Life & Work with Jessica Smith

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Smith. 

Hi Jessica, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My real estate career began in 2019 during my last semester of college at Grand Valley State University. I was majoring in economics with an emphasis in real estate development, knowing I had no desire to work within a corporate atmosphere. I found that real estate collided with my educational background, but gave me the entrepreneur freedom I desired. I retained my Michigan real estate license in that final semester, quickly joining a well-known real estate team throughout my area. I took this time to watch and learn while finishing my bachelor’s degree and working a full-time job. Once I graduated in May 2019, I dove deeper into real estate, realizing I needed to quit my full-time job to become what I wanted in the real estate community not only for myself but my clients. In October 2019, I became a full-time real estate advisor and I never looked back! As a young entrepreneur, I quickly grew and gained recognition for the volume of real estate I was selling. I completely devote myself to my business and clients. My goal for 2022 is to make an impact within my community, whether that be financially or with hands-on assistance, while still accommodating people on their housing journey throughout West Michigan! 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For the most part, my business has been overall smooth, although one of the struggles I experienced in the very beginning of my career concerned my age. It was hard to gain the trust of clients who were purchasing their second or third property and previously dealt with real estate agents who were in the industry twenty or more years. To overcome this hurdle as a fresh college graduate and new agent, I sought guidance from some of the best within the industry and was always reassuring my clients that if I did not have an answer, I would find it. Thankfully, most, if not all of my clients had not realized my experience level because of this. Real estate can also be especially difficult in the beginning because you are constantly faced with things that a textbook or online class cannot teach you, so knowing how to keep emotions at bay while finding the solution is critical. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a real estate advisor throughout West Michigan, assisting families and individuals with the buying and/or selling of a home. I am licensed within the State of Michigan but primarily focus on the Greater Grand Rapids area, traveling about an hour out if needed, although if I do not have the knowledge of that market, I am able to connect that client with an agent who does. I also focus on the shoreline of Lake Michigan, helping buyers who may be relocating or purchasing a home as an investment property. I specialize with first time home buyers, as I recently purchased my first home and can resonate many of the emotions and hurdles one can anticipate to experience, but have assisted investors, relocations from out of state, veterans, and also individuals purchasing their second or third property while selling their first. In my business, I emphasize that real estate and the needs of my clients are my number one priorities; my phone is never off and I am able to accommodate questions, concerns, and thoughts at all hours of the day. I pride myself of my clear communication, professionalism, reliability, strong work ethic, and negotiation skills. This market is exciting, yet exhausting, for both buyers and sellers, so I constantly reassure my clients that we do not need to make fast decisions based on emotions, which I believe sets me apart from many. In 2020, I was named one of the top 13 agents under 30 years old in Greater Grand Rapids by Grand Rapids Real Producers, a local publication. In 2021, I was named within the top 300 of agents throughout Greater Grand Rapids out of over 3,500 others. I also won an award for selling the most unusual property (1282 Fabun Road in Glenn Michigan – you can now rent this on the lakeshore)! I will continue to strive for a highly customized and personalized level of real estate services for each client that trusts me on this journey! 

What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was always incredibly independent and self-motivated. I am the eldest of two younger sisters, so it was important for me to lead the way with my behavior both personally and academically; I strived to be a mentor for them. My education was important to me, I was continuously an honor student. I also grew up watching my parents work extremely hard for everything we had, which transitioned to me usually having two jobs throughout college; I enjoyed working hard with a packed scheduled every single day. Ironically, when I was ten to twelve years old, I was infatuated with HGTV and everything real estate. I had no family around me within this profession, but I distinctly remember sitting down at the computer and scrolling to find homes for my family. I would write everything down on paper and then attempt to convince my parents that we should buy a specific home, not understanding the logistics of the process. If only I could find those notes! I was also very into entrepreneurship at a young age; at eight years old I began running a lemonade stand at my grandmother’s garage sales every summer. I would also resell my clothes online, packaging them with a little note and then eagerly awaiting the reviews; I look back now and it all makes sense of where I am today. I knew I wanted to help people and provide a service, so figuring out how I was going to accomplish that was consistently on my mind. After over two years within the industry, helping over 50 families and individuals throughout their housing journey, I can genuinely say I love my career and the business I have built as a one-woman show! 

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Phone Number: (989) 350-1532
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smithsellsthemitt/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SmithSellsTheMitt
• Other: https://www.zillow.com/profile/jessicasmithmi//

Image Credits
Kelsey Pasma Photography
Harr Creative