Meet Raquel Contreras | Escrow Assistant and Business Development

We had the good fortune of connecting with Raquel Contreras and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Raquel, how do you think about risk?
Honestly, I believe risk taking is an absolute crucial part of success, especially in your career. If you think about the definition of risk it means exposing someone or something of value to danger or a chance of loss. Emphasis on the “chance of loss” part. Anytime you’re thinking of taking a risk and you start to feel hesitant it is because of the possibility of #1, failure (obviously), but #2 can sometimes mean that you’re jeopardizing losing everything you have been working towards, something you have put countless hours of effort into. To be more specific, I am talking about taking these types of risks in the workplace. That next step can make you feel uncertain of the outcome, kind of like when you’re playing Jenga and you’re not too sure about that one iffy move, so you become reluctant or take the easy way out instead. I was very recently put in a position like this at work, where I needed to make a difficult and risky decision, and let me tell you, it was scary!

I have been an escrow assistant for 3, going on 4 years now, and everything I have learned and invested my time into has been me working towards what I thought was my goal, which was to be an escrow officer. But an opportunity was presented to me to make the switch onto our sales team, and it lit a fire in me I forgot I had. Truthfully, this chance reminded me of what I was truly passionate about, NOT to say I was never passionate about being becoming an escrow officer, but I have always known that I wanted to be in the field, and I think I forgot that. It is easy to get content somewhere simply because you’re good at what you do, but at the end of the day remember what really motivates and drives you. So when it came time to make my decision, it was hard because I was afraid of #1 failure, like I previously said, and #2 is was leaving everything I knew, to go into a whole new realm of the escrow business. When I was finalizing my decision I looked back at how far I had come, and had realized that I had felt that same exact uneasiness feeling every. single. time. I had either been given a promotion or landed a new job. So my point is, take the damn risk.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I feel like I am just kick-starting my career, and I am beyond excited! As I mentioned, I am being given the opportunity to move into the sales side of escrow. So I will be in the field building relationships with agents, and establishing an infrastructure of business. My goal is to provide as much value to every agent I work with and to fill the gaps that they might not even realize are there. I feel what sets me apart from others is that I know the back end of the escrow process so I can be more proactive during a transaction rather than reactive. Also the company I work for offers so many tools and resources to agents and their clients that go beyond just closing escrows. Our motto is SERVICE – Security, Efficiency, Reliable, Value, Innovation, Communication, Expertise, and we definitely live up to it, that IS the Foundation Experience.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Week long tip in San Diego, a must go is Santa Cruz beach. I was raised in Point Loma/Ocean beach so my heart resides there. I grew up on those cutty beaches with my sisters and friends, so that is always a recommendation or place I take people who are visiting me or San Diego. Old town and Balboa Park are also go tos, they both have a lot of San Diego culture and history. I love trying new restaurants, I am a major foodie. Something I love about San Diego is that there is SO much to do here, I was born and raised here and I myself still find out about new restaurants and places to go every single day. I love seeing viral TikToks about San Diego things to do. One restaurant I recently went too that I absolutely feel in love with was Amimae, near the harbor. It’s and Asian fusion style restaurant that has some of the most distinct and delicious flavors in their dishes.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Shout out Foundation Escrow! The amount of ways I have grown with this company is unreal. I have grown both personally and career wise, and all under 2 years! I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge from the 2 escrow officers I work with Mayra Murillo and Berenice Harrison. I appreciate how much knowledge they constantly drop on me and the time they have invested into me, simply because they believe in me and want me to be my best possible self. It feels extremely reassuring working at a company where you know everyone from your co-workers to management to the CEO want to see you succeed. The culture is so welcoming and supportive and I am so glad Foundation Escrow has become my work family because I would not have it any other way.

Website: https://foundationescrow.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raquelakarockii/?hl=en

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raquelcontreras65995/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/raquelmariec95/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/foundation-escrow-san-diego-2