Meet Cindy Vu | Real Estate Agent

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

Hi Cindy, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I was born in Vietnam and immigrated to the US with my parents when I was very young. They came to America with just $90 in their pocket. Growing up, I knew my family lacked financial independence but they always made sure to provide everything they could for my sister and me. My parents always raised us to understand the value of hard work and to make the most of every opportunity, since where we come from, opportunities are often very limited. Additionally, my parents stressed the importance of finding something that also provides fulfillment and happiness. Therefore, I have grown to have the mindset that if I find something that I love doing, I will be great at it and financial success will follow.

Still figuring out my life after college, I applied to dozens of jobs and got an offer to work in the real estate business. I was assisting agents with transactions, marketing, and other tasks when I eventually found my passion along the way.

Earlier this year, I decided to take a huge leap of faith and quit my 9-5 job to pursue a full time career as a real estate agent. Despite being nervous about no longer receiving a steady paycheck, stepping outside of my comfort zone, and leaving familiarity behind, I knew the possibilities and opportunities as an agent (and entrepreneur) were endless.

Growing up, my family and I always rented and moved from place to place. Whether it was renting a house or a single room in an apartment, we never had something to call our own. Since I can remember, it has always been my parents’ dream to own a home one day. I believe this dream played an important role in my career and purpose, as I understood how important home ownership is to many families and individuals and I wanted to help them achieve those goals.

I’m happy to say that I greatly enjoy my career and freedom as a real estate agent. My parents showed me that despite facing a lot of obstacles and adversity, life is what you make of it. I have a long way to go and a lot to learn, but I try to remind myself to have gratitude everyday and make the most out of my career, and live my best life possible.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Being a real estate agent is like being a jack of all trades. My most important duty is to assist my clients and be their number one advocate. Additionally, some of my skills include being detail oriented, negotiating, and knowing all aspects of the real estate transaction.

One of the things I’m most proud of is the way I present my business and brand. As a real estate agent, in-person interaction and relationship-building is a must. However, with the modern world going viral, part of what I love to do is build an online presence, mainly through Instagram and TikTok. I make content that is aesthetic, fun, and creative while informing and educating my audience about current real estate trends. I think it’s very important to adapt and connect with people in different ways.

What I love about real estate is that there is never a boring day. Sometimes, I wake up not knowing what to expect for the day. I am constantly learning and growing. I love being able to connect with people from all different walks of life and backgrounds. I’m also very lucky to be surrounded by my colleagues who make real estate fun and exciting. We always learn from each other and share advice and strategies to better our businesses.

Contrary to what people believe, being a real estate agent is not easy. Once people get their real estate license, they are surprised to see how tough it actually is to get business and navigate through a real estate transaction. Knowing the real estate contract is just the tip of the iceberg. One has to have the ability to be a good and honest advisor, deal with crisis management, negotiations, and the list goes on. The good thing is that these skill sets can be learned, acquired, and mastered over time through practice and repetition. I myself have faced a lot of challenges so far in my real estate journey, but the important thing is finding a solution and learning from it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my best friend was visiting the area, we would first go to Tierra Mia and for a coffee. They have delicious Latin-inspired coffee drinks. My favorite drink is the Horchata Frappe and it’s so addictive. Then for a hearty meal, we head go to BROTH Shabu Shabu in Cerritos. It’s a Japanese restaurant that serves all-you-can-eat meat and vegetables, which goes in your savory broth of choice. If I could, I would eat it everyday. Next, we would go to Rodeo 39 in Stanton for some desserts. It’s a fun food court that has a ton of trendy foods and desserts. There’s also a bar, cute shops, games, and on the weekends, there’s live music and performances. My favorite spot there is Fika Fika Creamery, an ice cream shop with unique Asian-inspired flavors. Then, we would head down to Laguna Beach and walk along the shore and watch the sunset. Laguna is my favorite beach in SoCal, since it has amazing views and it’s not as crowded as other beaches. To end the night, we would go to The Fifth in Anaheim, which is a rooftop bar overlooking the city. Besides enjoying their handcrafted drinks, we would also try some of their appetizers while overlooking the Disneyland fireworks in the distance.

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?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to a few people. First are my colleagues in the office, especially my business partner and mentor Davin Emmons who has believed in me since the start of my real estate career and has always guided me in the right direction. I also dedicate my shoutout to my amazing boyfriend John Ponce who has always been number 1 support and was the one who convinced me to take a chance in real estate. Lastly, I dedicate my shoutout to my friends and family who have always encouraged me to go after my dreams and shaped me into the person I am today.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cindyvuhomes/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-vu-b7204b1ab/

Other: Zillow – https://www.zillow.com/profile/cindyvuhomes TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@cindyvuhomes

Image Credits
Christos Watson (Stos Photography, www.stosphotography.com)