Every decision that we make, says something about who we are. These decisions are a reflection of our thoughts and actions. For most people, these decisions are weighed down by external influence and approval, taking away the most important aspect behind such decisions – authenticity.
It is said that the privilege of a lifetime is to become who we truly are. Instead, we are drifting more and more apart from our honest, authentic selves.
At the heart of it, being authentic requires three key aspects – vulnerability, transparency, and integrity.
This very authenticity is what makes Elisha Lopez a transformational leader that she is today.
The owner of Ocala Realty World, Elisha is an inspiring figure in the real estate industry for her preserving attitude and her fearlessness when it comes to being authentic.
Featuring as the Cover of our latest issue of Transformational Leaders in Real Estate, we look into the story of Elisha and much more.
Where Magic Happens
For Elisha, the idea of being a strong and powerful woman boils down to someone who is willing to make a meaningful change in her industry or in her business, all the while inspiring others to do the same.
She integrates the same thought in her leadership and inspires other women by encouraging them to be their authentic, genuine self. Elisha emphasizes on the importance of not changing who you are at your core or changing your principle and standards on the basis of what others think you should be.
“Even if being your authentic-self causes conflict at times, at the end of the day you have to be happy with yourself,” she explains.
She points out that following this route of authenticity takes one’s life, business, career, and their leadership to a whole new level.
“I think a lot of women in leadership get stuck because they are trying to be what everyone wants them to be, and don’t realize that you have to be you. When you are you, that’s where the magic happens.”
The Push
For Elisha being a leader wasn’t a natural occurrence. Growing up, she was always a shy and introverted kid. She recalls, “I was the kid that hid behind my parent’s and let them do all the talking.”
As she grew older, her introvertedness became all the more terrifying as she was unable to confront public situations.
However, she mentions that her husband constantly pushed her to come out of her comfort zone. Eventually, she garnered opportunities to speak at different events and became a licensing instructor. She noticed how more and more people were willing to listen to her and follow what she had to say. This led her to come out of her shell and embrace her authentic self as a leader.
“This authenticity of who you are and being genuine with others and wanting to truly help others, just kind of pushes you into leadership position, rather than somebody just waking up and self-proclaiming themselves as a leader,” she mentions.
Although Elisha never considered herself to be a leader, she had this natural progression into becoming one.
Entering the Real Estate Scene
Elisha never imagined or intended to become a realtor. However, similar to her progression in leadership, she gradually progressed into the real estate industry.
Elisha’s husband, Luis Lopez, has been an established realtor for a long period of time. Staying together, Elisha picked up a lot of ideas about the industry through her husband and eventually became his assistant.
At that time, Elisha was fixated on her dream of being an interior designer. “I could see myself designing gorgeous luxury homes in South Florida,” she remembers. Her husband, however, insisted Elisha to get her real estate license.
Following graduation with a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, she was working as Luis’ real estate assistant and also as a designer for a builder in Palm Beach, Florida. The builder eventually closed their doors due to market shifts and Elisha was out of work in her field of choice.
“My husband reiterated that you have got to get a real estate license. This time, I did decide to get the license because I was not one to just sit around and wait for things to happen, I always need to be productive, making an impact on my life, my families and other people’s lives, so it was just obvious I would finally get licensed, and I did.”
Since then, Elisha Lopez has worked alongside her husband and the duo haven’t looked back ever since. She mentions, working with her husband to be an absolute rollercoaster but what in life is not. I’d rather be experiencing the ups and downs with him, having the same goals for our lives and our family building our legacy.
“Cannot Burn the Candles at Both Ends”
A major part of what makes Elisha herself is her journey. However, this journey is relatively unknown to many people.
“They don’t know that it’s been almost 11 years now that I have been on a huge health journey
She adds, “Almost eleven years ago, I was working so hard, barely sleeping, barely eating, and we were just going and going and going to stay afloat because of the shifts in the market.”
Eventually, the stress and lack of sleep caught up to her and her adrenal glands crashed. “I could barely get out my bed,” she recalls.
Today, Elisha prioritizes her health over everything else. She is laser-focused on her mind, body, and soul. She makes sure to give ample time to her family, eat in a healthy manner, take care of her body, and minimize stress.
For Elisha, taking care of herself goes beyond self-care, it is imperative for her as it effects everyone around her. She explains that if she is not feeling well, she won’t be in a state to take care of everybody else, including her business and her real estate agents.
She is determined to help her agents garner deals, help them grow, be there to support her husband, and be the best mother to her kids.
Elisha points out that her mother used to always mention “You cannot burn the candles at both ends.” Although, she always knew what it meant, today she knows what it stands for.
Nonetheless, she believes that everything happens in our lives for a reason. In order to have gotten to where we are and to continue to move forward, it is important to understand the past and realize that adversities are the pathway towards improvement.
The Authentic Experience
To ensure optimal experience for their clients, Elisha and her husband encourages their agents to be authentic and transparent, instead of just following a script or pre-written dialogue.
Elisha stresses that when one is authentic it’s conveyed to the potential client, and they are able to feel their authenticity. They realize that the agent is determined to help them achieve their real estate goals, instead of only caring about making a commission through the sale.
“If the consumer feels that your no.1 objective is to make a commission, you lost them right away,” she asserts.
As a realtor, providing your customers an authentic experience will facilitate a connection or relationship that goes beyond just a business transaction. “Most of my closest friends I met through real estate. It’s such an amazing business, where the relationships that you make and build throughout the years end up becoming friendships for a lifetime.”
Path Ahead
Moving forward, Elisha Lopez wants to keep teaching as many real estate students / agents as she can as a broker and through ORW Real Estate School. She along with her husband want to leave behind a legacy and impact the lives of these students, irrespective of them choosing to pursue real estate as a career or not.
She takes a lot of her teaching from her own instructors and coaches and wants to instill those same ideals into her students. Through her school, she wants to empower people that if you set your mind on to something, it can be made into a possibility.
Elisha’s husband guided and taught her about the ins and outs of the industry. She is determined to pass this knowledge, coupled with her own experience in the industry, to aspiring and emerging realtors in the coming years.
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