PROPERTYSPARK INTERVIEWS: Suzy Pittman, Real Estate Influencer

Whether it’s buyers on a budget or multi-millionaires, Suzy and the Texas Made Realty Team approach each client with grateful hearts and red carpet service.

 Houston, Texas

Texas Made Realty

 Suzy Knight Pittman|  suzyhomeseller| texasmaderealty.com

What inspired you to start in real estate and how did you motivate yourself to keep going?

Before I became a realtor, my ex-husband (who was a professional athlete at the time) and I went to purchase a home where the listing agent offered to represent both us and her seller. We thought this would save us money on the transaction so we moved forward with the deal. Halfway through the transaction, we realized she was only representing the seller and we had to back out of the contract. It prompted me to go to real estate school because I wanted to learn how that realtor should have handled things and I did. Our brokerage does act as an intermediary occasionally but we educate our clients on the process so that everyone can make a fully informed decision.

This experience we had is also the reason that I took it on, as one of my missions, to help pro athletes because I didn’t want other athletes to get taken advantage of, how we had been. Many people don’t realize that many athletes don’t make a lot of money when they are starting out, depending on the sport and their contracts. I help athletes understand how to make smart investments instead of buying homes that won’t be smart investments, in the long term.

Once I became a realtor, I realized how difficult of a job it really is. I had been in medical sales for over 20 years with a consistent six-figure salary, insurance, car allowance, etc. My current husband, who is also a realtor, and 20-year military veteran, Chris Salinas, was my biggest cheerleader. During the first two years, I think I probably threatened to quit real estate every other month lol. Seriously, real estate is hard. It is very expensive and when you are starting out it is really difficult to get people to use you because most people know at least 10 realtors it seems. My husband truly taught me how to adapt and overcome all the obstacles that came my way. 

Comparing your business from back then to now, what has been the main thing that allowed you to expand your business?

Hands down, our friends, clients, and family! We definitely did not accomplish this alone. With every transaction we have done, we have received one or more referrals and this is what has truly allowed us to expand our business. It’s that random phone call or message from an old high school friend or former colleague asking if we can help them sell or buy a house. It’s the church friend that has asked us to help them lease their home. It’s the friend from out of state that refers a big corporate client or developer to you. We feel truly blessed for all the people that have trusted us enough to reach out and ask us to help. We wouldn’t be where we are today without that.

What’s the most profitable aspect of your business, why do you think this is and how can others apply this to what they are doing?

This is a really interesting question because I truly don’t run my business or brokerage with this in mind. I like to focus on what is most rewarding. I truly love listings (helping people sell or lease their homes). Even though there are a lot more expenses we incur on listings, I truly love the process of helping someone get their home ready to list and for them to see how all that we do equates to getting their house sold quickly and for over market value. It’s the best feeling in the world. I also love working with buyers and helping them find their next home. This is the place where their family will make memories and where they come home to feel safe and rest. Ultimately, I think really loving what you do ends up being the most profitable aspect of your business because then, for every transaction that you do, you can count on your clients referring you to many more clients and helping you develop a steady stream of income.

When did you realize you were successful/made it and how did you feel/celebrate?

That is a great question. I think it truly depends on how you define success but for me, I felt that I had achieved “success” when all aspects of my life finally felt balanced. My faith was strong, I had time to pick up my kids at school and attend their sporting events, AND I was able to pay our bills and not worry about how the next month of bills would be paid. But a few high points of my career so far have probably been 1) my first $3 million dollar listing that sold over market value and quickly after my client had already listed with 2 other agents and not sold his home and….2) when I got to list a home for Alex Morgan (Women’s World Cup Champion and Gold medal Olympian). I am grateful to my friend and Jacksonville realtor, Kyle Bosworth, for entrusting me with such an important friend and client of his. . 3) I recently got chosen as “Women of the NFL Preferred Realtor” in the Houston area. That was really exciting, too!

Looking back, what could you have done sooner to get to that point quicker?

Nothing. You have to put in the time. You have to gain knowledge and you have to earn people’s trust and respect. I think way too many people want to become an overnight success but it takes work and perseverance to get there. I’m glad I didn’t get these opportunities until later because if not I don’t know if I would have been able to handle it properly and it wouldn’t have been in the best interest of my clients. I think all of my success has come when it was meant to happen. I had to go through the rock bottom to appreciate the present.

What should other real estate entrepreneurs reading this be focusing on to expand their own business?

It really depends on where they are on their real estate journey. For new agents, I would say try to stay focused on growing your business for at least two years, regardless of what obstacles come your way….adapt, overcome, and persevere! Don’t quit. If you truly put in the effort, this is about how much time it takes to get your real estate business up and running with consistent business.

For newer agents, make sure you have a great mentor that you can call with whatever questions come up. I think the biggest mistake that new agents can make is signing up with the wrong brokerage that doesn’t offer them the training and support that they need.

For more experienced agents, I think my advice would be to get comfortable with the uncomfortable. If you are uncomfortable using social media, that is exactly what you should put more time into learning and getting comfortable with. For me, it’s getting more comfortable being in front of a camera again. Even though I used to host a local Houston tv show in my twenties, I need to push past my insecurities and shyness and JUST DO IT 🙂 .

How has social media and online marketing affected your real estate business? How much more success have you had now after implementing social media and online marketing efforts?

Social media has been a huge part of our success. I am actually extremely introverted so I have always felt that social media allows me to show people who I am and allows me to be vulnerable. It also doesn’t hurt that I can show off our accomplishments. In the future, I look forward to doing more videos so that I can help provide guidance and helpful tips.

How did you build your team?

Well, it just started out as my husband and me and we were very tempted to keep it that way. As we started to get busier, I approached my friend Patricia Messick about joining our team. She told me what her current brokerage had her doing to gain new business and I knew she needed to be with a different brokerage. Patricia is amazing with clients and extremely knowledgeable about all things real estate. She specializes in new construction, home listings, luxury real estate, and commercial real estate.

After that, another dear friend, Vivian Rodriguez, joined….I honestly can’t remember but I think she had approached me about a particular client and somehow we realized that she definitely belonged on our team. VIvian is also such an incredible realtor and human being. She really hit the ground running as soon as she joined our team. She also specializes in home listings, new construction, and loves working with all buyers. She is also Cuban and fluent in Spanish which really helps out in the Houston market.

After that, I was talking to an agent about a lease and she introduced us to her son, Alex. Alex Metzler is rich in property management experience and leasing. He also bought his first home recently and this has really helped him relate to the struggles that buyers are currently experiencing in this market which has made him a powerful negotiator for his clients Alex specializes in helping relocation clients with all of their relocation needs. He is also great with clients looking to lease, sell, or buy! As you can imagine, I was ecstatic when his mom, Maris Metzler, decided to join our team, as well. Maris is absolutely amazing and she will stop at nothing to find her clients the perfect home or lease home. She provides full relocation services to overseas clients who need help with Social Security Assistance, Texas Driver’s license assistance, utility set up, and school placement. She can also help with providing furnished properties. Maris also specializes in helping all buyers, sellers, and clients looking to lease.

Lastly, we are excited that we also have a rockstar agent coming on board soon in the San Antonio market to run the office at that location! Marli Mastromarino was introduced to us as a potential client and she has become a friend for life. We can’t wait for Marli to come on board!!

I honestly have to thank former NFL player and owner of RedZone Realty, Jason Babin, for giving me the courage to start a team. I don’t think I would have ever brought on agents without his guidance and help…and occasional pep talk 🙂

We do have plans to expand our teams further but I am thinking we will keep it under 10 or 20 agents total. But who knows, we may get another pep talk and surprise ourselves.

How did you become a good leader?

I don’t know if I am a great “leader” but I do consider myself a good mentor. I try to be there every step of the way for our agents and even agents from other brokerages because there is so much to learn in real estate and you just don’t learn what you need to learn in real estate school. I also think that being a good mentor is realizing that you never know it ALL. I have mentors that I still reach out to in the industry that are there to help me when I have questions. Sometimes it just helps to run it by someone who has been doing real estate for 30+ years to get their opinion and. sometimes, I am able to offer a fresh perspective that maybe they didn’t think about. It’s all about empowering others. There is more than enough business for all of us.

Did You Experience Failures? If So, What Did You Learn From Them?

Absolutely! The good thing is that I was able to learn from some of my husband’s mistakes…lol. For example, I learned early on how important it is to have a great lender to refer to your clients. A bad lender can make or break a transaction so we try to refer trusted lenders or guide our clients on choosing the best lender for them. 

What do you consider the main differences between those people who have been successful in your industry and those who have failed?

I mean when I first started, there were times I couldn’t even afford to pay my gas. As you may know, realtors don’t get paid on a transaction until we close. Sometimes apartment complexes can take over 60 days to pay us. On top of that, being a realtor is very expensive. You have to pay fees for NAR, TAR, HAR, Supra, business cards, signs, brokerage fees, and much more. So, I will never forget someone referring a Houston Texans player to me that needed to lease a property for the season. I had less than a quarter tank of gas and I was driving around in a Kia Sorrento that was on its last leg. As we went from property to property, I just kept praying that I wouldn’t run out of gas while he was in the car and that I could still get my kids to school the next day. I had $50 in my bank account and I needed it to feed my daughters for the rest of the week. During this period of time I did whatever it took to keep myself afloat. I started to sell furniture from my house, I started substitute teaching at my daughter’s school, I even went to our church and asked for help. They were kind enough to give me gas gift cards and grocery gift cards.

I think the biggest difference between people who are successful and those who have failed is “hunger”. You have to be “hungry” to succeed. You have to persevere through the obstacles and have a survivor’s mentality BUT…you can never put your needs in front of those of your clients. There have been many times that I could have used the money, but I had to tell my clients that it wasn’t a good investment and we needed to keep looking. Most importantly, you have to be genuine, trustworthy, and willing to put in the work. You have to be organized, detailed, and a fearless negotiator. When the pressure and obstacles become so difficult that you feel you are drowning in your own circumstances, that’s exactly the time when you keep pushing through.

What’s Your Approach To Marketing?

I have to admit that all of our marketing is done through word of mouth, referrals, and social media. I am very grateful for this because I am a busy mom with 2 daughters and without the amazing referrals from my clients, I wouldn’t be able to spend as much time with my family. Social media also allows me to keep up with all of my friends and clients, let everyone know all of the great things our team is accomplishing, and a good way for referrals to understand who we are.

Final Thoughts

I just truly feel so grateful and blessed to do what I do for a living and be able to have time for my family. I think if anyone out there is sitting on the fence on whether to start a business venture or become a realtor, I am a phone call away and I can tell you the good and the bad. But…I am so grateful that I took the risk and I would encourage everyone out there to consider doing the same. I was a single mom and so scared of not having a consistent salary but I made it through the tough times and it’s unbelievable and so crazy that I now have the priviledge to share my success story with others.