Meet Blake Ward | Realtor with The Agency

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

Hi Blake, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Taking risks is the only way to move forward in life. Period. If you stay in your comfort zone your whole life, you won’t grow as an individual. Always moving forward is the key to life, always be on the lookout to expand your horizons. Never leave a stone unturned. Always ask people for help, they can be the key.

In my own life, I have gotten through doors people have DREAMED of entering, and it’s all because of my determination and drive to win. Never give up. Never surrender.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
2022 was the worst year of my life to date – deaths, breakups, illnesses, you name it. I break. My career, my family, and my personal life all hit the wall, and I plunged into darkness. The depths of that dark valley seemed to never end… countless sleepless nights, crying, broken… I tried staying in my Los Angeles apartment by myself, but the energy and the shadows on the walls of my previous life were too painful to stay.

I ended up leaving the town I loved and called home for the last 12 years, to move back home to Santa Cruz to be with my family and reset. As I get home, all within one month, my grandmother, uncle, and cat all die…

…I was numb…

I was given a book back in August of 2022 when this all went down – a book about Stoicism – The Obstacle is The Way. Here, I learned there are things you can control and things you can’t, and to focus on what you can control because focusing on the other is a waste of time and energy that could be used towards you.

I jumped into real estate school, passed three 45 hour classes including Real Estate Law, within 2 months, passed the California real estate test in one try, and started looking for brokerages.

I looked at Century 21, Compass, etc and nothing seemed to stick out to me in Santa Cruz, so I went over the hill into Los Gatos. I saw a giant red sign with the words, “The Agency” written on it. I walked in and spoke with Jeff Barnett, the managing broker. The Agency doesn’t take new agents right off the bat, they want you to go to another brokerage then transfer in – I was that exception. I signed right on the dotted line and joined the #1 Luxury Real Estate Brokerage in the world who also has its own Netflix TV show, Buying Beverly Hills.

I am now a Realtor in the state of California with The Agency, a Licensed Part 107 Drone pilot, and now have a mentor showing me the ropes of the luxury real estate market who did $22 million in sales part time last year and is expected to do $100 million this year… As a new agent, getting to work in these higher end luxury homes is a dream which few enter through it’s doors. I did all of this WHILE in the dark valley.

The point of all of this is simple – When life punches you in the face and knocks you down, the majority of people stay down… but not me. I got up, dusted myself off, and sucker punched life back in its face. I cannot be stopped. This year is “23 and me.” No more distractions, just the hustle and grind of real estate. I am so proud of how far I have come, and it’s majorly because of my supportive family and friends. I love you all, thank you for being there for me. You mean the world and back.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Perfect day: Brunch in Venice, Beach, lunch at Paradise Cove in Malibu, Yamashiro for dinner, drinks at EPLP, and then, off the Sunset Strip, go to a house party up in Laurel Canyon fronting my band singing and playing music into the night.

Make sure to check out all the beach cities, Malibu, Santa Monica, Venice, Marina del Rey, Playa Vista, Manhattan, Beach, Hermosa, Redondo, all the way down to Newport and Laguna. You could spend a day at each of these cities. For Malibu – Nobu, Aviator Nation, Malibu Farms.

Brentwood, Westwood, West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Hollywood. For the best chicken sandwich in LA, called deans, chicken sandwich, go to the Honor Bar in Beverly Hills. It’s the best I’m not joking.

The Rainbow on the Sunset strip is great too. Saw a free Black Sabbath concert randomly on a Monday night with six people in the upstairs bar. Also, The Comedy Store on Sunset is great too. Monday nights all the big stars come in just for fun and do stand up for free shows.

If you can, try to get into United Recording to see where all the big musicians recorded their major hits.

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 to my grandfather, Robert M. Hosfeldt – Creator of Pay-Per-View, on the founding board of CSPAN, and President of KNTV Channel 11 (now NBC Bay Area).

You inspire me every day even though you are gone. You accomplished the American Dream – marrying grandma with $8.00 to your name, to becoming the giant success and accomplishing your dreams.

You never faltered, and continued to press forward and overcame all obstacles that fell upon your path letting nothing slow you down or get in your way.

Love you. Glass half full – always.

Website: https://www.theagencyre.com/agent/blake-ward

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