Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Patanjo.
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?
I moved back to Long Island, New York in 2014 and was a teacher for the City of New York. In 2017, for personal reasons, I moved back to Florida, so I sold my home in New York and had a friend list my home. When I hosted an open house in March 2017, I talked to all the buyers to help sell my home. Upon moving back to Florida and reentering the teaching profession, I soon realized the huge pay cut I took.
One afternoon, on my way home from school I needed gas in my car and pulled into the station. After realizing that I had $8 in my checking account and about $6 of change in my cup holder, I realized that I needed to make a change in my life. I decided to get into real estate because I see all these agents driving fancy cars and having money in their pockets, I went and took the class to become licensed. The fact that I was tired of being broke with several college degrees and unable to put gas in my car really made me decide this was NOT the way I wanted to live my life. I was in my Mid-40s and tired of working 10-12 hours days just to stay broke.
I became a licensed agent and had a rocky start; however, with determination, perseverance, and amazing people in my life I strived to lose the comfort of a job. I continued to work full time and built my real estate business as I went along. Today, I am a Broker Associate who has an agent who works with me and I also have completed several flips in New Jersey with my partner. Additionally, I am working with several clients to sell or purchase their homes as well as looking for my own investment properties. All while I worked a full-time teaching job to build myself up into a lifestyle that I know will be much more becoming of what I deserve.
Today, I am grateful for the success I have achieved over the last couple of years and the people that I have met along the way to help me build this amazing business. To think that I was broke a few years ago and had a hard time putting gas in my car to owning luxury cars plus designer clothes, I still pinch myself to make me realize that I am living this life now.
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?
Many sales have been lost along the way, due to no fault of my own. However, I was determined to keep my reputation in a good light as well as work hard to help my clients. In the beginning, this career was expensive and I definitely had to sacrifice many things to pay my dues, business charges, and other various fees to keep my business going.
On one occasion, I decided to skip lunch for an entire month while at school so that I can pay my realtor fees on time. It was a struggle but I did it. When I needed gas, I would raid my change jar to fill up the tank and continue to run around Orlando to show my clients the homes that they wanted to see. I knew that eventually, a house would sell and that I would make the money back. Luckily, the stars aligned for me in year three I was able to close on three deals in the same month which netted me a large amount of money that helped me buy my first flip. A year later, I am on other projects and working with agents to increase my business revenue.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My professional job is a Health Teacher who engages in educating life skills to my students. My clients know that I am hard negotiator and that I work hard to make them happy. My passion for educating clients makes me the best Realtor for them, because they know I have their needs at the forefront of my business.
I always say to my clients “my reputation is more important than the commission check.” My clients will remember the experience that they had with me and will tell others about my honesty and passion for making sure they are educated to know what is to come.
I am proud to be a Broker Associate and I look forward to becoming a Broker Instructor so that I can make a business about teaching others how to be agents. Meanwhile, show agents strategies that will help them get through the tough times in their chosen profession. I know that my passion for people and for Real Estate will help me to continue to be a success in this industry.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I see that my industry will have many shifts because Real Estate comes in waves. However, I know that as a Broker Associate and Instructor I can coach others to get ahead in their lives. I feel that when another housing bubble bursts, I will still be able to be an amazing landlord to make money and keep people in their homes.
Real Estate is cyclical so the market will come down in Florida but I am keeping my attention on the focus of helping people.
Contact Info:
- Email: Drealityhomes@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Dreality_homes
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/Jason_Patanjo
Image Credits
Damon Mayers Broker
Mayers Real Estate, LLC
