Rebecca Sokol

A REAL ESTATE CAREER THAT’S DOUBLE THE FUN, TRIPLE THE REWARD

By Robbyn Moore

Photos by Stylish Detroit

Eight years ago, when Rebecca Sokol and her husband, Mike, were blessed with triplets, it was a natural decision for her to slow down her professional life and focus on motherhood — times three. While most can understand the joy and exhaustion of being a stay-at-home mom, Rebecca still felt she needed something more. As a very social, self-driven and challenge-seeking person, Rebecca decided to get her real estate license and start a new career.

Prior to her real estate business, Rebecca was a manufacturers’ sales representative for an IT company. Her background in sales, coupled with her passion for real estate investments, steered Rebecca to a profession that was perfectly matched to her personality. “It was really my husband who convinced me to look into real estate,” Rebecca shared. “He shares my enthusiasm for real estate and lives vicariously through my career. We joke that he is the best assistant I could ask for — at the cheapest price.”

In 2017, after staying at home to be with her kids, Rebecca joined the team at DOBI Real Estate in Birmingham and has since achieved a career volume of over $50 million — $25 million of which she did last year. “In my first two years, I worked part time and closed about $4 million each year, and I was happy with that,” she recalled, “but in my third year, my business blew up, and I realized I could do this full-time and make a very successful career out of it all while raising my kids.”

Rebecca is motivated by a challenge and finds success whenever she’s helping others achieve their goals. Several years ago on social media, Rebecca responded to a post from someone who was moving to the area and looking for some general insight about the community. Despite this person openly stating they were happily working with an agent, Rebecca offered her help and guidance. “It’s in my nature to offer a helping hand whenever someone needs it, even if I don’t get anything out of it,” she said. “Above any lead or sale, the reward to me is being able to extend my kindness to others and provide a solution.” Three years later, that same person found Rebecca and enlisted her as their agent to help sell and purchase a new home.

As one of eight children, Rebecca’s childhood taught her how to navigate life amidst a large family. “When there are that many children in the house, you just learn to go with the flow,” she said with a smile. “I think my upbringing cultivated my easygoing personality, which has benefited me well in this industry.”

Rebecca’s professional and laidback approach has garnered her numerous referrals, and as a result, it has created a surge in her business growth. “By far, referrals are the most rewarding aspect of what I do,” she said. “It shows that I am doing right by my clients and that they are happy with my services.”

Rebecca’s biggest challenge as an agent is finding a good balance between work and her personal life. “I love what I do and I will answer my phone no matter what time someone calls,” she said, “but when my daughter tells me I’m always on the phone, that gets to me.” In response, Rebecca hired Kelly Klopocinski to help her with all the day-to-day tasks. Kelly also has her real estate license, so she’s savvy in her business acumen and understands Rebecca’s big-picture objectives. “Honestly, I can handle my workload; I just want to be more hands-on with my kids. Having someone assist me with all the behind-the-scenes work so I can attend a soccer game is a smart investment for my personal life and, ultimately, my professional life, too.”

WHEN YOU CHOOSE A JOB YOU LOVE, YOU NEVER HAVE TO WORK A DAY IN YOUR LIFE, WHICH WHOLEHEARTEDLY APPLIES TO ME

Rebecca and her husband have been married for 10 years, and much of their time is devoted to their 8-year-old triplets — Taylor, Michael and Emma. They also have a 1-year-old mini Bernedoodle named Trip. As a family, they are very competitive and love to golf and swim as well as play tennis and pickleball. Rebecca is an avid reader and will listen or read two-to-three books a week. “I love every genre there is,” she said. “If someone recommends a book, I don’t even ask questions; I just download it and look forward to reading more books!”

Along with her love for books, Rebecca is a perpetual student of real estate and finds a lesson in every transaction. “No deal is ever the same; the learning never stops,” she explained. “It’s important to ask questions and stay curious. Don’t just assume you know the answer. This is a good habit to get into, especially for new agents just coming into the industry. I am always asking multiple questions daily — it’s the only way to learn.”

Rebecca shared her gratitude for how real estate helped her family and believes it will be something she does for as long as possible. “I feel like real estate is something you can do forever,” she said. “I have taken the class to get my license in Florida with hopes of one day being able to spend half my time here and half my time there; I already have my first deal in Florida!”

Since launching her career four years ago, Rebecca said her favorite aspect of her work is the friends she has made along the way. “I am a very social person and my job description is literally to be social,” she said. “Whether it is my clients or co-workers, I have established some of my greatest friendships through this profession.”

To Rebecca, success isn’t measured by how much she sells or how many awards she earns: It is measured by how happy she is doing her job. “I love going to work every day,” she shared. “When you choose a job you love, you never have to work a day in your life, which wholeheartedly applies to me.”

TOP PRODUCER Rebecca Sokol from DOBI Real Estate