Today we’d like to introduce you to Candice Merritt.
Hi Candice, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My story is spiritual. God led me into Real Estate. I had no desire to sell homes, actually. I didn’t know what I was supposed to be doing until God revealed to me that I needed to step away from the Army, after approximately 10 years and put my trust in his plan. So I waited on God to show me a sign of what my next move would be and that’s how I ended up in Real Estate.
I prayed and asked God to show me three specific things and that was my confirmation to move by faith and not by sight. Because several people close to me mentioned constantly that I should look into Real Estate, so I finally did. My boyfriend at that time paid for the classes and my notary and life coaching business plummeted during the time I was taking my classes, so I had the time and resources available to do it, as well.
Although money was not coming in and I was stressed out about what was next after the military, I decided to just focus on the classes during the six weeks to give it a shot. I figured I’d get back to my notary and life coaching business once I was finished taking the Real Estate classes, as it was such a short program for me.
My mindset was that my bachelor’s degree program took four years and my master’s program was two years, so I figured a 5-6 week program was a piece of cake. And to be honest, I wish I’d listened to everyone about going into Real Estate years ago. Within the first two weeks of having my license, I had several clients, all under contract within 90 days of being licensed.
Which opened my eyes to the possibilities that could come after that, so I decided to step away from my other business and give my undivided attention to Real Estate. It’s been pure bliss ever since.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Was it a smooth road? Absolutely not! As I mentioned before, I decided to focus on Real Estate without income coming in. I actually received a pre-foreclosure letter while I was waiting on my commission check. This was while I battled depression because of the transition from the Army.
Had a nervous breakdown because I was so afraid to start a new career so I had to fight myself every day to get out of bed to keep going for my high school senior at that time. I was also struggling from chronic pain while trying to figure out the real estate business. But I stayed resilient and pushed through even when I didn’t know what to do.
Then once real estate picked up, I had to deal with the highs and lows of real estate failures. There were situations where other agents stole my clients, clients canceled contracts, a client lost her job/income, or simply a client decided not to use me as their agent. And it’s a struggle because when you work for yourself, no one is going to force you to keep going when things get tough.
You have to tell yourself to do it even when you don’t want to. Even when the closing doesn’t go all the way through to fund the deal. Until the client closes or gets funded, we don’t get paid for months. And no matter what, we have to smile and keep pushing. So no, it’s not as easy as it looks. It requires our time away from our home/our family, money that we may not have for food or gas, and other resources to get our clients under contract.
We don’t just sit pretty and show houses contrary to what some may think. We have to market ourselves, customer management, customer service, lead management, transaction management, and so much more behind the scenes to keep business running smoothly. I just encourage myself to practice self-care, time blocking, and make time with the ones we love as a way to balance life and work.
It’s not easy, but it’s definitely worth it.
As you know, we’re big fans of The Merritt Group powered by eXp Realty. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The Merritt Group is brokered by eXp Realty to service Commercial and Residential clients looking to buy, sell, or lease. Our primary focused areas cover Houston and San Antonio.
We now have agents in both cities to better serve our clients focused on relocation, VA buyers, first-time homebuyers, and new construction.
My specialty is with business owners seeking a space for their business or wanting to expand their investment portfolio in commercial investing. My experience includes churches, restaurants, gas stations, daycares, hair salons, car lots, convenience stores, office spaces, and multifamily units.
What I am known for are my drive and resilient personality. My results and passion to help people are what sets me apart. My clients know that they can not only depend on me but that I genuinely care about them before anything else. One thing I’ve learned from my time in the military and leadership service at church is selfless service.
So I put pride in putting my client’s needs above my own to make sure they’re good to go. We’ve hired several people to ensure the business is running smoothly, even if I’m away from the office. We want you to know you can count on us as a team.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
We are always looking for new talent so if you’re a new agent or interested in joining our team reach out to, [email protected].
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/TheMerrittGroup
- Instagram: Instagram.com/themerrittgrouptx
- Facebook: Facebook.com/themerrittgrouptx
