Leila L. Hamka

FINDING RHYTHM IN HER ROLES

By Robbyn Moore

Photos taken at Cranbrook Custom Homes - Montcaret in Northville

Although born and raised in Dearborn, Michigan, Leila L. Hamka grew up in a very cultured Lebanese home. Her mother and father emigrated from Lebanon to the United States in the mid-70s, fleeing the civil war. Leila’s mother was very proud of the family’s heritage and insisted on keeping habits and traditions alive in their home. As a result, Leila was given the opportunity to acclimate in a modern society while still benefiting from the elements of her legacy.

Photo by Jermaine Buie with Perfect Light, LLC

“When I was younger, I did not fully understand the value of how my mother raised us,” Leila said. “However, as I grew older, I learned to really appreciate her sacrifices and understood that she did her best to guide us in an exemplary way. Now, as a mother to my own children, I have also chosen to uphold a lot of the same traditions in my home while also maintaining modernity and acclimation to today’s society.”

As the second oldest of five children, Leila often helped her parents with family obligations. Prior to getting into real estate, Leila’s father traveled for work while her mother worked as a seamstress and housewife. Watching her parents make sacrifices for the family influenced Leila to work hard at school and in her profession. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biology and psychology, and a master’s degree in teaching from the University of Michigan - Dearborn, graduating cum laude with both degrees. She went on to teach day and night classes in anatomy and physiology, medical terminology, business communications and interpersonal skills at Dorsey Schools.

During this time, Leila’s father had become a real estate agent and asked if Leila could watch over the real estate business for about a month while he took a small trip overseas to visit his siblings and relatives. While helping at the office, Leila realized how much she enjoyed meeting new people every day and the exciting opportunities that came with real estate. With her newfound enthusiasm and a nudge from her father, Leila received her real estate license in 2017.

As a wife and mother of two children, Leila wanted to find the right rhythm between work and home, and therefore, decided to stop teaching and fully focus her efforts on real estate.

“Balancing motherhood, a family and a successful career is not an easy task,” Leila shared. “It can be challenging to not feel guilty about my home obligations when I am busy with professional commitments. It’s a work in progress for sure, but I know my children are watching and that motivates me to constantly strive toward being the best version of myself.” Leila added, “My kids are a constant reminder for me to lead by example; it is important to me that my children grasp the ideologies that I believe in.”

Leila is a real estate agent and office manager at Hometown Group Real Estate, a brokerage her father launched in 1996.

Photo by Ali Moussa

During her first year in the business, Leila was awarded Rookie of the Year, and in 2019, she won a seat on the Dearborn Area Board of REALTORS®, a position she was appointed to by her peers.

Currently, Leila is very passionate about modernizing and growing her business. “I would love to see our brokerage flourish to a higher level while maintaining a consistent level of success for all the agents who work here,” she explained. “I don’t necessarily strive for a very large brokerage, but rather, I would love one that helps to embrace intimate relationships and attract people who want to feel appreciated and needed.”

Photo by Ali Moussa

Looking ahead, Leila wants to build a team of 10-15 people who encourage a culture of growth through educational, instructional and mental practices. “I hope to lead others to find fulfillment and mindfulness in practicing real estate,” she said. “I believe in celebrating the small achievements rather than just looking at the sales figures and the number of closings each week. To me, success is found in contentment, which can be discovered in many things: connecting with a new client, learning a new marketing skill or simply keeping a smooth rhythm between work and family life."

Leila and her husband Ali — who is the principal at Walled Lake Western High School — have been married for 15 years and, together, they have two children: Hannah, 12, and Hydar, 9. As a family, they love staying in for movie nights or traveling to northern Michigan to enjoy biking, walking and all things active.

As a working mother, Leila offered simple advice to other working moms: “It’s okay to rely on others for help; in fact, I encourage it,” she suggested. “Without the reliance on others, it is very difficult to coordinate equal time for everything — even time for yourself. The key to family/work lifestyle is finding the right rhythm and knowing when you will need to rely on others for help at home or at the office.”

Along with her father’s patience and compassion, Leila also conveyed how her mother’s strict and structured upbringing influenced who she is today. “Being a hardworking mother means enriching the lives of their kids through culture and faith, and helping them to aspire for great things as they get older, all the while maintaining their connectedness to family.”

Education and independence were encouraged and celebrated by Leila’s parents, and as a result, helped identify Leila’s self-worth. “In all my doings, I try my best to remain grounded and humble,” she said. “Having self-worth allows me to never shy away from asking for help when needed because I try to show value in others as I expect it for myself.”

This intangible strength has translated into excellent communication skills. Leila’s ability to quickly respond to emails, text messages and phone calls has become a hallmark among her clients, coordinating agents, lenders and colleagues. “In the end, we all want the same thing: to get to that closing table and ensure our clients had a great experience.”

Photo by Ali Moussa

Her kindheartedness has led to lifelong friendships with other real estate agents. “Some of my dearest friendships were formed at the closing table,” she said. Additionally, some of Leila’s greatest business rewards come from seeing the excitement on her clients’ faces after they’ve purchased a home when they thought it would never be possible. “This is very specific to single moms,” Leila said. “I love to see the relief on their face during the closing.”

Leila is a very loyal, self-aware woman who is humbled by her life experiences. “I know what it means to work hard,” she said. “I use that knowledge as a tool for my daily mental alignment. I also take my role as mother, wife, sister, daughter and friend very seriously, so to find my rhythm in all those roles, I have had to slow down and be intentional with my daily choices — it’s a continuous work in progress.”

Photo by Ali Moussa

“HAVING SELF- WORTH ALLOWS ME TO NEVER SHY AWAY FROM ASKING FOR HELP WHEN NEEDED BECAUSE I TRY TO SHOW VALUE IN OTHERS AS I EXPECT IT FOR MYSELF.”

Agent Spotlight - Leila Hamka