Meet Nuttamon “Meow” Ponkaew | Your next door realtor!

We had the good fortune of connecting with Nuttamon “Meow” Ponkaew and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nuttamon “Meow”, what do you attribute your success to?
I believe I am successful because I love what I do. It might sound cliché, but it truly is the reason. I can confidently say this because I used to work as a physician. I made decent money and earned respect from society, but I was so unhappy that I would often find myself in tears before heading to work. I envied those who truly loved their professions. Frankly, I never believed such a thing was possible for me, at least not before turning 60.

Then, an opportunity arose for me to work as a realtor, and it was a life-changing experience. I found myself doing things I had never imagined doing before, pushing far beyond my comfort zone. I had to improve numerous skills such as interpersonal communication, creativity, marketing, networking, organizing, and even driving constantly! However, I cherished every moment of it. When I was a physician, I worked around 40 hours a week, making a considerable amount of money, but it didn’t bring me happiness or satisfaction. But as a realtor, I put in more than 70 hours a week without earning a penny at first. As a point of information, realtors earn money through commissions, which means there are significant expenses before receiving the first commission check.

But here’s the thing: even with all the hard work, it doesn’t feel like work. Doing what I love feels more like a paid hobby to me. That’s been the key to my success in real estate

What should our readers know about your business?
I can honestly say it was not easy for me right from the beginning. Being a realtor was completely outside my comfort zone, and what I used to do had nothing to do with real estate or sales. I’m very proud of where I am today because I had to develop a great number of skill sets. I was, and I’m pretty sure I still am, an introverted person. Imagine being an introvert who has to build relationships with strangers on a daily basis, hoping that those people will trust you enough to let you be a part of their journey to make possibly the largest purchase of their lifetime. I had to get used to doing open houses, door knocking, cold calling, and posting social media videos. As for organizing, I had to work with different groups of people when a house is in escrow: my client, loan officer, the agent on the other side, title rep, escrow officer, transaction coordinator, and often time, inspectors, appraisers, contractors, cleaning services, landscapers, moving companies, and the list goes on and on. All of these developments didn’t happen overnight, just like Roam wasn’t built in a day. Each step was challenging, yet simultaneously, I relished every moment of it. I take pride in having developed these skill sets, and my pursuit of learning will never cease. My goal is to surpass my yesterday’s self every day.

I do all of this to better serve my clients. I take pride in being genuine and looking out for the best interests of my clients. It’s not uncommon for me to attempt to break my own deal simply because I want the best for my clients. I don’t care if that means sacrificing my potential paycheck. If the deal isn’t beneficial for my clients, I’m more than willing to cancel it and continue searching for better opportunities for them.

Nothing is more rewarding than earning my clients’ trust and having them consider me their lifelong friend.

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 living in San Diego! It has so much to offer, and these are the things I do and have done with my visiting friends:

1. Sailing in San Diego Bay: My husband and I are sailing enthusiasts. We sail at least once a month, enjoying the opportunity to take friends out onto the bay. We get to see Downtown San Diego from a different perspective, visit Coronado, stop for lunch in the middle of the sea, and relish the sea breeze and sunset.

2. Balboa Park: It’s a wonderful experience to explore the beautiful gardens, I personally love the rose garden and artist village.

3. Old Town San Diego: This is one of my most favorite places to visit! You can experience the local stores, take numerous photos, have a glass of sarsaparilla float and visit historical sites.

4. Belmont Park: I usually end the day with a sunset walk on the beach here. Riding a roller coaster and enjoying food across the street adds to the fun.

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 would like to give a shoutout to my parents and my husband, who always support and encourage me to pursue the things I want. They consistently believe in me, even when I lose faith in myself. They bring me back, reminding me that they are always there, no matter what, and that I can achieve anything I set my mind to. They have been with me through tough times, giving me the chance to rise again. They are truly the wind beneath my wings. The only reason I’ve come this far or soared this high is because of them.

Website: https://servingsandiegocounty.com/our-agents/nuttamon-ponkaew-realtor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nuttamon.realtor/

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

Other: https://blinq.me/d5UYyY20LmTA?bs=db

Image Credits
Eder Contreras, Kwantida Payakka