Meet Liz Morehouse | Realtor

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

Hi Liz, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
The gift of time allows all of us the opportunity to reinvent ourselves -anyway we want, on any given day. I didn’t really wake up one morning and say “I have to be in Real Estate” it was one of those things that kind of kept peeking around the corner at me over various times. I am at a new stage in my life where my job as a Mom has less restrictive obligations now that my children are young adults, creating their own worlds.

I’ve learned to expect the unexpected. It takes courage to fail. I’ve always said that nobody likes to suck and every day really is a new day! Forgive yourself for screwing up, dropping the ball, or simply not being “the right one” for the job. In Real Estate our career tends to be marked by the number of transactions we have, and in life, marked by the number of challenges we overcome.

Albert Einstein once said “Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value.” This statement really is the cornerstone to how I view my career in Real Estate, as an entrepreneur I am taking on greater than normal financial risk for the sole purpose of bettering my life. Balance is the key to my foundation, and this foundation protects my pride when I fail, and my confidence when I succeed.

There is power in play, living in gratitude, giving back, and being kind to yourself the way you would someone else. Blend these 4 values with a consistent work ethic, and I believe you will win more than you will lose. Life is not always about the win, but the progress the experience gives you. And those five things are totally free!! My foundation is built on integrity and the willingness to keep trying.

What should our readers know about your business?
I began my education for Real Estate, with a full business plan of how I would approach my new career, once I finished my classes & pass the State Exam. Unfortunately, Covid would be the first major roadblock to challenge my progress in this business. One of the stranger side affects to the pandemic, was how the housing market turned completely upside down and this insane feeding frenzy occurred where homes were being bought and sold, sight unseen for prices never before imagined.

It was as if suddenly, overnight, everyone was a Real Estate Agent. Meanwhile our offices were still closed, people were in lock down, and our industry was colluded with countless guidelines, rules & red tape that could change on a daily basis, making it that more competitive to swim & stay afloat in a pool of sharks.

In addition, I was one of the few people in California, denied financial aid during Covid because I had willingly left my job two weeks earlier, for the sole purpose of furthering my education. What many people don’t realize is that this industry is a very expensive business to get into. For example; you have dues with the Board of Realtors, your Brokerage, your advertising & marketing, if you belong to a team, one likely has additional financial obligations there too. If an Agent takes a listing, more additional expenses such as staging & photography are in most cases, out of pocket. Now account for the TIME invested. Agents are NOT paid until a transaction is actually finalized and keys are exchanged. WE ARE NOT PAID for “working in the office”, attending Broker meetings, viewing properties, holding Open Houses, or taking additional classes. These are merely requirements of someone that wants to have a career in Real Estate. A Real Estate Agent is required to hang their license with a Brokerage in order to practice. That being said, as Agents we are considered “Independent Contractors” (ie: entrepenuaers).

Being on a Team during Covid gave me a great advantage because I was introduced to other Agents that I would otherwise not been able to meet. I was then able to build trusted relationships faster and easier. When we were finally allowed to work Open Houses again, those seasoned Agents were generous enough to share them, which then allowed me to practice talking to potential clients and try to earn business with people, not already working with someone.

During that year of Covid I was able to write many offers, and I successfully closed one transaction for nearly $1.8M. The outside world doesn’t see the “so close deals” or the “2nd’s” (ie: back-ups). As an entrepreneur, YOU KNOW what kind of dedication & lack of sleep, financial commitment & free work you donated back into your business, in order to create something, anything in hopes of moving your goals that much closer to reality.

Another thing you might not know about Real Estate… they say it takes 5 years for an Agent to really solidify themselves in order for this to become their full-time job. So for me, I consider it like my Masters program- I work my business as full time as I can, making relationships and building my brand along the way, while maintaining another full-time job that pays the bills. For me that is waitressing. It’s a fun job, for the most part easy, but as anyone who works in the hospitality industry knows, it’s physically demanding & emotionally draining on your body (it really does make one tired talking all day and I average 7-10 miles of walking per shift!).

I just finished up my second year as an Agent, but what I’m most proud of, is how I I completed it… knowing what I went through behind the scenes! I’ve always said “with adversity comes opportunity”. I was given the opportunity to lead by example and show my children (19, 21 & 22) what keeping your shoulders high, living in gratitude, smiling and working hard will earn you. I ended the year closing a transaction as the Listing Agent (Sold $925-K); I flew the nest (the Team); fully rebranded myself “MoreHome with MoreHouse”; and I bought a car for the license plate I had sitting on my desk for 9 months!

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 love Oceanside, Encinitas & San Diego’s downtown waterfront.

Oceanside; We’d definitely walk the Pier, take our beach cruisers on the strand and bike to the harbor. A chocolate mocha at Nautical Bean in the morning, and fish bowl margaritas later on at Rockin Baha! Nothing better than sitting on the patio looking at all the boats, and watching the waves crash on the sand. A definite stop by Coombers wine bar for some live music and some delicious wood fire pizza! You’ll find the best sunset market on Thursday nights too!

Encinitas; We’re in football season and this town has some of the best places to meet up with friends and watch games. Regal Seagull, Union, Beach Street, 1st Street, Chief’s Burgers & Brew to name a few. Definitely get some pool in at the Leucadian or the Shanty… then finish up with live music at the Roxy or the Kraken!

San Diego; I love that we can take the train to any or all of these great coastal communities. It’s such a beautiful ride, but you can also take your bike with you. Once downtown, take a ferry over to Coronado and ride all over the island. There are so many fun things to see and do downtown. Start with a pulled pork sandwich and some nostalgia at Kansas City BBQ, a craft coctail on the 40th floor of the Hyatt Manchester and take in the views, the Mad House Comedy Club for some good laughs, and then walk down the next block to see some of the best talent & entertainment at the Shout House- nothing better than a dueling piano bar with the entire staff taking breaks to sing together!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Tina Polansky immediately comes to mind. Being new to Real Estate Tina took me under her wing to both mentor and protect me in what can be a dirty, competitive business. Tina was absolutely selfless in the time she took teaching me about how to talk with clients, how to stand out professionally, and making the most of challenging situations.

About 6 months into our working together, my personal life took a major hit & overnight my world drastically changed. I removed my daughter (18 and a senior in HS) and I from an unsafe situation, walking away with basically the clothes on our backs. My life was shattered into a million pieces. I was suddenly broke, homeless, without transportation, and my reputation was in jeopardy due to circumstances beyond my control. I told Tina to cut ties and stop working with me, but she refused. Not only did she stand by me, she made sure I was protected.

Unfortunately, I had to take a second job and pull back on my Real Estate in order to put food on the table and a roof over our head. For the next year, Tina would loan me her Lexus so that I could get to and from both of my jobs, with no questions asked. This not only gave me the financial security to begin rebuilding a life for my daughter and I, but driving such a nice car also gave me the confidence and self worth to hold my shoulders high, smile & keep putting one foot in front of the other. Tina’s compassion & encouragement for both my daughter and I, got us through some very dark days during this time. My daughter and I had some amazing “wins” as a direct result of Tina giving both of us the tools & opportunities to achieve the goals we had for ourselves, in this year of rebuilding.

Dalia an Elementary School Teacher. is one of my closest friends of nearly 10 years now. Prior to Real Estate, my profession was after care programs for children (Ie: Boys & Girls Club & BASE). We worked at the same school, and she was also my daughters 5th grade History Teacher at one point. I confided my fears to her and 24 hours later I was on her doorstep with my daughter & our little dog Ruby. Without hesitation she took us in, rent free -until a few months later when I was able to finally contribute. She gave us a roof over our head, privacy to cry out the hurt, and was 100% judgement free the entire time! She literally saved my life. We are roommates to this day.

My daughter Kaitlyn. It was 3 weeks before her HS Graduation (Finals) when I suddenly removed her from our home, and took us into hiding. She never got to be in her bedroom again, and that was her safe space. Right after Graduation she took a summer job to help pay for our phones, food & gas. A year 1/2 later she has gone to College in NYC, Traveled to Ireland, bought a car and (two months ago) took a great job out of State, and is now living on her own with our dog Ruby. She is only 19!

This child has had every reason to rebel & be angry with me for having trusted someone that hurt us so bad. But instead, Kaitlyn has been by my side learning with me, how these adversities in life can be to our advantage. We focused our energies on emotional & physical health while working to better our living conditions. Kaitlyn and I continue to make new goals for ourselves, and check in on each other daily for accountability. The unconditional love this child has for me, has a ripple affect on the attitude I have about life, and why it is worth living.

Website: MoreHouseProperties.com

Instagram: @lizmorehouse.26

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liz.morehouse26