ALEX LOPEZ

When I decided to move to Los Angeles from Ambato-Ecuador in 2005, I had no clue what kind of destiny America had for me. My uncle allowed me to stay in his converted garage in his South Central home.

Like many other immigrants, I had to get rid of my language barrier and to earn immediate income. I decided to look for work in the West Los Angeles area: no clue what the minimum wage was, I found myself in a multiple job situation, working 80+ hours a week. Over the course of this time, I worked many jobs, from a store clerk at Barnes & Noble to a Shift Supervisor at the local Coffee Bean. 10 months past and I received a call from a friend of my Dad telling me to meet him for a job interview in Los Angeles with a mortgage company. I had no clue what the mortgage industry was about in the United States but sure sounded fancier than working a retail job.

Long story short, I took the job as a full time assistant to the broker. Not knowing that in the upcoming months the market was going to crash, I was ready to learn the in-and-outs of the business.

As a rookie in the industry, I was producing a substantial amount of transactions during a time that the economy was falling apart in the land of opportunities and I got to witness firsthand the worst mortgage crisis in American history.

While many of the new mortgage companies were closing their doors, I too found myself leaving the company that started it all for me. I recall asking myself that day, where do I want to be five years from now? Should I go back to a secure hourly-paid job, or should I continue to pursue a career in the Real Estate industry.

Learning from the best veteran brokers and creating new habits, I was able to survive the challenging months ahead. The REO market hit the industry, and I was ready to ride the wave of buyers - ready to buy their first home. Despite the sad real estate stories, I stayed focused with the current conditions and made them work for my clients and my career development.

To be successful in any industry; communication plays a key factor in getting the desired results. Whether you're selling a cup of coffee or a home, a transaction is being made. As the great Anthony Robbins once said "the quality of your life is the quality of your communication." When I see the glow of happiness on my clients faces, they attribute this to the way I explain the process of buying or selling a home giving them a clear vision of what the end result will be.

Acknowledging that to be successful in my industry, I must consistently improve my knowledge and skills by attending educational seminars, acquiring new memberships, following new technology trends and staying up to date with current changes in the local market. Staying true to this, I have become a leader in my industry by understanding the drastic changes in the Real Estate world: Making me capable of meeting my client's needs and expectations.