Rising Stars: Meet Zane Burk

Today we’d like to introduce you to Zane Burk.  

Hi Zane, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I moved down here to Orlando in July of 2021, two months after I graduated from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. I had lived in VA my entire life, and although I have plenty of memories there, friends, and life history up north, I knew that it was time for a change for my own growth and development. 

I chose Orlando because in the Spring of 2019, I participated in the Disney College Program, Disney’s internship program for college students, and I lived here in the O from February to May of 2019. I fell in love with the Florida heat, the lifestyle, and the freedom that comes with living on your own. Moving both in 2019 and in this year required social, emotional, and mental adjustments, but they’re adjustments that I’m enthusiastic to make, as they come with creating a new, independent life for yourself in a new place. 

When I moved down this past year, in 2021, I did another Disney College Program as I originally moved down with the intention of working my way up Disney’s corporate ladder. I realized fairly quickly that this was not the path for me, and after working in Animal Kingdom from July of 2021 to November of 2021, and then in the Spanish tapas restaurant, Jaleo in Disney Springs from November of 2021 to April of 2022, (not to be understated – working at the tapas restaurant was an AMAZING experience) I completed my real estate license education and became a full-fledged Realtor in April of 2022. 

I completed my classes and exams while working at Jaleo and in the first stages of my career in Real Estate, I have enjoyed plenty of new, beautiful connections with amazing co-workers and mentors. I work at eXp Realty with the Alliance group in our Downtown Orlando office. I have learned so much in a few short months and have made great connections, and I’m so excited to continue down this path. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Is it ever a smooth road? I would say no – but I don’t agree that the road is ever supposed to be “smooth,” that is if you’re traveling on the right one. There have been bumps in the road – moving to a new place has created a lot of mental and spiritual questions within me. There’s a real beauty to uprooting yourself and changing your surroundings to somewhere completely new because it allows you to question all of the narratives that you had in place where you used to live. The old influences that caused your usual beliefs to stay in place aren’t there anymore, and so you have the opportunity to say, “Okay, my family isn’t here, my old friends aren’t here, my usual places aren’t here – I’M here. So, who am I? What pieces of myself do I want to take with me into this new chapter, and what pieces don’t serve me that I can leave behind? 

Financial issues have been an honest struggle for me as I begin this life – luckily, I have an amazing father who supports me when I’m in a really tight bind. Still, it has certainly been an adjustment to pay my own rent, bills, groceries, utilities – all of that fun stuff. I wouldn’t trade it for the world, though – taking the leap to be on my own has taught me so much more than it has “taken” from me, and I wouldn’t trade the lessons for anything. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a Real Estate Agent and Advisor down here in Orlando. The specialty is fairly self-explanatory – I am a housing expert for the Central Florida Metropolitan Area, and I assist clients in the buying and selling of property, whether that be as a new home for them, an investment, or whatever else they desire to use it for. 

I have two major specialties that I pride myself on in my career, the first being my education of the Central Florida area. Though I have only lived here for just over a year, I know as much or more than a decades-long resident of Orlando. I research daily because I desire to be able to assist my customers in as many ways as possible; however I can, and whenever I can. 

Second, I love connecting with people. A real estate transaction is a great avenue to meet someone new and learn about their story, their history, and what they want for their future. It can be with someone that wants to buy a second home to build wealth for themselves and their family or someone that wants to find their first home with the perfect features for them to raise their future families in. They may be an individual like me, moving to a new place and wanting to get in a starter apartment or condo as they learn the ropes of Central Florida – every story is different, just like every person is different. My favorite aspect of the business is spreading love, knowledge, and joy at every step to each unique client that I work with. 

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Huge shout-out to my mentor, Diante Lawrence – he is an agent at my brokerage downtown, and he is not only a sensational agent, but he is a sensational leader, person, and friend. We were connected through a mutual friend that I had met through playing basketball that also worked at the brokerage, and once we met in person, we hit it off immediately. 

Mentors are crucial to your development in any field – it is so important to have someone that you can mold your actions and your schedule off of that has already shown their methods to be successful. To make the most of your time, the ideal situation is completing actions and tasks that are proven methods to success in your field, and then you can pick and choose which of these methods or tasks mesh with you and your personality the best. By having a mentor that can show you the how’s and whys behind what they do, and the success that it brings them, you will have a much better and quicker shot at success in your field. 

The greatest advice that I can give on what works well in finding a mentor and networking is to be as open to any opportunity as possible. There have been many times where I thought that a certain conversation, phone call, or meeting didn’t mean much or wouldn’t amount to much, and it somehow led to a life-altering event down the line. Never discount yourself or the situations that you may be able to get yourself into. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zaneburk.exprealty.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zanetherealtor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zanetherealtor
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-1Ml1mUtHOs3B4nqjWXUng 

Image Credits
Emilio at Giler Productions