EXECUTIVE AGENT MAGAZINE-JUNE 2020 INLAND EMPIRE

EXECUTIVEAGENT MAGAZINE

TM

Felix

Real Estate

Christine Brantingham

RE/MAX Vision Keenan Goelz

EGA Homes Annette Schultz

Compass

DIGITAL LOAN

EXPERIENCE

10

th

Ready to discover the difference?

ANNIVERS

ARY

Today’s digital age calls for powerful solutions that deliver fast and more certain outcomes with a personalized touch. loanDepot’s digital loan experience, the mello smartloan™, was engineered to streamline the entire mortgage transaction digitally, from application to closing, creating a more superior and certain experience our customers and realtor partners can depend on.

2nd Largest

Non-Bank Lender in the U.S.

$211B+ Funded in Loans Since 2010

#

1 Retail Lender *

per Scotsman Guide Magazine

To discover the most convenient, fast, and secure way to mortgage

Richard Hedrick

District Manager NMLS #1059650 (909) 912-7835 office (714) 400-2753 cell rhedrick@loanDepot.com www.loanDepot.com/rhedrick 3281 E Guasti Road, Suite 550 Ontario, CA 91761

200+ Locations Nationwide

contact me today!

Ontario Branch

Riverside Cactus Branch

Temecula Branch

San Juan Capistrano Branch

(909) 912-7810 3281 E Guasti Road, Suite 550 Ontario, CA 91761

(951) 375-4800 41607 Margarita Road, Suite 101 Temecula, CA 92591

(951) 368-1850 21804 Cactus Avenue, Suite 102 Riverside, CA 92518

(949) 799-3050 30448 Rancho Viejo Road, Suite 250 San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

*For 2018. loanDepot.com, LLC NMLS ID 174457. Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act CRMLA 4131040. (040720 328766)

EXECUTIVE AGENT OF THE MONTH

Adrian Felix Gonzalez Felix Real Estate

20

17

Professional Profiles

10

4

06

14

Christine Brantingham

Keenan Goelz

Annette Schultz

RE/MAX Vision

EGA Homes

Compass

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Inland Empire/San Diego - June, 2020 Editorials

E XECUTIVE AGENT

TM

MAGAZINE

Negotiating Like a Pro -Steve Cook

12

Fred Arrias Executive Publisher PO Box 73384 San Clemente, CA 92673 Ph: (949) 297-8323 Fax: (949) 266-8757 Fred@ExecutiveAgentMagazine.com www.ExecutiveAgentMagazine.com

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX A negative MIND will never give you a positive LIFE -NP

City of Hope..........................................................34 Finance of America Mortgage...................................36

32

iPhotography Studio...............................................23 Kinecta Federal Credit Union................................29 loanDepot®.............................................................2

Invest in Yourself -Stacy Holder & Heather Seitz

NAHREP...........................................................................28

P W R ............................................................................25

26

The Termite Guy......................................................3 VAREP.....................................................................35

Persistence -Dirk Zeller

08

Photography: iPhotography Studio, Michelle Fairless Photography, Rob Paino Graphic Designer: Garon T. Arrias Editorial Manager: Trudy Van Writers: Ben Angel, John Boe, Haley Freeman, Jim Rohn, Walter Sanford, Dirk Zeller, Zig Ziglar Craig Harrison, Simma Lieberman, Chris Widener © Copyright 2020 Executive Agent Magazine. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Although every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy of published materials, Executive Agent Magazine cannot be held responsible for opinions expressed or facts supplied by its authors.

Laughter -Zig Ziglar

30 ExecutiveAgent Magazine

5

E XECUTIVE AGENT

TM

MAGAZINE

Written by H. K. Wilson

A

native of Redlands, Keenan Goelz began his career working for a Fortune 20 company, where he rose quickly through the ranks to

and acquired his broker’s license a few years later.

Today, Keenan continues to work in partnership with Ruben and Jennifer Hernandez, now as managing broker of their boutique real estate agency EGA Homes. Located in Riverside, EGA Homes is a veteran-owned, full-service real estate firm dedicated to enriching the lives of its clients, agents and community through home ownership and delivering results with integrity, knowledge and passion.

These values are right in line with Keenan’s own approach to real estate. “My outlook is more about people,” Keenan says. “I never tell a client, ‘I only do these types of transactions or only service this area.’

I have listings all across Southern California, and for me, it’s about the person and their needs. When they call me looking to buy an investment property, rent a commercial space, sell the home they’ve lived in for 50 years or buy their first home, they’re calling me because they trust me with their largest asset, one they may have spent their entire life to achieve.

Taking care of them is a huge honor. I don’t work for the commission; I work for the referral.”

become the youngest ever senior manager in the Southern California region. With 11 years of tenure, Keenan thought he would retire with the company, but when the Great Recession led to mass layoffs, he found himself looking for a new opportunity.

Opportunity arrived in the form of real estate.

Keenan obtained his license and began interning for a top-producing husband-and-wife team. He closed more than 25 transactions during his first year — an achievement almost unheard of in the industry —

Clients from first-time buyers to seasoned investors trust Keenan to advise them about their real estate assets. A new homebuyer said this about her experience with Keenan: “My husband and I were looking to buy our first home, and we had been looking for a little over a month with no luck at all.

We contacted Keenan to help us in our search, and that was the best decision we made, to say the least.

Throughout the entire escrow process, Keenan was there for us every step of the way. He was knowledgeable, professional, attentive and answered every crazy question we had. We are both so happy that we chose Keenan as our agent, and we truly don’t believe we would have found our dream home without him.”

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

RIVERSIDE An experienced investor stated: “I have bought and sold real estate in different parts of the country, and I have never dealt with a more professional, knowledgeable, motivated, helpful and serviceoriented Realtor®. The man truly goes above and beyond to assure a pleasant, fully satisfying real estate transaction.”

According to Keenan, working with this small but well-equipped firm has many advantages for both clients and agents. For one, the organization is able to pivot faster and respond to people’s needs more efficiently than its corporate counterparts. “We’re able to do everything a big agency does and more, but with more of a personal touch,” he says. “It’s all about the culture, from management on down. I really like that when I walk into our office, everyone at all levels is very supportive and wants to hear about everyone’s successes. Top agents offer their assistance to new agents. Real estate is a dog-eatdog world, but here we like to run as a pack. At the end of the day, it’s all about you representing your client and being able to maximize the resources provided to you as an agent. We have phenomenal stuff to offer.”

anything. I can be creative and work through things as they arise.”

Keenan looks to the future with optimism, as he says there are opportunities in every market.

Maximizing those opportunities requires accurate information, and he is committed to helping his clients get the answers they need to go on making the most lucrative real estate decisions. “I like to have a face-to-face consultation when I take a new client to communicate proper expectations and lay out options for them. I want to make sure they understand the process and that I am always giving them the best advice for their circumstances.”

Keenan Goelz EGA Homes 7899 Mission Grove Pkwy. S, Suite A Riverside, CA 92508 Tel: 951-217-2818 Email: keenan@keenan.realtor Web: www.keenan.realtor DRE # 01915156

In an organization that is big on professional education, Keenan says he still benefits from the early, one-on-one training he received from Ruben, a veteran of the Gulf War. “He’d say, ‘When you’re in a desert 6,000 miles from home under heavy gun fire, that’s a situation to worry about. It puts everything else into perspective. When a challenge comes up in a transaction, we’ve got this. We’ll find a solution.’ Having that kind of eye opener early on allowed me to take the attitude that I can tackle

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Persistence

I

was asked recently what the one skill is that a REALTOR® needs in order to be successful. That was a tough question. The one skill…I thought about it over and over. There are so many skills Agents need to be successful. We have to have good presentation skills, marketing skills, negotiating skills, objection handling skills, technology skills. Then it hit me. All those skills pale in contrast to this one: Persistence. It is the one skill that will make up for our deficiencies in all the other areas. It will allow us to win in life no matter what obstacles that are placed in front of us.

Calvin Coolidge our 30th president said it very well.

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Geniuses will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

It truly is a noble skill to have the ability to move forward when everything around you is collapsing, meeting the challenge head on and grinding through the competition. We are all professionals or we aspire to be a professional. The definition of a professional is someone who does something even when he doesn’t feel like doing it. Many of us know what we need to do; yet we don’t do it. We spend our time looking for the one step that will change our life, rather than using the path of persistence to win. We look around for the magic answer that will solve all our problems. Do you realize that over 80% of the late night infomercials are centered on “get rich quick or lose weight instantly”?

We live in a liposuction society where we want abundance-yesterday. We don’t want to do the diligent, persistent work to achieve success. My friend Zig Ziglar has a great line. That is: “Life is like a cafeteria.

First you pay then you get to eat.” It’s not a restaurant where you sit down, get served and get your fill. When you are full and satisfied, then the bill arrives. You have to pay before you receive the reward.

Persistence is crucial to ultimate success in life. To learn the skill of persistence you must first learn to persist in the little things. The first step for mastery of persistence is the ability to decide, and have the clarity of decision that you will do it or else. Start with persistence in your eating habits or workout habits.

You could even just select one thing or task you need to do today. Then make sure you complete it before the end of the day. Don’t ever end your day before you get it done.

8

We often select too many things or set the bar too high too early. This will cause us to fall short, and the negative self-talk will begin. The journey to run a marathon begins with a walk around the block. Start with the walk around the block, and in a few days go twice around. Then in a week you can do 4 times around. By the end of the month you will be able to walk a mile. The process in business is the same.

Start with calling a few past clients or sphere of influence. Call 5 people a day. You don’t need to do 4 hours of prospecting. That’s like running a marathon without training. If you managed to actually do it, which would be rare, you would be so sore and tired and spent. You would be worthless for a week. Build the skill of persistence.

The best technique to learn persistence is to just start. The truth is, it’s the start that stops most people. Just beginning is the biggest barrier for everyone. Getting your sneakers on and stepping on the treadmill or picking up the phone the first time is never as bad as our mind makes it out to be. Once you begin, you pick up momentum and that positive self-talk of accomplishment. My father taught me a saying many years ago. It is a saying about persistence. It’s a saying that exemplifies his life.

Once a task has begun Never leave until it’s done Though the task be great or small Do it well or not at all.

Persistence is by far and away the skill that we need to master. It is the one skill that guarantees success in both your personal and professional life.

There is no substitute. Remember it is the start that stops most people.

Dirk Zeller is an Agent, an Investor, and the President & CEO of Real Estate Champions. His company trains more than 350,000 Agents worldwide each year through live events, online training, selfstudy programs, and newsletters. He’s the widely published author of Your First Year in Real Estate, Success as a Real Estate Agent for Dummies®, The Champion Real Estate Agent, Telephone Sales for Dummies®, and over 300 articles in print.

You can get more information by visiting www.

RealEstateChampions.com. © 2008, Dirk Zeller. All rights reserved. For information contact FrogPond at 800.704.FROG(3764) or email susie@FrogPond. com; http://www.FrogPond.com.

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

9

E XECUTIVE AGENT

TM

MAGAZINE

Christine Brantingham Written by H. K. Wilson

going on, and I’m inspired by her hustle. I feel so uplifted in this office. Our staff is amazing, and I know that I have people behind me to provide the support I need to deliver service to my clients. I’m truly grateful to be here.”

Right now, Christine and her colleagues at RE/MAX Vision are engaged in a twelve-week accountability marketing program designed to sharpen their skills and visibility in the marketplace. “We’re spending two hours a day on this group project, and our broker is doing it with us.”

R

ealtor® Christine Brantingham advises that now, more than ever, it’s important for buyers and sellers of real estate to “stay positive, stay educated and not get wrapped up in negativity.” After nearly two decades of real estate success working in varying market conditions, Christine offers her clients sound advice based upon real experience. Her practical guidance and positive outlook are exactly what homeowners need as they navigate the often complex process of buying or selling a home — especially in this rapidly changing environment.

During the opening weeks of the COVID-19 lockdown, Christine put her time to good use by working with her father to paint, decorate and furnish her new office. She is excited about welcoming clients there, as she believes that the thoughtfully designed light blue walls, black-and-white artwork and modern furnishings will provide a comfortable and calming atmosphere for clients who are making milestone decisions.

The most successful professionals are nimble and adaptable. Christine embraces change and says that she has been reinvigorated by her recent move to RE/MAX Vision in Upland. She is personally inspired by the leadership of Broker Yolanda Andrade, known as “Yolie” to her friends. “She’s a successful agent herself and a hands-on broker. She has so much

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Looking to the Future With Optimism Christine earns her clients’ trust by keeping her focus on their best interests and maintaining transparent communication. She is an effective negotiator, whose market knowledge and positive peer relationships ensure favorable outcomes for her clients.

“One of my greatest strengths is that I’m connected in the industry, with other humans that help bring good service to my buyers and sellers. When I go into a negotiation, my communication skills and strong reputation put my buyers in the front running.

It’s important to make your buyer human to the other side. Even though the parties sometimes don’t even meet, they have a sense of one another, and that helps bring the transaction together and keep it running smoothly. A successful closing is team work. It takes everybody working and collaborating together to get the deal done.”

Clients frequently refer Christine and give her fivestar reviews for her outstanding service. One client who recently sold and bought a home with Christine said this: “I would highly recommend without any reservations, Christine Brantingham, for all of your real estate needs. She is the closest thing to having a good family friend in the real estate business helping you. As soon as my husband and I sat down with her, we immediately felt at ease. Christine was tasked with selling our current home while also finding us our dream home. With Christine as our agent, we felt knowledgeable and confident with each step of the home buying/selling process. In the end, Christine Brantingham delivered. My family and I have our dream home in the area we wanted. If you are considering buying or selling your home, please

choose this exceptional agent. You will not be disappointed. Christine is thoughtful, very experienced and she will deliver.”

Christine’s passion for real estate continues to fuel her brimming optimism about her work and the future. “I love all of it, including the challenges. I have a passion for getting the deal done and getting something for somebody that is important to them.

As a human, I feel like real estate has made me a better person. I’m a work in progress every day, and I’ve come so far in my outlook on dealing with others.

In the current market, it is especially important to stay well connected with people who are connected with the truth. I don’t listen to hype on either side.

Too many people are focused on fear. But I think the market will actually get stronger by next year.

We are taking precautions to keep people safe, and they are continuing to buy and sell homes. There will always be opportunity; we just have to go with the changes.”

Christine Brantingham RE/MAX Vision 1071 E. 16th Street Upland, CA 91784 Tel: 951-533-2606 Email: christinebrantingham@gmail.com Web: https://www.remax.com/real-estate-offices/ remax-vision-upland-ca/100423263 DRE #01374248

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

NEGOTIATING LIKE A PRO

I

know that one of the toughest things for a beginning investor is negotiating deals. We are often our own worst enemy when it comes to this. For the most part, I think that when we envision good negotiators, we see smooth talking individuals with an answer for everything.

For many of us, this is a horrifying vision because smooth and slick does not come naturally to us and, if we’re honest, we don’t want to come across that way. So how do we negotiate a good deal when we don’t have the gift of “slick”, and we don’t want to become “slick”?

I do not consider myself to be a smooth and slick negotiator, but believe that I’m pretty good at what I do.

Negotiating didn’t come naturally to me, but came together over time and with practice. There were two things that made me a good negotiator and can help you as well.

First, you must be willing to stop talking and listen.

When dealing with someone in this business, whether you are the buyer or the seller, you need to sell yourself. You can not sell yourself without listening to the other party’s needs. Listen for what is important to the other party and then show them that you can address it. In my negotiating, I keep the other party talking as much as possible. When they run out of things to say, I ask another question in hopes of learning a hot button of theirs. When I hear it, I ask a question that acknowledges I heard their needs. An example would be as follows: Seller: “My house needs a ton of repairs, but I can’t afford to fix them in order to put the house on the market.

Plus, we can’t really live here anymore because the water is coming in through the roof.”

Steve: “So basically you need someone like me who is willing to buy your home as it sits right now to help you out. Is that true?”

My question to the seller acknowledges that I heard their need, provided them with the benefits of dealing with me, and got them to acknowledge that dealing with me would be good for them.

You must listen, it’s very important!

12

The second thing that will make you a good negotiator is knowing, without hesitation, what the deal needs to look like to be a good deal. Other investors often ask me how I get such good deals and I tell them that I’m not willing to pay above a predetermined amount. When dealing with sellers, know what your top dollar amount is. For example, if I walk into someone’s home and know I will only spend $150,000, then I’m firm in my convictions and all of my questions are leading the sellers toward selling me their home for $150,000. I don’t negotiate up because the sellers say that they need more money. Once they acknowledge that I’m the person to help them, we need to come to the price that I’m willing to pay in order to help them. If the sellers tell me that they want $170,000, I don’t give them $170,000 because they say that is what they need. I stick to my guns and tell them the advantages of dealing with me. Price eventually becomes secondary to the seller and dealing with me, the person who is guaranteed to solve their problem, becomes most important.

Be firm in your conviction of what you need to pay. If you are only hoping to get it for a certain amount, you will pay more every single time. I get good deals because the price that I have in mind is all I’m willing to pay. As long as the number keeps coming in my direction, I will negotiate until it reaches the level where I need it to be.

To be a good negotiator, you need to learn just a couple of things. First, listen to the other party, and second, know what it is you are trying to accomplish before going in. If you don’t know, the other party will get their way. As far as being smooth is concerned, your flow will get better in time. Just focus on getting what you want and listening to the seller in order to lead them where you want them to be.

Since 1998 Steve Cook has flipped many hundreds of houses as an active Baltimore-area real estate investor.

Steve’s unique specialty is the “flipping homes 1-2 punch”, a proven system of real estate investing that powerfully combines wholesaling and rehabbing houses. Also the founder of www.FlippingHomes.com, Steve is dedicated to helping others in this thriving online community succeed through understanding and aggressively applying his timetested, step-by-step approach to flipping real estate.

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

13

E XECUTIVE AGENT

TM

MAGAZINE

Annette Schultz Written by H. K. Wilson

R

ealtor® Annette Schultz grew up in Poway and achieved her Master of Education degree from National University. After graduation, she spent two months traveling by herself in Europe, and she returned

industry. What resale agents don’t realize is the amount of construction education you get, from trenching to pouring the foundation, from bricks and sticks in the air to selecting finishes. You learn how a living space can actually look bigger when you fill it versus how it looks when it’s empty. You also assist clients all the way through the building process, which may be as long as 18 months. You have to paint a picture of a home that doesn’t exist yet on an empty lot. All of this was so valuable in my transition to selling resale homes.”

Now a seasoned professional with nearly 20 years’ experience in real estate, Annette still brings the heart of a teacher to her real estate practice.

She takes the time to educate her clients about the real estate process, even if they have bought or sold a home before. “I teach every day. I work with a lot of first-time buyers, but even if someone has bought or sold before, it’s usually been awhile, and the laws and contracts change.”

Highly organized right from the beginning of a transaction, Annette creates a simple, working calendar for her clients that will be their roadmap through the real estate process. “I bust out a calendar for the next two months, and using different colored highlighters, I show them that this will be the escrow period, the money period, the contingency period — so they can visualize each of the steps. It’s elementary, but it’s one of the things clients say they appreciate most.”

with a new outlook and a determination to try something completely new: real estate. “I had always loved to look at model homes, so I applied with a home builder. I think the knowledge you get from a builder is so underrated in the

Rather than focusing on volume, Annette prefers to work with no more than three to four clients at a time, allowing her to give each of them her best service. “I believe that if I spread myself too thin, I will not serve anybody well.”

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

The Expert in Your Home Town The five-star reviews Annette has received from her clients attest to the efficacy of her methods. A recent buyer said: “Annette was a perfect match as a Realtor®. I can honestly say that we would not have found our home without her! She was patient, helpful and relentless (in a good way!) to ensure that we found our dream home. She answered all of our questions, was available to meet with us on our schedule, and made us feel like we were her only clients. Thank you so much for making a seemingly stressful process seem attainable. We are equipped with an organized binder of all of our documents, and she made this process really feel personal. We are so grateful for your help in finding our new family a new home. Annette really felt like family after this process!”

A longterm client stated: “Zillow is great, but having someone who really knows real estate is invaluable.

Annette has always been a great resource for me and helped me with many real estate transactions. I strongly recommend working with her.”

Annette describes herself as a “collaborative agent” who enjoys working with her peers to ensure their success and that of their clients, and she says the culture at COMPASS supports that spirit. She attends five pitch sessions every week, including one she leads with a colleague for the Del Mar/Solana Beach area. “I am notorious for putting deals together, even if I’m not on either side of the transaction.

The pitch sessions are an opportunity to share information about new listings or buyer needs, so when I hear an agent pitch someone else’s need, I pick up the phone and connect the parties. My colleague and I have developed another opportunity, not just to network, but to create a Realtor® Roundtable and put deals together outside the MLS.” Annette and her colleague are continuing to host sessions via Zoom, which are well-attended by more than 50 agents. “Everyone is so grateful that we have created

a platform to maintain enthusiasm and energy in our industry. Good energy breeds itself.”

A high-impact individual both in and out of real estate, Annette is a 10-time marathoner and world adventurer.

She and her fiancé have surfed in El Salvador, climbed Kilimanjaro, hiked the Inca Trial to Machu Picchu, and swum with the sharks and turtles of the Galapagos — often accompanied by their two boys. As residents of Encinitas, they also love the beach and extraordinary lifestyle the San Diego coast has to offer.

Annette says the thing she loves most about real estate is the honor of working in her home town. “There is an element of pride in being able to give the keys to someone and invite them to live in my home town. I get to know about them so I know where the best fit will be for that person/family. I feel I can authentically serve people who are looking for a home in San Diego.”

Annette Schultz COMPASS 682 S. Coast Hwy. 101 Suite 110 Encinitas, CA 92024 Tel: 619-838-9872 Email: Annette.Schultz@compass.com Web: https://www.compass.com/agents/annette-schultz DRE # 01412317

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

EXECUTIVEAGENT MAGAZINE

Nomination Form Nominate a fellow REALTORÂŽ to be featured in one of our feature stories; on the cover as Executive Agent of the Month, or as a special feature story. All candidates must be nominated by a real estate professional. The selection process includes a questionnaire, personal interview, reference check and final approval by the Advisory Council. Candidates are evaluated based upon professionalism, length of service and uniqueness of story, as well as industry and community involvement.

I Nominate: Name_______________________________ Company___________________________ Address____________________________ _____________________________________ City, State, Zip_____________________ _____________________________________ Phone______________________________ Email_______________________________ Submitted By: Fax/Email nomination to: Executive Agent Magazine PO Box 73384 San Clemente, CA 92673 Fax: 949.266.8757 Email: Fred@ExecutiveAgentMagazine.com Tel: 949.297.8323

Name_______________________________ Company___________________________ Phone______________________________ Email_______________________________

TM

Cover Story

Felix

Real Estate

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Felix Real Estate Written by H. K. Wilson - Photography by Ian Wiant

A

s a precocious youth, Adrian Felix Gonzalez had big dreams. He was always engaged in sales, whether pencils, candy or bicycles. “I knew I was meant for business, and for me it meant helping somebody get what they wanted,” he says. “I understood that supply and demand was at the core of a business.”

By the time he graduated from high school, Adrian Felix had a plan. He bought a plotter and started a small sign company, Felix Signs. At 18 years old, he door

knocked extensively to successfully acquire clients. At 20 years old, he encountered a gentleman who said to him, “you’re in the wrong business buddy. You should be in real estate.” That same year, Felix obtained his real estate license and fell in love with the industry. “I’ve been helping people achieve their dream of owning a home ever since,” said Felix. Another passion of his is investing in properties. Along the way he met his mentor, Joe Samaan. “You never wait to buy properties, you buy properties and wait,” Samaan said to Felix.

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

It wasn’t long before Adrian Felix decided to open an independent brokerage. Located at his own Felix Plaza in downtown Fontana, Felix Real Estate is a hometown agency specializing in every type of tangible asset to include residential, multi-family, commercial, industrial and vacant land. With his name on the building and on billboards throughout the area, people know him and seek him out for his real estate expertise. Service, integrity and

experience are the hallmarks of his trade, and he prides himself on being better prepared than his competitors.

“I do as much research on the property as I can before meeting the client,” said Felix. “Benjamin Franklin once said, ‘By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.’” In the current market where the future is uncertain, Adrian Felix offers practical wisdom.

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Meeting All of Your Real Estate Needs “I think the number one thing right now is giving clients facts rather than speculation of what’s happening,” said Felix. “These are things like the number of jobs in the area and I help people look for something they can afford despite a breadwinner losing a job. I tell people that if you expect the best and prepare for the worst, you can’t really lose. I’m very frugal when it comes to my spending and live below my means. It keeps me grounded. What I cherish most from the last recession is the wake-up call it was for everyone in the real estate profession. Markets will go down and even crash every so often. That doesn’t mean you have to lose your home or that your career is over.”

Outside of real estate, Adrian Felix has visited 39 countries and counting. He has taken Phoebe, his 2-year-old daughter, with him to seven countries. “Waking up in a country where you don’t speak the language is so humbling to me,” said Felix. “I love it. It’s a thrill to travel. At the end of our time here, the only thing we have are the memories in frames on the wall. I want my little girl to be able to look back and say, ‘My daddy took me with him everywhere.’” Felix says his favorite trip so far was to the Holy Land. “It will give you chills to walk the same streets that Jesus walked,” said Felix. “It was a great experience and an eye opener for me.

I took my parents too. I think the best gift you can give is a vacation.” His next trip is slated for the Galapagos Islands.

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

According to Felix, the reasons for his success are greater than just ambition or hard work. He attributes where he is today to the support of his parents, Adrian Sr. and Loyda, and his mentor Joe, and the loyalty of the many clients who continue to work with him and send referrals. He loves real estate for the freedom. It has allowed him to carve his own path in life, and he is committed to helping others achieve the same.

“The way I measure success is not by someone’s bank account; it’s freedom of time and from money,” said Felix.

“I value freedom as the number one thing in this world, and I want other people to experience that too. Abraham Lincoln is often quoted as saying, ‘In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.’”

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Adrian Felix Gonzalez Broker / BRE: 01397537 Felix Real Estate 8689 Sierra Avenue, Fontana, CA 92335 Tel: 909-559-9121 - Email: adriangrealtor@yahoo.com Web: http://www.adrianfelixgonzalez.com ExecutiveAgent Magazine

Now You Can Get Executive Agent Magazine Online!

We’ve Gone Digital So You Have Access To All Executive Agent Has To Offer-On The Go, Anytime, Anywhere

Link directly to Advertisers

Search for Articles

Interact and Connect

Executive Agent Magazine www.ExecutiveAgentMagazine.com 949.366.3349 Info@eamag.net www.ExecutiveAgentMagazine.com 949.297.8323 Fred@ExecutiveAgentMagazine.com

OUR MISSION P W R’S MI SSI ON To remain the preeminent real estate association in UPHOLDING PROFESSIONAL

STANDARDS, PROVIDING VALUABLE EDUCATION, and PROTECTING PROPERTY RIGHTS through political advocacy for our REALTOR® members and the public.

To Learn More About the Pacific West Association of REALTORS®, Please contact Lalaine Castillo at lalainec@pwr.net.

Invest in Yourself W

hen you are just getting started, it is natural to want to save your money and do things as inexpensively as possible. That’s how we started this and many other businesses that failed.

We read a lot of books, but missed a few pieces.

You see, the authors of books aren’t going to give you all their secrets. Not necessarily because they don’t want to, but because there is too much to put in one book and it can be complicated for new investors.

We found ourselves waking up one day realizing it was time for a change. We took a seminar for $4000 that we borrowed from someone else with no means to pay it back. I don’t know if it was because we were out of options that we came to this point, but nonetheless, we were there! People used to call and ask us if it was worth it to pay for the course. Our answer was always “We made $12,000 that weekend that we wouldn’t have without the course”. But, really what they were asking is “Can I do this?”

The answer to that is a simple “Yes.” Will you do it is another question. And that is where investing in yourself is so important. It is easy to get beat up and knocked down in the beginning, with or without a partner. You need to learn as much as possible from people that are doing it NOW. And more importantly than the theoretical knowledge, you gain motivation and belief. After a three day training event, you leave pumped up and ready to go full speed ahead.

seminars including a trip to Los Angeles, purchased several boot camps and training series, attended single day workshops, and several other smaller things. We have probably attended over $15,000 in training and purchased a few thousand more in materials and software to help us become more efficient and effective. We are getting ready to spend another $20,000 (yes twenty thousand dollars) on a training seminar.

WOW... THAT’S A LOT OF MONEY! You are correct! But we have made more than that back! The experts that teach these courses ALWAYS give you something that you didn’t have before or at the very least remind you to do something you had been forgetting!

More importantly, you leave excited and energized.

You don’t feel beat up anymore. You meet new people and get on the right track again.

The more you invest in yourself, the more successful your business will be and the faster you will get there!

Stacy Holder and Heather Seitz began their real estate investing career with absolutely nothing! They learned to leverage other people’s time, money and resources to purchase over $2 Million in real estate in their first 8 months. They have just completed two products, The “Complete Guide to Getting Started” and “The Complete Guide to Organized Rehab.”

We have, in the last six months, taken 6 weekend

26

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

27

banking done different

Construction-toPermanent: An “All-in-One” Loan Kinecta offers Construction-toPermanent loans, which fund a variety of construction scenarios, then convert into the home’s mortgage.

Benefits include: • Lending based off the future value of your home post-construction – determined by one full appraisal • Loans up to $4 million

• Full program selection, including fixed and ARMs • California-based lender with portfolio underwriting

Contact our construction-to-permanent experts today.

Tayt Ianni Sr. Mortgage Loan Consultant cell: 949.689.8639 | efax: 310.727.9119 NMLS# 310914 | tayt.ianni@kinecta.org kinecta.org/tianni

Joe McGreevy Mortgage Loan Consultant cell: 714.396.1619 | efax: 310.536.3621 NMLS# 66072 | joe.mcgreevy@kinecta.org kinecta.org/jmcgreevy

Brad Martin Construction Lending Manager cell: 949.293.1900 | efax: 310.536.3622 NMLS# 260513 | Bradley.Martin@kinecta.org kinecta.org/bmartin

kinecta.org/construction-to-perm Membership requirements apply. NMLS (Nationwide Mortgage Lending Service) ID: 407870. Subject to credit and property approval. Rates, program terms, and conditions are subject to change without notice. Not all products are available in all states and for all loan amounts. Other restrictions and limitations may apply. The actual terms of the loan will depend upon the specific characteristics of the loan transaction, the applicant’s credit history, and other financial circumstances that may apply.

23761-07/19

Laughter L

aughter is a great stress reducer. If you have never read Norman Cousins’s account of his experience of self-healing as described in Anatomy of an Illness, I encourage you to do so. When diagnosed with an incurable illness, he brought a movie projector into his hospital room and watched reel after reel of old classic comedy movies, laughing himself into hysterics. He found he could relieve his otherwise significant pain on a consistent basis through laughter. That practice, along with some other novel therapies, resulted in his healing. He left his prestigious journalistic career and taught on the faculty of a major medical school about the power of the mind and emotions in healing the body of disease.

Next to love, laughter has been described as the secondmost powerful emotion we can express. It has been said that laughter is like internal jogging—it stimulates the respiratory system, oxygenates the body, relaxes tense muscles, and releases pleasure-producing chemicals in the brain. You cannot laugh and be mad, laugh and be tense, laugh and be stressed. Laughter is low-calorie, caffeinefree, and has no salt, preservatives, or additives. It’s 100 percent natural and one size fits all.

up a relationship. Laughter is shared by the giver and the receiver. Laughter costs nothing and its non-taxable.

Laughter is a trend-setter. If we can find ways to laugh first thing in the morning, it may in fact set the trend for the rest of the day.

Let me close by telling you the most important use of laughter I have ever discovered: The ability to laugh at ourselves. I stopped taking myself too seriously years ago and it was the best decision I ever made. Don’t get me wrong—I’m still serious about what I do. But not so serious that I can’t be the first one to laugh when I mess up (which happens all too often—it’s why I spend so much time laughing!). When you’re the first person to laugh at yourself, you leave little room for others to laugh at you.

Zig Ziglar is a beloved author and America’s motivator.

He is the author of 25 books and offers training and consulting to organizations all across the globe. To learn more about Zig and his business visit his website at www. ziglar.com.

Laughter is truly God’s gift to humankind. You can get high on laughter but never overdose. Laughter is contagious—once it starts little can be done to stop it. Laughter never felt bad, committed a crime, started a war or broke

30

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

31

32

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

ExecutiveAgent Magazine

33

Our bone marrow transplant reunion is now standing room only.

Each year, City of Hope invites bone marrow transplant recipients and their families to attend the “Celebration of Life” event. It’s a joyous time during which survivors of blood cancers such as lymphoma, leukemia and myeloma embrace their health, their life and each other. It began more than 35 years ago when City of Hope created what is now one of the largest and most successful bone marrow transplant programs in the world. In fact, we’ve completed over 11,000 transplants and, according to national reports, our outcomes are among the best in the nation. The goal of curing cancer isn’t just something we work at. It’s what we live for.

If you have cancer, make us your first call. Or ask your doctor for a referral. We accept most insurance.

800-826-HOPE

COH-0726_BMT_Hem_fp_4c_ExecAgt.indd 1

WE LIVE TO CURE CANCER. Science saving lives. cityofhope.org/bmt

11/25/13 6:02 PM

HELPING MILITARY & VETERAN

FAMILIES REALIZE THE

AMERICAN DREAM! 2,600 + VETERANS

EDUCATED ABOUT HOMEOWNERSHIP

1,500 + FAMILIES

WHO WE ARE Established in 2011, the USA Homeownership Foundation, Inc. DBA Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals (VAREP), is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to increasing sustainable homeownership, financial-literacy education, VA loan awareness, and economic opportunity for the active-military and veteran communities.

WERE HELPED THROUGH VAREP CARES

750 VETERANS PLACED IN HOMES THROUGH OUR PROGRAMS

119 HOUSING SUMMITS TO EMPOWER VETERAN HOMEOWNERSHIP

WHO CAN JOIN? Any individual regardless if you have served or not. VAREP and its members represent and work within all sectors of the real estate, housing and financial services industries...

WE WANT YOU!

OUR FIVE POINT PLAN 1. Homeownership Advocacy – Advocate nationally to develop programs that reduce barriers to homeownership in the military and veteran communities.

2. Community Outreach – Foster responsible homeownership in the military and veteran communities by providing housing education and counseling services.

3. Professional Membership – Provide a place where real estate and financial service professionals can share ideas, get educated, and be empowered to better serve the real estate needs of service members, veterans, and their families.

4. Veteran Job Creation – Provide employment opportunities through posting on our military and veteran job board. We are also working on creating awareness among companies to include veteran-owned businesses in their supplier diversity program.

5. Affordable Housing – Provide affordable home buying opportunities for veterans and service members who have gone through VAREP’s homeownership education counseling services.

info@VAREP.net | w w w .VAR EP. n e t | 951-444-7363 VAREP IS A 501.C.3 NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION AND YOUR CONTRIBUTION IS TAX DEDUCTIBLE. USA HOMEOWNERSHIP DBA VETERANS ASSOCIATION OF REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONALS TAX ID: 45-2458485

Meet the

CLAREMONT BRANCH

101 N. Indian Hill Blvd., Suite C-1 207, Claremont, CA 91711 Build a partnership with a direct lender that offers exceptional service.

BUSINESS IS ALWAYS PERSONAL! JOHN J. REED Branch Manager NMLS-869516

(949) 398-3655

WORK WITH A LENDER YOU CAN COUNT ON! RYAN PRISCO Sales Leader NMLS-987736

(626) 818-1919

RYAN DABICH

Senior Mortgage Advisor NMLS-1659500

(909) 282-4506

We offer in-house agent marketing support providing the following services: POSTCARDS | FLYERS | VIDEO | PHOTOGRAPHY ©2019 Finance of America Mortgage LLC is licensed nationwide | | NMLS ID #1071 (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) | 300 Welsh Road, Building 5, Horsham, PA 19044 | (800) 355-5626 | AZ Mortgage Banker License #0910184 | Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act | Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee #15499 | Illinois Residential Mortgage Licensee | Kansas Licensed Mortgage Company | Licensed by the N.J. Department of Banking and Insurance | Licensed Mortgage Banker -- NYS Banking Department | Rhode Island Licensed Lender.