Jay Taylor

CURATING DETROIT’S REAL ESTATE MARKET

By Robbyn Moore

Photos by Stylish Detroit

Jay Taylor launched his career in real estate because it is an industry that aligns with his core values while also offering flexibility, uncapped earnings and leadership potential. Beyond that, Jay’s passion for the city of Detroit runs very deep, and as a real estate agent, he wanted to be a part of the city’s ongoing growth.

“Detroit is a beautiful city full of hope and progress,” Jay explained. “My team and I view progress over perfection as a benchmark for success.”

In 2016, Jay started his real estate career with Arterra Realty and has joined forces with Good Company Realty as team leader of Jay Taylor & Associates. Since that time, he has achieved a career volume of over $50 million — $17 million of which he obtained last year. He was awarded Rookie of the Year and Top Producer by his brokerage.

Prior to entering the world of real estate, Jay worked in the nonprofit sector, first as a high school math teacher in Nebraska, then at SpringHill Camps in Evart, Michigan, as a camp director and finally, a pastor of a church in Traverse City. “I wanted to step into a sales role since I always excelled in that arena,” Jay shared. “I thought about selling cars or pharmaceuticals; however, I kept coming back to the idea of selling homes — it offered the greatest opportunities to me, and synced up perfectly with my personality and the direction I wanted to grow.”

Originally from Chihuahua, Mexico, Jay was raised in a bilingual, multinational home with a childhood filled with traveling. “I learned at an early age how wonderfully wide open the world is,” he said. After earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska, Jay moved to Detroit. “I felt a pull to Detroit, and since moving here, it has shaped my journey in life and my career path.”

Currently, Jay is most passionate about business growth and team development. This past year, he grew his team to five agents and two administrative assistants. “Collectively, we are incredibly knowledgeable about Detroit,” Jay said. “Half of our team lives in the city of Detroit, and they offer authentic, firsthand knowledge of the area and a unique understanding of homebuying and selling trends. Additionally, we strive to be as multicultural as the city we serve.”

Jay is happiest when he’s helping families and individuals avoid common pitfalls and mistakes in the homebuying process. “One of the reasons I love my job is that I get to help people during stressful times in their lives,” he said. “My goal is to ease the uncertainty that can arise in any transaction and to aid in the strategies of wealth building.”

Despite the unavoidable, seasonal swings of real estate, which can create months of bust followed by months of boom, Jay has always worked hard to maintain a high level of professionalism and consistency. “Our clients deserve first-class service no matter what’s going on in the marketplace,” he explained. “I have intentionally built a team of full-time agents who share this same philosophy, and as a result, we have been very successful in maintaining current relationships and future referrals.”

Jay defines success as having freedom. “I am successful when I am free from the burden of earning, from the worry of failure and from the boredom of obligation,” he said. “My future goal is beyond being financially independent: I also want my team to thrive on their own. And furthermore, my biggest goal is to be a positive contributor to my community, leaving it a better place than I found it.”

Apart from real estate, Jay is actively involved with the Detroit Branch NAACP, the local LGBTQ community and the Ruth Ellis Center. “I believe in helping those who have been marginalized by society,” he said. “Everyone deserves a fair and equitable chance.”

When he’s not working, Jay and his wife, Liz, enjoy spending time with their sons Isaac, 8, Levi, 5, and Paxton, 4. As a family they love going to skate parks, hanging out with neighbors and traveling. Jay is also an avid snowboarder, golfer and motorcyclist.

“My family motto is ‘we don’t live normal lives,’ and I feel that I approach real estate with the same unique and original methods,” Jay said. “I enjoy collaborating and sharing best practices with my team and other agents, and I especially love bringing new opportunities to my clients.”

AGENT SPOTLIGHT -- Jay Taylor from Good Company Realty