Meet Lawrence Velo | Realtor & Company Tech Administrator

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

Hi Lawrence, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
As a new Realtor who didn’t sell a single home in his first year, this was looming in my head. I knew I had it within me, but no one I knew wanted to buy or sell. My mom always said, ‘be patient, it took your father a long time before he met a strong customer base as a handyman, and the same is true for you’. She never stopped believing in me, it was encouraging when all hope seemed lost. 2 years later, not only did I close more deals, I was offered an administrative position in the Brokerage, where I could always have guaranteed pay no matter how many or little sales were done. You see, when you do something you love, the cost is worth it, you just have to fight the good fight and never give up. I was putting people over profit, an attribute my customers can’t get enough of. Find someone who believes in you and fulfill your calling, it’s worth it! If you stubbornly pursue what you like and don’t lose hope, nothing can stop you from getting there.

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?
Putting people over profit has been a model of my success. I never enjoyed the prospect of being a money-hungry salesperson with my customers, but instead helping them achieve their personal real estate goals and being honest with them. I definitely had my challenges starting, especially since I had just survived a life-threatening disease that shaved 70lbs off my body weight. I was frail and weak, but my intellect and technology skills were still alive and booming. I learned how to educate my clients thoroughly on real estate sales, whether it was first time consultations or Zoom meetings where we read Real Estate contracts together to help them understand how their money was being kept safe. I’ll never forget when I used a screen-recording technology known as ‘Loom’ where I recorded a presentation to my sellers who lived in Canada, they loved it because it was like I was there even when we were thousands of miles away. I want the world to know that it is possible to be a business person while holding true to your values. Jesus put people over profit, and so can I while still making a living.

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?
Southern California is so vast, beautiful and crowded! I love this place! I would book a hotel in Long Beach so you can visit everything along the coast quickly. Start your visit in the adorable city of San Clemente, the downtown Spanish architecture is mesmerizing, and don’t forget a yummy treat at Paradis Ice Cream, Yum! Then take a trolly from the Ritz Carlton in Dana Point to Laguna Beach, the gorgeous California coast is undeniable along Pacific Coast Highway better known as “PCH”. Grab a lunch or dinner at The Cliff Restaurant where you can eat by the ocean, can someone say beautiful sunsets? Then make your way down PCH to Corona Del Mar beach and grab a bench at ‘Inspiration Point’ where you can sit on a bench and listen to the waves all night long. On the next day, take a hike at Laguna Lake in the city of Fullerton, who doesn’t love nature and beautiful homes together? As the day warms up visit the world-famous Huntington Beach where you can surf the ocean waves with others. Ready for dinner, visit the Shoreline Village in Long Beach where restaurants and boats sit together along the ocean waters. Ready for the next day? Visit downtown Hermosa Beach near Pier and Hermosa Ave where you can catch beautiful sunsets and see the world alive. As a Realtor, you can’t miss out on visiting the Venice Beach canals, they are amazing! Reserve a table at The Perch, a downtown LA special, where you can dine 15 floors in the sky viewing Downtown Los Angeles. Don’t forget about Beverly Gardens Park in Beverly Hills, from expensive homes to political demonstrations, it’s sure to grab everyone’s attention. Finally, spend an evening at ‘The Commons’ in Calabasas, trust me, you won’t regret it.

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?
My success is in fact not my success but everyone’s success as several people contributed a piece of the puzzle. My strongest support came from my mom, my manager and God, it was the synergy I needed to get through this challenge of starting a new business. My mother never gave up on me, she always believed in me, and that validation was fuel to my entrepreneurship! My manger gave me a ‘rookie’ of the year award even before I closed my first sale. God had my back, keeping me safe during the COVID pandemic, including working a miracle where the seller of my first transaction gave my buyer a $42,000 discount on the home!

Website: ThisPerfectPlace.com

Instagram: ThisPerfectPlace

Image Credits
Gerson Repreza (Hollywood Photo)