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

Hi Josette, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think of risk as opportunity. Where there is risk, there is reward. What is at stake to be lost could be an opportunity lost. The most rewarding risk has been starting a career in real estate. Starting with zero sales experience or knowledge of selling real estate, I chose to take a chance in an already saturated and competitive industry. Luckily, I wasn’t discouraged and kept pushing to elevate my brand and service. The reward has been a fruitful career where I have been able to meet and help so many people. On a smaller scale, I try to make a point of taking risks often. Sometimes the risk is taking part of a show, a magazine, the radio, or being vulnerable on social media. So far, there haven’t been any risks I have regretted taking!

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 help both buyers and sellers achieve their real estate goals. Starting as a solo agent, and not being a part of a real estate team, I was able to learn both sides of a real estate transaction. This allowed me to really see how buyers and sellers think/feel during a sale. This is helpful for who I work with because I know how the other party thinks… great for negotiating! In the past six years, I’ve also gained massive experience with contingent buyers and sellers because the market is prime for homeowners to sell their home to buy another. My bulletproof marketing plan have allowed for so many successful contingent sales. I do look for an opportunity to grow from each sale. I am always hungry to learn more so I can provide the best service for my clients. There’s this perception, that even I was guilty of assuming, that selling real estate is an easy paycheck. So much of it is glamorized (especially with the scripted reality real estate shows), but you don’t really understand how stressful and demanding it can be if you take it seriously and run it like a full-time business. Essentially you are your own boss, which means you are the only one to hold yourself accountable. If you treat this like a business, you should be out there hustling (with heart) every day. If you are consistent, you will see results. If you’re not consistent and disciplined, your income can be unstable leaving you to wonder if it’s worth it. When you do see the results, setting boundaries is crucial. Being able to carve out exclusive time for yourself and/or your family is necessary to sustain a balanced life and long term, fruitful career. I should be taking a dose of my own advice! I still struggle with balancing a full time, growing career, being a mom to three kids, being a wife, co-chair of the PTA, neighborhood family coordinator, a friend, and make time for myself. People really know me and my brand for being my authentic self. Social media plays a big role in staying connected with so many friends and clients I have helped in the past. On my social media, I am pretty open and keep it 100 from day one. I’ve shared personal stories like our journey about learning our youngest is on the autism spectrum and what I do as a morning routine to stay motivated. I think people have been receptive to that. I have a good balance of real estate related posts and Josette posts. People who really, really know me- know me for my sarcastic, dry sense of humor, passion for helping anyone in need, and know which red wine to buy me for my birthday.

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?
Assuming I could spend a week in my own city as a tourist with my best friends (and no kids), I would start us off right hiking Torrey Pines Trail onto the beach. After a few hours of soaking up the sun, we would then back to get ready for some easy night life on Park Blvd in University Heights. There we would have the options of grabbing tacos from El Zarape, sitting roof top sipping craft beer at Kairoa Brewery, or enjoying cocktails at Madison under the stars. Since we are big believers in R&R, we would stay a few nights at the La Costa Resort sipping champagne, getting massages, and sitting pool side. The next few days we would explore North Park, Little Italy and Hillcrest since they all have great spots to eat and drink such as Polite Provisions, Kettner Exchange, and One Door North. On any (or all) of these days, sushi is a must!!! If we were in the mood for a more local, upbeat vibe, we would make our way to Tokyo Sushi. for a more classic sushi experience, we would eat at Sushi Ota. You can’t really go wrong in San Diego. There are soo many places to enjoy. You can’t explore all the great places San Diego has to offer in just one week!

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 love this part! It’s so true, success cannot be accomplished without the support of others in any shape or form. Personally, I was lucky enough to cross paths with Jared Nelson. He has over 15 years of sales experience ranging from new home sales to handling distressed sales. We partnered about a year ago since I joined Compass and have been match made in real estate Heaven. Jared is selfless over and over and has many times spent time helping me better understand something so I can fiercely negotiate on behalf of my clients. We are a dynamic duo with truly ying and yang qualities that compliment each other so well. Non-human help with acheiving my success have been, the books Compound Effect by Darren Hardy and Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod that have resonated with me. Both are would fall in the “self-help” genre, but for me its all about mindset. Compound Effect teaches to make small changes daily that will compound over time. What has helped shaped my mornings to get in the right mindset has been all thanks to the book Miracle Morning. I’ve learned from both books manifesting is incredibly powerful.

Website: www.alvarezabodes.com
Instagram: josette_realtor
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josette-alvarez-219019162/
Facebook: Josettesellssd
Yelp: Josette Alvarez- Compass Realtor
Youtube: Josette Alvarez or https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPQh1ZsCgAgfbPJJfTcqy1Q

Image Credits
Hannah Cockburn