, more flexible, and more appreciative of the life I have built.
One of the unexpected things I love is that I have built a career that allows me to keep exploring while still showing up for my clients. Real estate does not always happen Monday through Friday at a desk. I have sold homes while traveling in Austria and from a cruise ship in the Caribbean. I have negotiated inspection repairs from Portugal and Finland. There is something really fun about solving problems and helping clients while sitting somewhere halfway across the world. It reminds me that work and life do not always have to compete with each other.
My family is a huge part of what keeps me grounded. I am especially close with my twin nieces and one of my favorite things has been getting to watch them grow up and become themselves. Being around them is a good reminder not to take life too seriously and to make time for fun.
And then there is Dilly, my rescue Beagle and constant sidekick. He has a pretty simple approach to life. Go outside, take a nap, be excited to see your people, and never turn down a snack. There is something comforting about having a dog who does not care about productivity or plans and is just happy to be included.
I love my work and I enjoy building things, but happiness for me has become a lot simpler than I expected. Planning adventures, seeing new places, spending time with people I care about, and creating a life that leaves room for all of it.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: FlavellJodi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jodiflavellrealtor/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodi-flavell-881471109/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@JodiFlavell
- Other: tik tok- Jodi Flavell * Realtor
