On this week's episode of Real Work, Real Life, I’m talking with Jorge Gonzalez. After a successful career in warehouse logistics, Jorge was injured on the job and found himself unable to do the work that he once did. We talk a lot about that work and his new career as a Real Estate agent, so if you’re interested in either of those fields, this will be a good episode for you. But I also think his experience with injury and unexpectedly being unable to continue in a career he was thriving in could be valuable for many. It’s safe to say all of us will face some kind of unforeseen challenges or obstacles, and building the skills you need to get through a period like that can make all the difference.
If you like the show, please rate and review on iTunes and Spotify (linked below) and please share with a friend! You can also follow the podcast on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Tiktok. And if you’d like to be interviewed here, or there is a particular job you’d like to learn about, please reach out at realworkreallife@gmail.com.
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-work-real-life/id1673653251
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Cp0w2BjOtS8NWfj0NhmIg?si=ece5b6ad45274b73
Transcripts are now available here: www.realworkreallife.com
On this week's episode of Real Work, Real Life, I’m talking with Jorge Gonzalez. After a successful career in warehouse logistics, Jorge was injured on the job and found himself unable to do the work that he once did. We talk a lot about that work and his new career as a Real Estate agent, so if you’re interested in either of those fields, this will be a good episode for you. But I also think his experience with injury and unexpectedly being unable to continue in a career he was thriving in could be valuable for many. It’s safe to say all of us will face some kind of unforeseen challenges or obstacles, and building the skills you need to get through a period like that can make all the difference.
If you like the show, please rate and review on iTunes and Spotify (linked below) and please share with a friend! You can also follow the podcast on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Tiktok. And if you’d like to be interviewed here, or there is a particular job you’d like to learn about, please reach out at realworkreallife@gmail.com.
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-work-real-life/id1673653251
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Cp0w2BjOtS8NWfj0NhmIg?si=ece5b6ad45274b73
Transcripts are now available here: www.realworkreallife.com
Jorge Real Estate
[00:00:00] Welcome to your real work real life, where I talked to real people about what they do for work and what that means for their lives. Today. I'm talking with George Gonzalez. After a successful career in warehouse logistics, George was injured on the job and found himself unable to do the work that he wants.
Did. We talk a lot about that career and his new career as a real estate agent. So if you're interested in either of those fields, this will be a good episode for you. But I also think has experienced with injury and unexpectedly being unable to continue in a career. He was thriving in, could be valuable for so many. It's safe to say that all of us will face some kind of unforeseen challenges or obstacles and building the skills you need to get through a period like that can make all the difference. I know you'll enjoy this discussion, so let's get into it.
Emily: Thank you so much for being here.
Jorge: Thank you so much for having me. Super excited.
Emily: why don't you tell me a little bit about what you do for work?
Jorge: Well, I am actually a real estate agent. I'm a published author. I'm an [00:01:00] inventor, and I'm also a public speaker.
Emily: Oh my gosh. So what interested you about it initially? How did you get where you are now?
Jorge: Well, I, I was very touched and moved by a story that I heard when I was a very young teenager that my grandfather migrated to the United States under this work agreement between the United States and Mexico. And when I heard that story, I'm like, oh my God, that is such a sacrifice for him to leave my grandma in Mexico with the two small children, come to work here, send money back home.
I'm like, anything that I ever want to do, I'm going to do it for his honor and for his legacy.
Emily: Oh my gosh. Yeah. What a beautiful story. Absolutely. Such a sacrifice. So can you tell us a little bit more about kind of how you got where you are today? What, what did you start out doing work after, after, you know, finishing school? And where did you go from there?
Jorge: I've had somewhat of an adventurous and painful journey. But but looking back, I wouldn't change [00:02:00] anything because I wouldn't be who I am today. This strong individual that's very confident. You know, outgoing and still with a good, a good heart but I didn't go to college. I didn't go to university.
I went straight to work and I was in warehouse distribution and logistics for 20 years. I was in management and I actually had a slip and fall and I fell and I dislocated three discs, one in my lower back, one in my mid spine and one in my neck. And that disabled me for about three and a half years. And I was heavily medicated.
I felt useless. I was depressed. I had suicidal thoughts. Just basically what every, everything that one goes through when you have a catastrophic tragedy that happens in your life. You know, I went through it, you know, all the way to the bottom. but one day as I was getting myself off the medication and my mind was starting to clear up, I heard this voice, real estate.
Because I was like, wait a minute, what am I going to do now? I can't go back to the same industry. And I was like, okay, real estate. [00:03:00] Okay. That's not farfetched. I was doing kitchen and bathroom models and rehabs with my dad and my uncle since the age of 14. So I had a lot of the foundation of real estate.
So being a real estate agent wasn't really farfetched. So I looked into it, got my real estate license, and I was able to close 12 deals my first 16 months as a new agent back in 2015. And I've been a real estate agent ever since.
Emily: Wow. Okay. So I have a lot of questions, but the first one is if you hadn't had that slip and fall, were you enjoying what you were doing in warehouse logistics? Do you think you would have stayed in that field for your whole career?
Jorge: You know, I, I did enjoy it because I was in management. I was very creative. I love leading people and I love what I do and how I did it. And people love me for that. They respected me and because I know how to treat people. So, I mean, I think that had I not gotten injured, I probably would still be either today because I loved it so much, had a great career, great job, good salary.
I mean, I had everything I really wanted [00:04:00] in life, you know that accident just took me by surprise and it just took everything underneath me. And I'm like, wait a minute, what happened here? And it, it was a tough three and a half years I can't say that I was coping with it because I wasn't, I was upset.
I was disappointed. Like I said, I felt useless and I was in a very, very dark place. But I think I was supposed to visit that dark place so I could talk about the story so I could help other people, you know, kind of navigate through their process of that journey.
Emily: yeah, I, I think, you know, it's not that you necessarily want to be expecting the worst all the time, but I do think we don't think enough about you know, what happens if you can't do what you're doing now for your work, because so many people find themselves in that. Role or, you know, in that place for so many different reasons and you have to kind of be ready to pivot and make a big change and it can be really, really painful as you experienced, you [00:05:00] know, so I'm so glad you found the next move, even though it sounds like quite an
Jorge: Yeah. Now, I, what I would, what I did realize along that journey is that Everything that we go through in life from the beginning to now, it's strategic, maybe not our strategic plan, right? But it's God's strategic plan. Because had I not done kitchen and bathroom models and rehabs at 14, I wouldn't have had the foundation of experience.
To become a real estate agent in 2015, had I not had the experience of the 20 years in warehouse management as in leadership roles, I wouldn't be able to be the public speaker that I am today and a powerful leader that I am today sharing these stories. So it's all it's all relatable experience that we bring forward.
Emily: Yeah. Oh, absolutely. So let's go back a little bit to becoming a real estate agent. What does that tactically take? You know, how much does it cost? What [00:06:00] is the, what are the kind of tests and licensing you have to have in order to become a real estate agent?
Jorge: It's not too expensive. It's, I want to say that everything that I was as far as expenditures. And keep in mind, keep in mind that I was broke, had no money, right? I had to scratch up some pennies to, you know, to get my license, but I want to say that it was under, under 1, 000, maybe 750 to 1, 000 with the classes, the courses, and the licensing itself, but about, about 1, 000.
Emily: Which is a lot to get together if you are broke, you know, it's like, it doesn't seem like a lot, but it is to just start. Oh.
Jorge: well, it definitely was. It wasn't a lot, but it was a lot for me because I had no income coming in because I was disabled. They removed, they released me from workers comp. I didn't have any money coming in. And plus, I mean, I lost everything in that process, you know, so it was, it was difficult.
But when you have some people that are around you that are supportive, like family members and stuff like that, that like I stayed with my sister and my mom, [00:07:00] they took care of me. So that was a huge help for me had I not had that because I also got divorced. Around the same time right before that so it's like it's like when they say when when it rains it pours It really poured on me big time.
It really poured on me.
Emily: Oh my gosh. Okay. So that is right. So the class and the, all of that took about a thousand cost about a thousand dollars. Did you have to take an exam at the end?
Jorge: Yeah, so basically what I did I took my class in a room setting with the previous company that I was with because I believe that I Learned more faster and more effectively in a class setting Plus, if I ask questions, other people can actually learn from my questions. If they have questions, wait a minute, I was thinking about that too.
So it's a better learning experience. And I did that, and then it's funny because before I got my license, they said, George, don't worry if you don't pass your exam on the first try, on the second try, on the third time, or even on the fourth time. I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on a second.[00:08:00] Don't tell me that it's okay not to pass.
this is it for me. I'm all in. so I studied in such a way that they, they give you like a little booklet with your classes, right? Almost like a cheat sheet book. And I read the question. I went all the way to the back of the book. I only looked at the right answer. I highlighted, went to the question.
I highlighted that. So basically I was highlighting the right answers and I studied that for about three weeks.
So when I went to take the state test. And I was like, wait a minute. Either this is so easy or I'm just such an idiot. I'm going to flunk it.
And I finished my test like half the time and they gave me my results and they said, okay, please, George, don't open your results here.
Wait until you're outside of the facility is okay. So I went to a parking structure where I parked my car. I opened up my, my, my results it isn't, it doesn't tell you what percentage is it tells you pass or fail. And when I saw the pass.
Emily: Ah!
Jorge: I was so [00:09:00] emotional.
I was so emotional. I'm like, Oh my God, I passed it on the first time.
So the way I studied it. And the thing is that the way I studied it is the way I coach people and I've trained people. I don't teach people how to do it the wrong way. I show them how to do it the right way. So when I was studying for my exam, I didn't care about the ones that weren't the answers. I only cared about what is the real answer. And that's what allowed me to actually pass my, my test. My first attempt.
Emily: Ah, amazing. So, you pass your test. What do most real estate agents do then? Like, did you join an existing agency, or could you have gone out on your own right away?
Jorge: Yeah, going on your own is extremely difficult. I don't recommend that to anybody. I, I did partner up with a buddy of mine. He was in the business for, I want to say at least 10 years or so, 10 years plus years, and he was like the number two guy in my previous office that was at, and I called him and I said, look, man, I just got my real estate license.
And I. I [00:10:00] want to work with you is okay, cool. So I met him at the office and I became part of his team. Basically, I was mimicking everything that he was doing. He was doing like a lot of paid ads on Facebook and whatnot in different marketing structures. And what I was doing, I was copying him, but I was using all the free resources.
Like Facebook had a lot of abilities to do it for free. So I use that. So I basically I use social media marketing to really expose myself. They put myself out there for open houses, any new listings that we had, any closings that I had, and that's how I was able to get new clients and get referral business from other clients.
Emily: Oh, okay. So interesting. So, for someone out there thinking about becoming a realtor. Can you explain a little bit about like, if you go to work for an agency, what does that mean in terms of the percentages you get for each house you sell or what other things is the agency providing to you in terms of, you know, income benefits, protection, stuff like that.
Jorge: Typically, when you get hired with a real estate [00:11:00] company for new agents, it's typically a 70 30 split. 70 for you, 30 percent for the brokerage. And with that, a lot of the times they offer a CRM for your database to collect your leads. And also they show you some marketing things. And also they have classes like every week, every other two weeks, where they're trying to, they're showing you the ropes and stuff like that.
Kind of like the foundation of real estate, you know, this is what you should be doing. This is who you should be calling your, your, your sphere of influence, people that, you know, people that trust you, friends and family, networking events and stuff like that. But to really get the full benefits, you really should partner up with somebody that's been doing the business for at least three to five years.
And you know that they have a track record of closing deals successfully and that they have a good reputation of real estate and definitely a solid foundation of becoming a real estate agent. Like I said, I was able to close [00:12:00] 12 deals my first 16 months. Some of the people that got the license at the same time that I got it, they actually dropped out of real estate.
They quit because it didn't close any deals. Some of them closed just a handful of deals. And they criticize me for joining my friend, but I tell him like, look, when you first come into the business, regardless, if you think you know it all or not, a percentage of something is better than 100 percent of nothing.
And that's the part that they didn't understand. So I work on my buddy for about a year, years of change. And then I was able to branch out on my own. And I was still an award winning agent during the pandemic in 2020 2021, which is actually how I funded my book
Emily: Yeah. Oh, that's really interesting. So do agencies provide any kind of benefits like short term, long term disability, healthcare, retirement, anything like that?
Jorge: No, you're, you're basically self employed. So basically you're self employer. It's entrepreneurship. So basically, you really have to look out for yourself [00:13:00] and really know that concept of, okay, I'm on my own here. I don't work for W9. They're not going to tell me what to do. They're going to tell me these are the things that you should do, but they're not going to take you by the hand.
They're not going to sit with you. They're not going to tell you, okay, if you don't do this, you're going to get fired. You're not going to do that because it's your business. See, the thing is, you have to run it like a business. And that's what a lot of people don't understand.
Emily: Yeah. Yeah. Okay. This might be, hopefully this will be the last very tactical question, but just so that people can kind of envision what it would be like starting out, what is the percent Rate that most real estate agents are typically getting on the sale of a property.
Jorge: Typically they get usually some of the properties anywhere between 5 and 6 percent
Emily: Okay.
Jorge: and that's pretty negotiable. And typically for the buyer side or the listing side, it's pretty much split in half. And that card, so if somebody picks up a listing for 5 percent, usually they split it at 2 and a half.
So basically the buyer's agent would get 2 and a half or whatever percentage is.[00:14:00] price. And that's kind of how they calculate it. And then from that, then you did, you have your, your brokerage split, which is a 70 30 split. If that's what it is. Some people have 70 30, some people have 80 20 or people that have been doing in the business for a very long time.
They have like a 90 10. It all depends.
Emily: Okay. This probably goes well into like into my next question about Compensation in general if you're open to it, would you be willing to share? Maybe how much you made in your previous career a rough range and how much you're making today as a range.
Jorge: Well, because of the pandemic, things are slowed down. It's somewhat last, during the pandemic in 2021, I probably made close to what I made. in my previous job.
Emily: Mm
Jorge: So in management, minus the bonuses that I got as a manager. So I mean, being a real estate agent is pretty lucrative. But you have to treat it like a business and you have to understand that they're just because you close one deal [00:15:00] for 10 or 20, 000 doesn't mean you have a 20, 000 a month. Because if that's the only deal you do, you have to divide it by 12 months.
Emily: hmm right
Jorge: So the more deals you close, The more money you're able to divide by 12, and that's really what you're making. So people really have to be very cautious with that,
Emily: Yeah.
Jorge: you know, because sometimes, like, and I tell people, and they don't, they're surprised when I say this, but every time I give a book away for free, one of my paperback books, that is almost guaranteed that it's going to give me a 15, 000 or a 17, 000 deal closed.
Emily: Mmm.
Jorge: Get to know me on a personal level. So the very first books that I gave out when I first published my book and I gave them to clients that I just met and they wanted to business and I gave it to them that gave me a 17, 000 commission and gave me some referrals of 15 to 17, 000 because of that,
you know, so there's, a nice amount of [00:16:00] money to make, but keeping in mind, it's divided by 12 months.
Emily: Right.
Jorge: just that single month.
Emily: Mhm. Yeah. So are you willing to share kind of what that range looks like? Like sort of roughly what you were making before and roughly what you're making now.
Jorge: So I, just say, 100 plus grand,
Emily: Okay.
Jorge: compared to 120, 140 grand working. So, as a manager, because of bonuses and stuff like that. Like I said, I was very good at what I did as far as management is concerned. You know and I love doing what I, what I was doing and I only had one person above me, know, and which is the reason why probably what I would have stayed,
Emily: Yeah.
Jorge: you know,
Emily: And I mean, I think one kind of difference between those two at least is there's probably a lot more upward potential, I would imagine, as a real estate agent and if you're in a good market and you, and you're really, entrepreneurial and successful. So that's one of the nice things about that on
that
Jorge: yeah, I, I,
have, I have, [00:17:00] colleagues that make above a million dollars a year in real estate.
Emily: Yeah. Oh, yeah. I can
Jorge: they they sell, they sell a lot of houses, but they've been doing it for so long and they're good at what they're doing. That's, that's all they practice is that,
Emily: And it's such an important role. I mean, you mentioned about the book, People Needing to Trust You. You have got to trust your real estate agent. I mean, it's so, so important because it's such, it's, you know, one of the biggest investments so many people will ever make. So it's really
Jorge: One of the things that helps me with my real estate business is the fact that I bring to the table my previous real estate experience of rehabbing and flipping properties. And when I meet with clients, they think that they're going to buy a move in ready home for top dollar. And I'm showing them some properties that need some work, some cosmetic work, where they can get a discount with some sweat equity.
And they appreciate being able to, for me, being able to showcase that part of it, [00:18:00] when they have never even considered that to begin with. And I think that's very important, that it's not just about selling the most expensive house to a client. It's what's, what's most beneficial to the client as far as the resources is concerned.
And that's why people tend to trust me when I help them out.
Emily: Yeah. Oh, that's amazing. So what are your hours like today? You know, do you feel like you have as good a work life balance as you like? And you know, do you find that there are particular really busy schedule times when you're showing houses a lot versus not showing a house as a lot, that sort of thing?
Jorge: Yeah, my, my, my, time and my days are pretty intense because of my back injury. You know, I have to focus a couple hours in the morning to make sure that I stretch my spine. I do certain core exercises. If not, I can't function throughout the day. I wear tennis shoes. I can't carry things. I roll [00:19:00] my laptop around, so it's like every time you see me, it's like I'm going on a trip because I don't carry a backpack with me and stuff like that because I carry my laptop everywhere.
So I have like a rolling office with me. So those are things that I have to do. And then calling clients and looking at properties, showing properties, getting on podcasts, interviews, and stuff like that. And reading books and reading and sharpening their craft and stuff like that. So for me, it's a little intense because like I said, I am an inventor.
I'm a real estate agent. I'm a public speaker, you know, and people tell me George. I mean, there's just no way you have enough time for yourself. Well, that's probably why I'm single because my focus is on my, my
purpose that
Emily: for yourself.
Jorge: I have enough time for myself and I've had people that, that I've wanted to date me.
But they wanted me to stop what I was doing and I can't have that,
Emily: Right.
Jorge: you know, that's something that that's not an option for me right now. My option is anything they have to be an asset to my journey [00:20:00]
Emily: Mm hmm.
Jorge: not a distraction to it.
Emily: Yeah. Do you find that clients have you know, pretty like a, expectations are pretty around the clock availability. I was thinking kind of especially with the market as it's been lately that you must sort of need to be available at all hours, although it sounds like maybe that kind of works with your, your schedule anyway.
Jorge: Yeah, I mean, I know I never allow too much time to pass when somebody reaches out to me. deFinitely a text if I can't call them because maybe I'm in the middle of a podcast or something or or a meeting or something else. Or my, my my priority, which is the morning stretches of my morning exercise.
I won't stop that. You know, anybody has to wait, but I'll just text them. But other than that, I mean, it's pretty I have a pretty flexible schedule anyways. Sometimes I shift some stuff around, but my clients, they're pretty they're pretty amazing clients because they're pretty respectful because I'm very clear.
I tell them that I had the injury. They obviously, they [00:21:00] read my book, they know my journey, they know my story. And for a lot of the times they, They praise me for what I'm doing as being honorable, you know, because everything that I've gone through
Emily: Yeah. Do you have kind of any general advice for people looking for houses like, you know, you've now shown, you've now like helped lots of people find the right property for them.
Is there anything that you wish people knew when they were getting into the process?
Jorge: now, what, what I typically do is I send clients properties. So I'll meet clients that says, well, George, you know, I do want to work with you, but I'm not quite ready. I'll probably like a year out, you know, I don't want to get too excited. I'm like, look, I completely respect that, but, but listen to my logic.
I would rather you, rather send your properties, email your properties as they come out so you can see their condition, the current condition, some will be fixed up, some will need work, but I also want you to look at [00:22:00] pricing. That way the day you are ready, you have seen so much inventory, so many different price points, so you know that you just found a great deal because I can assure you that this is something that will happen to you just like it's happened to other clients, is that I will show them the first property.
Thank you. In the first property that is their home,
Emily: Hmm.
Jorge: but then they say, George, I can't buy my first one. I just wouldn't be able to forgive myself. And I'm like, look, I'm not going to force you to buy this home. I know if it's everything that you mentioned, because obviously we had some conversations, it doesn't need a whole much, a lot of work has been in the market for certain days.
So we can get a great deal from it as well. And then we start looking at other properties. And then we were like, 5 or 6. 10 houses in, and they're like, George, well, nothing makes sense. I think the first one is the one that makes sense.
Emily: Yes.
Jorge: Can we look at that one again? It's like, I'm sorry to break your heart, but that one's sold already.
Emily: [00:23:00] Yeah.
Jorge: That one's been off the market for like a week and a half, almost two weeks now.
Like, what? It's like, yeah, somebody else fell in love with it. So what I do is like, not that I pressure them to do it, but I really make them understand, like, look, I would rather you keep an eye on the market, so when you already, you've seen enough in certain areas.
That when you do see it and we go out there and we open those, we open, I open up that door for you, you know that you're home. And that has been an easier process for my clients because I tell them about those horror stories of people falling in love with properties.
Emily: Oh, absolutely. And I mean, I, I bet it's probably sending them ahead of time can be sort of a reality check for people too. It's like, here is what it is right now. You know, you just see them over and over and over again and you start to either, you know, revise your thought about what you might want to afford and where you might want to be and what you might want if you're just looking at all those properties one after the other.
Yeah.
Jorge: Well, some people say, George, I'm looking for a four bedroom and realize that all they can afford is a three. Some people [00:24:00] then realize, you know what, George, I really can't afford a house, which is probably why I don't have any money. The only thing that I can really afford is actually a condo. Can you help me find a condo
instead? So like you said, I mean, it's really a reality check. It's, it's, it's a little harsh, but it's definitely a reality check.
Emily: Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. So what are some things you love about your job, especially if you think people might not expect to know this or hear this?
Jorge: I really love seeing ugly houses, right? I really love to see that. And I really love to expose that to my clients. And really help them see a beautiful end product. I Also love to see being able to tell my clients, Look, you can knock this wall down because it's not supporting the house. And those are things that they weren't considering before.
And tearing out the flooring and just painting it. So, I, it's almost like I, I try to help them see a blank canvas. [00:25:00] And then they start with their own creativity as well, too, and then they get it, you know. But because sometimes they're really shocked because, George, why are you showing me this ugly, crappy house? And I'm like, because it has so much potential. It's made out of redwood, which is the best wood that you can have. It's not newer construction. It's old construction. It's on a slab. The property is solid. This house will last you longer than a newer one. These are things to consider. The yards are bigger.
The rooms are bigger.
Emily: Right.
Jorge: And these are some of the things that they don't think about.
Emily: Yeah.
Jorge: then when I tell them that I was like, oh my God, I didn't think about it. That way
Emily: Yeah. Oh, I love that. Not to go negative too quickly, but is there anything that's tough about it that you either didn't expect or you just didn't anticipate how challenging it would be?
Jorge: Well, I'll talk about logistics. The hardest part being in my career. was the discrimination that I got at the beginning.[00:26:00]
Emily: My
My
Jorge: It was,
it was something that I wasn't expecting. But then I had the attitude of, I'm going to show you. So there's certain people that didn't hire me. So what happened is that I jumped them. I jumped their position and then they were working for me. Yeah,
exactly.
Emily: felt good.
Jorge: It made me extremely proud of myself that not only did this individual say that I wasn't qualified, but I was qualified for their job above them.
Emily: Yeah.
Jorge: And what they, what the words that they told me they had to swallow later, they had to call me boss, and then they had to direct to me And then I held them accountable for the things that weren't being done. And then I would, I would take it a step further, that I would go directly to my people. For And sometimes they would get upset because I've got, look, if I'm going to roll up my sleeves, I'm going to roll up my sleeves. I'm going to work side by side with my people
Emily: hmm.
Jorge: just because I'm a manager doesn't mean I [00:27:00] can't work on my people
Emily: Totally.
Jorge: because I'm going to lead by example. And I expect everybody in my organization to lead by example.
I'm not asking anyone to do something that I'm not willing to do myself.
Emily: hundred percent.
Jorge: And that was a shocker to a lot of people. But that was, that was the bad part of it, but I use it to my benefit because it fueled me to be more,
Emily: Yeah,
Jorge: um, and as far as real estate is concerned, the hardest part for me is that I have this gift.
I have this gift of influence to really influence people, but I'm very careful not to use it to convince people to do something they don't want to do. But sometimes people need that, like with my motivational, my speaking and whatnot, my podcasting, I don't hold back there because I'm not pressuring them to do anything.
To spend money other than change their lives and believe in themselves so that there i'm not going to hold back But as far as real estate is concerned[00:28:00] I have Such an influence on what of the energy and the persuasion that I have That I have to be careful that I don't convince somebody To buy a piece of property that they don't want to buy because then they'll get buyer's remorse
Emily: Yeah.
Jorge: But then some of them have told me, George, I wish I would have listened to you,
Emily: Mm hmm.
Jorge: but I can't and I tell him, look, I'm not going to tell you.
I told you so because that's not how I roll, but I also, it's not my job to convince you because I'm just going to give you all the details. I'm going to show you everything I'm giving. I'm going to give you all the information. Just like I tell you at the very beginning, I'm gonna tell you at the very end, is I want you to do the best decision for your family and your comfort level.
If it was up to me, I would do it, but that's my decision now. You have to make your decision with your own family. So I need you to discuss that as a family and let me know what you come up with.
Emily: Yeah.
Jorge: the hardest part is not being able to let them see and feel what I feel [00:29:00] and see for the future. Because when I first came in the market in 2015, I'm in California, Southern California.
Homes were being sold for, uh, 200,000, right? The mortgage payment would've been about 16 or 1800.
Since 2015 to now, uh, prices of homes have tripled.
Emily: My gosh.
Jorge: So instead of 200,000 is now 600,000, and instead of $2,000 or $1,800, you're looking at $5,500
a mortgage.
Emily: Mm hmm.
Jorge: So some of these people that didn't buy in 2015 are kicking themselves because.
Even though I explained it to them. Well, I was passionate. They believed me. They did trust me that I was being sincere. They just didn't believe they can do it. They thought properties weren't going to come down. They were going to crash. Like they crashed in 2008. And I can, I kept showing them the data. I kept telling them, okay, this is what's going on.[00:30:00]
But part of them inside didn't believe me. And they regretted that. Now, a lot of them have moved out of the area inland. Because I live in a coastal community. I live in a coastal community near the beach. And they move inland where it's cheaper, it's hotter. The climate is a lot worse. And some of them went out of state.
In climates that we're not used to, then they came back. Now they have to live multiple people, multiple families in one house. Because then they can't afford the rents. And this is all because uh, I didn't want to convince them. And they weren't able to make that best judgment call for themselves.
Emily: Right.
Jorge: hard for me.
Emily: Right. Yeah. And with mortgage rates going up so much, you know, it just is wildly impacted for the majority of people who have to borrow the,
Jorge: when I, And when I, say that there's been people that didn't listen to me, it's hundreds and hundreds of people, maybe thousands of [00:31:00] people, because I, when I came in, I came aggressively doing open houses and I met so many people, so many people that were renting, and then I showed them how that was a bad strategy for themselves, and not only that, it was dangerous for themselves and their families, Had the landlord told them I'm going to sell the property and even even till today, people comments that George I need to buy a house.
I'm like, okay, what are you looking for? It's like this. Okay. Well, where are you at? Well, I'm living in a four bedroom house. Okay. How much do you pay? I pay 1600. I'm like, for a four bedroom house,
Emily: Wow.
Jorge: you're supposed to be paying 3500,
Emily: Don't move.
Jorge: you know? No, no, no. But that's why they're getting evicted because the property is being sold. So now they can't duplicate that. Now
Emily: Right.
Jorge: they can't afford it. They can't even afford a apartment rent. Okay.
Emily: Yeah,
Jorge: And that's the hard part because they've been here. They've been there for 12 years renting
Emily: yeah, oh my gosh
Jorge: part for me.[00:32:00]
Emily: That is so hard, but I also, I do agree that I think really good real estate agents that can stay neutral as much as they can. I remember talking to one of our real estate agents and saying who we, loved and was so helpful to us finding house eventually kind of being like, well, you just.
Tell us what to do. And he said, no, I can't. And he probably had his own opinions about what would be the right thing for us because he knows us so well and he knows the market so well. And he probably could have just said one way or the other, but you're right that ultimately people have to make the best decisions for themselves at the time, even if they look back later and, and think it's a mistake.
But yeah, I bet that would be really hard sometimes, not just being like, you should do this.
Jorge: Yeah.
Emily: I know, the answer to
Jorge: Yeah. A good agent only gives you the information, puts everything in front of you, and then tells you, look, I need you to make the best decision for yourself and your family and what quality of life. Well, you have if you do [00:33:00] decide to pull the trigger and are you okay now? I'm gonna be completely honest with you The first couple of years is gonna be a really hard not hard, but a little adjusting period but that's normal and Hopefully you make more money by those two years because every year we're supposed to make more money now you have a fixed payment your liabilities are decreasing, you're paying off bills and stuff like that, you're paying off debt, so typically you will be better in two years, in two, three years, so it's going to be difficult, a little hard, but you need to understand that you've got to be okay with that. I don't want you to call me in six months and say, George, I got to sell.
Emily: Right.
Jorge: want to have that conversation with you,
Emily: Yeah.
Jorge: because you won't be able to, because you won't be able to recuperate the cost of selling, you know, and the cost to purchase. You know, because buying a house, you want to be there for the long haul, at least five to seven years. If not, you should look at buying properties at a discount and that's an investment. And the strategy is way different,[00:34:00]
but you're going to have to do a lot of work to it, which most people don't want to do.
Emily: that's good advice right there, for sure. So what do you hope to be doing more of or less of in the next five to ten years?
Jorge: More of is definitely motivating, inspiring the next generation and motivating, inspiring people that are going through tragedy adversity and really trying to reinvent themselves. I got a very aggressive goal to reach a billion people in my lifetime uh, with, with my book of answer the call, because answer the call is about finding your gifts, your talents and pursuing your life's purpose.
And that's going to look different for for many people. I also do believe that real estate will be a part of me, investing in real estate, coaching people in real estate, mentoring people in real estate, because real estate has been a part of me for so long. My grandfather was a landowner. He was sending money to Mexico and they were buying plots of land with my uncle's experience and my father's, you know, that journey, it really means a lot to [00:35:00] me.
It's my foundation. So it's always going to be a part of me, you know, so that's what I hope to be doing. As far as what I'll be doing less. Is, stressing less, and uh, I really am fulfilled when I help people, just sharing the stories. And really, I don't want people to go through the things that I've experienced.
You know, I know I can't save them from going through, but I want to at least ease the pain and maybe shorten the distance of time that they stay there.
Emily: Right.
Jorge: Because I've met some college students that approached me after I speak and they tell me, Mr. Gonzalez, I wasn't going to be here today, but something told me last night that I should be here.
And what you shared, it really resonated with me. It really changed my life, but to be completely honest with you, I was actually going to take my life last night.
Emily: Oh my gosh.
Jorge: when I hear stuff like that from [00:36:00] them and from people that reach out to me on social media through DMS and whatnot, and text messages. I know that my purpose is much, much bigger than I ever thought, and it's my goal to reach as many people is as fast as I can so I can reach them and hopefully be a change in their lives so they don't hurt themselves.
Emily: That is quite a goal. I love an ambitious goal like that. That's wonderful. So this is the last question I have for you. What is one piece of advice generally about work that you would give your younger self?
Jorge: I would say that consistency is key. Definitely. Getting mentor as fast as possible in every part of your career, not just real estate, also in the management field, I could have gotten a mentor early on and I didn't, which was my mistake, but I think every career, every person that has a job career or entrepreneurship or inspires to be an entrepreneur should have some kind of a mentor coach, life coach that you can talk to them when [00:37:00] you're going through some difficult times to.
Help you really find the answers quicker at a less expense because time is expensive. The longer you're there, it's going to cost you more in the long haul. It's cheaper to hire somebody and get their experiences and their journey and really shrink the learning curve of anything. And that's really what I really recommend with people.
And also look for people that have the type of success And lifestyle that you inspire to have and I'm not just talking the flashy parts of it. I'm talking the giving part to come to the community, to mankind and in serving us or in each other, for some of those individuals as well.
Emily: Oh, that's beautiful. That is fantastic advice and yeah, I, think that can apply to so many different people. So the best way to find you? Where can people find out more about the work that you do and, follow along?
Jorge: I am most active on [00:38:00] Instagram. You can find me under my name at George underscore V underscore Gonzalez. And if you go to my bio, you can find all my information there, all my links. you can download a free copy of my book on Kindle Unlimited. You can also if you, if you want to become a, a real estate agent, I do have a little mini course for real estate agents as well too.
And how to close 12 years your first 60 months. You can also read about my invention, about my speaking, and just other stuff that I'm working on. And I just want to be a resource for people, be an inspiration. And if anyone ever has any questions of any kind, I'm just a DM or a text away.
Emily: I love that. Thank you so much for making the time to talk with me, George. I really enjoyed this discussion.
Jorge: And don't be surprised if one day you see a mini series or a movie about my journey,
Emily: I would not be surprised at all.
Jorge: it would be a definitely dream come true to be able to inspire that magnitude of people.
Emily: Yeah. I can only [00:39:00] imagine. That sounds amazing. Thanks for joining me. If you liked the show, please rate and review on iTunes and Spotify. And please share with a friend. You can also follow the podcast on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or ticktock. And if you'd like to be interviewed here or there's a particular job you'd like to learn about, please reach out@realworkreallifeatgmail.com.