There are some people who are at ease with the way things work, and then there are the visionaries. The change-makers. The modern trendsetters. They challenge the status quo boldly and pave way into a new territory.
Debra Esparza is one such exceptional leader who’s drive, empathy and enthusiasm gives her an edge in the realty business. As a powerful women herself, Debra believes powerful women are incredibly open-minded and have a remarkable vision. “They are determined, positive and productive to find resolutions rather than excuses, and they build for the long-term. Nothing is ordinary for them,” she says.
Debra embraces the same thought into her leadership style where she constantly builds herself up to a better and stronger version. She also believes that these traits are inherited and cannot be taught to people.
Shaping her potential
Born in the 1960s, Debra’s parents were fairly young and came from humble beginnings. With limited means, her parents managed to get their high school education and eventually earned their technical degrees.
Later, her mom started her career as a hairdresser and opened up her own Salon & Spa. On the other hand, her dad earned his license in Commercial Plumbing, Electrical, HVAC, Refrigeration, Backflow in the Restaurant industry.
At 17, Debra borrowed her attitude to be self-sufficient from her parents — who later went on to spearhead their respective careers into rewarding and successful businesses. Later in her early twenties, she was mentored by some of the most accomplished CEO’s and business owners which truly transformed her career trajectory.
Finding her entrepreneurial edge
It is often said that success is 1% inspiration, and 99% perspiration and Debra held her own with the same philosophy. From 2010 to 2014, she was working every day for over 12 hours at an Oil & Gas Law Firm and helped grow the firm substantially.
Since she held a superior position in the firm, it was not easy for her to hit pause from work. This led her to be mentally and physically burnt out and rethink her career decisions.
This was the moment when Debra decided to be in control of her own life and “stepped out in faith” to venture out on her own. She realized that “If I have the drive, motivation, courage, tenacity, determination and ability to make someone else successful and wealthy, then I have the ability to do the same for myself.”
She knew that exploring the real estate industry could be very rewarding, but like anything else, she had to learn and master it in order to benefit from it. Later, she decided to resign from her position with the law firm and signed up for her real estate classes and never looked back since.
Delivering flawless client experience
Of all things, Debra perceives client satisfaction to be the core foundation of her business and will always remain her priority.
“It’s very important and it’s who and what my brand stands for. With every interaction, it’s essential that my clients see the real side of a genuine, humble and honest person that is working for their best interest, helping them navigate through the process and educating them along the way,” she adds confidently.
Debra understands that real estate is complicated as it has many moving parts. Sharing the information clearly can be challenging and if not communicated in a timely manner, it could feed into clients’ feelings of distrust.
To ensure those instances don’t happen, Debra follows a meticulous process that includes regular and timely follow-ups, always being accessible and finally seeing the process close in a satisfactory way for all her clients. She also emphasizes on transparency as it is absolutely integral for her brand, company, and most importantly, her clients.
Balancing her challenges
Providing great service for your clients means setting them up for success as a whole, even when it involves areas outside your expertise. For that, you need a reliable network of experts to fill the gaps.
Last year, Debra started a “staging company” where many homes were staged to get the best offers for her clients. She says, “I started building my inventory and housing that inventory around my office and home.” Then, word of mouth helped other realtors reach out to her to use her services. She was establishing a different identity from her competitors and built a niche around it.
Later, she began consultation services for “Flippers” where she picked all the flooring, paint colors, back splash, light fixtures and more. Her earnest approach enabled her to build strong relationships with contractors and general contractors which gave her an opportunity to understand the process of flipping houses better.
Winning the long game
Debra Esparza has always paid attention to maximize her potential and make the right decisions at the right time. She believes that everything we go through including the journey we traverse through in our lives teaches us so much along the way.
She also believes that God’s perfect timing played an instrumental role in her success so far. “I learned so much from some of the very best CEO’s, business owners, and community leaders. Everything I learned and gained experience from has all been applied to my own businesses in real estate,” she says.
Balancing her professional and personal life is tough, but it is also essential. Debra understands that while work takes precedence over everything else in her life, it is crucial to look after her well-being. She also plans to unplug from her work by taking vacation time and planning more trips with her family to relax and rejuvenate.
Debra’s life motto hinges on “knowing your worth” as she realizes the importance of being self-driven, self-sufficient and working with like-minded people — from Loan Officers, Appraisers, Inspectors, Escrow Officers, Surveyors, Contractors, the other realtors and undoubtedly, her clients.
Finding your North Star
Real estate is diverse and serves many purposes in a person’s life. Though it is a demanding business at times, it’s also an impactful one. When you stay persistent and persevere, you create something extraordinary — and that’s well worth the effort.
To set your clients up for success, Debra highly recommends asking yourself fundamental questions to understand your purpose. She also believes in doing this with integrity, honesty, and transparency.
Debra shares, “In this industry, there’s just too many ambulance chasers in real estate, set yourself apart, be the unexpected difference in this industry and whatever that looks like for you, just do it, but do it with all the right intentions and everything else will fall into place.”
Casting a beautiful vision
Each facet of real estate —whether it is buying, selling, or building— comes with its own set of expectations and Debra Esparza has conquered many challenges by becoming one of the most powerful and trusted advisors in realty business.
Professionally, she doesn’t seem to be slowing down. Although the industry has shifted due to inflation and rising interest rates, she considers this uncertainty as the regular cycle of real estate.
She remains optimistic and patient that her real estate businesses will adapt and will continue to do what her team does best— serve their clients with the best service platform and commit to doing what’s right.
Personally, her greatest hope is to witness the presence of her grandchildren.
“My son and daughter are in their thirties now and while they are my greatest love and passion, they don’t have any near future plans of having children for now. But, if this Mama can create a vision, then eventually it will be on the horizon!” she concludes.
Contact Debra Esparza on LinkedIn.
