Meet Gina Jacoy | Realtor, Serving the Foothill Communities of Eastern Los Angeles

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

Hi Gina, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
To answer this question, I need to provide a bit of background.

My heart has been broken… shredded into bits. And my husband Robert has been with me through it all and has been a quiet presence of strength, accountability and encouragement.

Robert has been working in his career for over 20-years. When we met he was making decent money, but he used to tell everyone that he married me for my money. When we met I was working in a very successful career in executive recruiting and sales. I took him on lavish trips and money was never an issue for us. But in 2014 our son unexpected died in a horrible accident in our home. My life stopped at that moment.

Since 2014 I have been struggling to redefine myself. My career in recruiting no longer held its luster for me, and I jumped from job to job. In 2020 I was laid off from a job that I was starting to enjoy and was looking forward to retiring from. This was a shock to me and I went into a deep depression. Along with the rest of the world, 2020 hit me hard. I had just lost my job and then the world went into total lockdown as we faced a worldwide pandemic. This became a defining moment for me. As the world tried to manage its way through the pandemic, I finally had the time to sit down and really begin evaluating my career goals. I discovered that I was tired of building empires for other people. I was tired of using my networking and relationship building skills to make other people money. As I began talking about this with my husband, he said to me one day… “Have you ever thought about doing real estate?” At that moment I felt the energy and the resolve to completely re-invent myself.

I began this journey into mastering the art of real estate sales and investing. I decided to risk it and replace my lucrative executive recruiting career by jumping feet first into the deep waters of a new industry. I did this by focusing on getting my education hours needed to test for my state license, passing that test and embarking on this new career. I have surrounded myself with great mentors and have been working hard to become the expert realtor in my local market.

Now I want to bless Robert with the opportunity to retire early from an industry that has served him will for over 20-years, but he has absolutely no passion for. Robert is my why. He has supported through circumstances that for most couples would have broken them apart. Robert has been my one-true supporter. Something that I never thought I could have… and now I want to bless him with a secure financial future.

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?
Me and my team at Jacoy Real Estate with PSOWENCO work hard to offer the highest degree of quality customer service to our clients. Whether you are looking to buy or sell your home, you can count on me to provide you with my focused dedication. This standard for excellence has resulted in a robust local and national network of professional & personal friendships cultivated over many years. Being a member of the Board of Realtors means my business ethics are above reproach. If you have questions about affordability, credit, legal matters, or income, trust me and my team of professionals to find you what you need fast. We make sure you feel confident and educated every step of the way. Furthermore, my office is located in the heart of the San Gabriel Valley, La Verne, California. This area makes serving Southern California a breeze! Choosing a real estate agent is an important choice. My clients know they are in good hand with me as their realtor.

Getting to this place in my career has not been easy. I have not had an easy life, but each negative has been counterbalanced by positive things, including the harsh lessons learned. I work hard to face each day with a positive attitude and look for the blessings along the way. No matter what your story is, you have the power to overcome anything that life throws at you.

I believe that having a good support system is key. Surround yourself with people that will support your dreams, and let you know when you have stumbled off track. I have a “Tribe” of girlfriends that work hard each day to support each other. My tribe consists of 5 women, we are all moms at different stages of parenting and 3 are professionals and 2 are stay-at-home moms. We are all different ages too – ranging from mid-thirties to early fifties. We have an ongoing text message that we check into every single day. This gives us the opportunity to share our lives even though we are too busy to meet in person. Our texts are as lighthearted as sending jokes and pictures to facing the hard parts of life like death, financial hardships and family woes. Having a group of like-minded people in my corner daily reminds me that I am not alone on this journey.

Another thing that I have learned is that this life is unpredictable and I am going to face devastating hardships. Because of this reality, I keep a journal of all the things for which I am grateful. This helps me stay focused on the positive and keeps me from falling back into a deep depression. I also have a set time every morning for prayer and bible study. Staying focused spiritually has been a huge game changer for me. I have come to realize that if I don’t take care of myself first, I am pretty much useless to everything else in my life.

Jacoy Real Estate was birthed during a global pandemic. I will never say that it was easy, because it was not. But it has been a very rewarding journey. And we are only at the beginning! I can’t wait to see where we will be 5-years from today!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in the city of La Verne. This little city is just under 9-miles square and is located at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains, 30-miles east of Los Angeles. This is a great area to visit because you are within an hour of everything that Southern California has to offer; beaches, mountains, Hollywood, Disneyland, eateries and the list goes on and on.

If you were to come and stay with me for a week, these are some of the places I would want to take you:

The Beaches:

Santa Monica Beach and Pier
– This area has a fun zone on the pier with a ferris wheel, boardwalk games, great restaurants and of course the beach! The beach in Santa Monica is known for its surfers, sunbathers and gorgeous shoreline.

Balboa Island
– This is one of my favorite areas to visit our local shoreline. The reason being is that you have access to both the ocean side which has your big waves and the whole beach scene, but you also have easy access to the bay where you can take young children to play. You can rent stand up paddle boards, sail boats, Duffy boats and other watercrafts for the day. And this area is teeming with great restaurants and shops.

Venice Beach
– This beach combines surf and sand with shops, restaurants and freaks! Everyone needs to experience Venice Beach at least once in their life. It has the work-out area of the famed “Muscle Beach” and a small skateboard park, street vendors, street artists and crazy performers. You might see a bronze statue that will steal your hat from you as you walk by!

In the City of Los Angeles

Hollywood Walk of Fame
– What is a trip to LA without walking the Walk of Fame? Just be forewarned that this is not where the celebrities hang out. It is an area full of street performers, homeless and other tourists. There are some fun eclectic shops, along with a pretty bougie shopping mall. But chances are, you will not see anyone famous. (Unless they are wax!)

Mann’s Chinese Theater
– This is located along the Walk of Fame and is where you will see all of the footprints/handprints of celebrities in concrete.

Universal Studios and Backlot
– This is an amusement park that gives you a sneak peak into the backlot of Universal Studios. This is a great place to get close to the action. You might even get to see them filming something if you are lucky!

City of La Verne and the Foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains

Hiking
– This area is known for its expansive mountains which provide tons of hiking trails. We get to see a lot of wildlife in this area, so don’t be surprised if you see anything from a bunny rabbit to a mountain lion (and everything in between).

Raging Waters
– This is our local waterpark (if the beaches just seem too far to go today). Located in the city of San Dimas, this waterpark is just a 5-minute drive from my home in La Verne. This waterpark is 50 beautifully landscaped acres with fun for everyone in the family. But they are only open during the summer months.

Downtown La Verne
– La Verne has a gorgeous downtime area has hundred-year old oak trees lining streets that are loaded with shops and amazing places to eat. Founded in 1774, La Verne has a rich history. Many of the historic craftsman homes are still filled with families in the downtown area.

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?
First I would like to recognize my husband, Robert Jacoy. As I detailed in the first question, he has been a source of quiet strength and unwavering support of me. He is a calming presence when we are facing difficulties, and one of the nicest people you could ever meet. His is the love of my life and my best friend.

I would also like to recognize my daughter Bree Van Es. Bree inspires me every single day. She is a single mother of a 2-year old little boy, works full-time and is able to juggle family, work and her artistic endeavors with grace. Everyone that meets her tells me that she is dependable, resourceful and just a joy to be around. Bree puts the well being of others first in her life.

Third, I want to also acknowledge my parents. They instilled in me a rock solid work ethic, a desire to be the best that I can be, and a heart that seeks to serve others. They provided me with the ability to see possibilities around every corner.

And of course, I need to give a shout out to Pat Owen, my broker. I met Pat back in 2006 when I interviewed with him for a job. At the time he encouraged me to get my real estate license and come work for him. However the timing just wasn’t right for me. He told me back then that if and when I ever wanted to start a career in real estate, to reach out to him and he would mentor me. So 14-years later I reached back out to him and he remembered me and kept good his promise. Pat has helped me prepare for my license testing, and is now such a valuable role model and friend. He is tough and expects a lot from me, which is great because I love being held accountable to my goals.

Website: https://jacoyrealestate.com/

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

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ginajacoy

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

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/jacoy-real-estate-brea-2

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_wWUjF5KYzmSnI3YFCNq5w

Image Credits
Headshot Photographer: Zac Reinke