Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer De VivoO.
Hi Jennifer, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I’ve been an entrepreneur at heart for as long as I can remember. My mom owned a commercial subcontracting business, and I started working with her on construction sites when I was just fourteen. She was a certified Minority Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (MWBE), and her company worked with some incredible names — Disney World, Universal Studios, the City of Orlando, and the Florida Department of Transportation.
Those early years taught me what it meant to build something from the ground up. I learned how to work hard, stay humble, and solve problems on the fly — lessons that became the foundation for everything I do today.
Midway through college, I joined my mom full time as she expanded into international business and commodity brokerage. We traveled the world — negotiating deals, learning about new markets, and connecting with people from all walks of life. On one of those trips to Italy in 1998, I met my first husband. I ended up living in Rome for three years, got married, and started my family before eventually returning to the United States.
Back home, my journey took a turn I never expected. The worship leader at my church — who was both a mortgage and real estate broker — saw something in me and encouraged me to get my mortgage license. I started out as an assistant loan officer, but it didn’t take long for me to realize that the real estate side was where my heart truly belonged.
I became a full-time Realtor and started selling land lots online before there was such a thing as internet leads or Zillow. I was creating virtual marketing strategies before the industry even had a name for them!
A few years later, my husband and I decided to open our own family brokerage, De Vivo Realty. We kept it small and personal — I focused on marketing and growth, and he handled the operations and transactions. Together, we built something we were proud of, and I was even featured several times on HGTV’s “House Hunters.”
After twenty years of marriage, we went our separate ways but remained on good terms. I returned to the corporate real estate world with EXIT Realty, which later became part of eXp Realty. During that time, I led teams, coached and mentored agents, and even developed training courses to help them grow their businesses.
But deep down, I knew I wanted something different — something more personal and purpose-driven. I wanted to create a brokerage where clients were truly at the center, and where agents could grow with hands-on mentorship and real support.
That’s when I founded Lotus Door Realty in Lake Mary, Florida.
My vision was simple: a boutique brokerage that delivers customized solutions for every client, empowers agents with one-on-one mentorship, and creates space for both business and people to bloom.
Today, Lotus Door Realty is thriving with a team of experienced agents, a strong reputation built on five-star reviews, and a growing YouTube channel and social media presence that helps educate and inspire homebuyers and sellers across Central Florida.
From sweeping job sites as a teenager to leading a modern real-estate brand — my journey has come full circle. Every experience, every lesson, and every challenge has helped me build a company rooted in faith, creativity, and community.
Because for me, real estate isn’t just about homes — it’s about helping people find the place where their next chapter begins.
Live here. Bloom here. 🌸
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The journey hasn’t been easy. There have been moments of doubt—especially when growing a team, then stepping out in faith to launch my own brokerage. But through every challenge, my faith in God gave me the strength to move forward, one step at a time. Every fear I faced became an opportunity for new growth and success. I’ve learned that courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s trusting that you’re being guided even when the path isn’t clear.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Outside of real estate, I’m deeply passionate about music and art. I’ve been singing since I was eight years old and even recorded music in Europe’s EDM scene. I’ve been a praise and worship leader for over 30 years and sang with local Orlando bands for two decades.
Being a singer and songwriter has taught me to think creatively and approach challenges from fresh perspectives. That creative mindset, paired with my art minor from UCF, shaped how I market homes and connect with people.
I embraced YouTube and social media early on, creating videos that brought in clients long before real estate video marketing became the norm. I love being on camera, teaching, and making the process fun and easy to understand.
When it comes to listings, I integrate staging and design principles to help homes sell for top dollar. Every property tells a story, and I use cinematic video and visual storytelling to capture buyers’ hearts.
And yes—I’m a bit of a tech and sci-fi enthusiast. From Star Wars to Star Trek to the writings of Isaac Asimov, I’ve always been fascinated by innovation. That curiosity makes me an early adopter of new technologies and AI tools, which I now use to give both my clients and my agents a competitive edge.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
If you’re new to real estate, remember this: it’s a business, not a TV show. As fun as HGTV can be, the real work happens behind the scenes. About 75% of new agents leave the business in their first year, and by year two, 87% are gone.
This year marks 20 years for me in real estate—and the reason I’ve lasted is simple: consistency, education, and community.
If I were advising a new agent, I’d tell them to join a high-performing team and learn everything they can for at least two years. Build your book of business, find mentors, and surround yourself with people who will hold you accountable. This business can be lonely, so create your own sense of community, stay teachable, and never stop learning.
Pricing:
- Empowering & Equipping Home Buyers Through education, strategy, and personalized guidance, I help buyers find the right home for themselves and their families
- Helping Homeowners Sell for Top Dollar I guide sellers through understanding today’s market, implementing smart staging and design principles, and using both traditional and cutting-edge digital marketing strategies—including video storytelling and AI-enhanced campaigns—to showcase their homes and attract the right buyers.
- Mentoring and Training Experienced Agents I provide hands-on mentorship, advanced marketing systems, and business-growth coaching to help experienced agents reach higher levels of production, profitability, and confidence in an ever-evolving market.
- Mentoring and Training Experienced Agents I provide hands-on mentorship, advanced marketing systems, and business-growth coaching to help experienced agents reach higher levels of production, profitability, and confidence in an ever-evolving market.
- Supporting Local Veterans and Homeless Communities A portion of our company’s proceeds and resources are donated to programs that serve local veterans and homeless families, staying true to our commitment to make a lasting impact beyond the closing table.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lotusdoorhomes.com
- Instagram: @lotusdoorhomes
- Facebook: @LotusDoorRealty
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdevivo
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@lotusdoorrealty
Image Credits
Jennifer De Vivo
