Turn Up The Hustle Podcast
Welcome to the Turn Up The Hustle Podcast – Where real estate investors and entrepreneurs share their stories, strategies, and mindset behind their hustle.
Turn Up The Hustle Podcast
Turn Up The Hustle EP 38 - Sandra Rangel
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What makes someone leave a steady job during a housing crash—and build a real estate career with more than $400 million in sales volume? For Sandra Rangel, it started with a decision to bet on the business she was already building on evenings and weekends.
On this episode of the Turn Up The Hustle Podcast, Mr. Hustle and Skylar Moon sit down with San Antonio’s “Listing Queen,” Sandra Rangel. From growing up on the West Side and working in banking to leaving Toyota for real estate, Sandra shares the work ethic, family influences, and turning points behind nearly two decades in the business.
We get into the client appreciation events that keep relationships alive, how local “hotspot” videos turn into real conversations, and why Sandra still answers her own DMs. She also breaks down hiring her first assistant, using AI behind the scenes, navigating slow months, and finding solutions for listings that other agents couldn’t move—including a home that sat for six months before she helped sell it in two weeks.
Whether you’re a new agent trying to get noticed, an investor working to move your next property, or a business owner ready to hire help, this conversation offers practical ideas for earning trust, improving your service, and building relationships that last beyond the closing table.
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrarangel2018
Website: https://www.rangelrealestategroup.com/
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Hustlers, on today's episode of the Trump to Hustle Podcast, we're joined by one of San Antonio's top real estate professionals and the woman behind Rangel Real Estate Group. She was born and raised right here in San Antonio, graduated from the University of McCartney Ward, and eventually found her calling in real estate. Nearly 20 years later, she's helped more than 1800 clients buy and sell real estate and has been recognized multiple times as one of NAREP's top Latino real estate agents in the country. But today, we're going beyond the numbers. We'll talk about how her upbringing shaped her work ethic, her journey into the business, the lessons she's learned through nearly two decades in real estate, and what it really takes to build a career with staying power. Well, today's episode, Santa Regill. Welcome to another episode of the Turn for Hustle Podcast, where real estate investors and entrepreneur stories, strategies, and mindset behind her hustle. I'm Michael Giannis, aka Mr. Hustle, your host. To my right, Scotty Moon. Let's go. And today's special guest, female hustler, San Antonio, Sandra Gail. How are you doing?
SPEAKER_00Good. How are you?
SPEAKER_03Good. Excited to have you on this podcast.
SPEAKER_00Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_03You know, when I look on the MLS, I see a lot of Sandra Gail listings on the MLS. So it's I know you're a true hustler. But before we get started on this podcast, I always want to start with my hustle. My hustle is real estate wholesaling, real estate flipping houses with Skylar, and real estate subject to by taking over people's payments. That's my hustle. When people think of Sandra, what's Sandra's hustle?
SPEAKER_00My hustle is listing queen.
SPEAKER_03Nice. Simple. Listing queen. Yeah, I told you. I've I see MLS, I see all your listings. Now, I know you have a lot of volume. I know you've done a lot of volume over the years. And I really want to get into your story, Sandra, because everyone has an interesting story, and you've been doing this. I know you're young, but you've been doing this for almost 20 years, over 1,500 transactions. And last I looked at the reports, I think you have over 400 million in volume. That's a lot of houses. To me, that's a lot of houses, a lot of experience, a lot of families, a lot of stories. Before all of that, let's really deep dive into Sandra. Who is little Sandra? What's what's the story of Sandra?
SPEAKER_00Little Sandra. Um, I think pretty much I was always working. My stepfather raised me since I was three years old. You know, he's from Mexico, and the culture was always helping my mom in the house with the kids. I'm the oldest. Um, I have a sister and two brothers younger. And so it was always the role was me helping my mom with either um cooking, cleaning, or helping with the kids in the house. So I was always busy, so I never really had time to watch TV a lot or go outside and play. You know, I I enjoyed it when I went outside. Even at the point where I loved cutting the yard. We had an acre yard and I looked forward to that because I got to go outside and just enjoy the outdoors. So it was like it's always some type of hustle in me doing something all the time instead of just sitting around and not being productive.
SPEAKER_03Now that that hustle you said is because of the stepfather? Because it did did I hear you correctly? Is that Hispanic culture? Is that what it's Yes?
SPEAKER_00You know, I feel because of my stepfather that he was tougher with me. I don't know if it was because you know I was the oldest or because he was my stepfather. You know, growing up, you always think like, oh, well, I'm not his biological child, so he's harder on me. But it was never in a negative way. And I always told myself, you know what, when I grow up, I know how to cook, I know how to clean. Then of course I married my husband that was very into fitness. I was like, man, I can't even make these Mexican dishes because he's not eating that stuff. So I was like, those skills. Um, I used them for work, you know, for you know, the lunch things, uh things like that. Um, but other than that, I feel that because of the way he raised me and making sure that things were getting done before going outside and having fun, uh, business first, right? Helping mom and helping, you know, my siblings. I really feel that that is what set my foundation for the way my business is now.
SPEAKER_03Now, born and raised in San Antonio? Yes. You said one acre. What part of town?
SPEAKER_00Uh, West Side.
SPEAKER_03Westside, okay. Inner Westside or far west side?
SPEAKER_00Uh in deep west side.
SPEAKER_03Deep Westside, okay. Okay. So now, so if you're in deep west side, what high school is that?
SPEAKER_00Edgewood.
SPEAKER_03Edgewood. Yeah, you're you're in deep west side for real. Deep Westside for real, okay. But it made you to the person you are today. Yes. So talk about Edgewood. How was high school? And after high school, you thought going straight into real estate? We thought going to college. What was your your background?
SPEAKER_00No, um, right in high school, I started working business professionals of America. Um, I used to take the bus downtown. I started working, you know, right as I was a sophomore in high school during the summer. And after that, so I've always been working, you know, either two jobs or different different jobs. Um one example is that as soon as that school was over, I already had the career in the banking industry. And so working from Frostbank to IBC. And there was even a time that I was working at Frostbank during the day and doing uh encoding checks in the evenings. Well, I didn't know you couldn't work at two banks at the same time. I'm like, I applied, I said where I was working, and then later they found out you're like, oh no, it's conflict of interest. I was like, my bad. But I just felt like I was always having two jobs, you know. I just couldn't just be home sitting. So I feel like I always had the hustle in me.
SPEAKER_03Always have the hustle. I can see that. Right, I can see even from what you were doing today. But in high school with two jobs, I didn't know about that whole bank issue. I don't is that still today? Do we know? I don't know. That's pretty sure. Right?
SPEAKER_00I didn't think it was a conflict. You know, I was totally different departments, and then at night it's just encoding checks. I'm like, I'm not looking at anything confidential.
SPEAKER_03High clearance, secret clearance.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_03So you're in high school working two jobs, which a lot of people, that's tough anyways, tough, especially in high school. In high school, you thought about going to college?
SPEAKER_00Nope. I never thought I was gonna go to college. It wasn't in my in my you know, my wheel of like, oh, I'm gonna go to college. To me, I felt like, you know, just graduating for where I came from was a big deal. Um my mom didn't graduate and she got her GD afterwards, but you know, to be the first one to graduate, I was like, that's an accomplishment. But then when I was working at USAA, they had the adult program, and so I was like uh my husband worked evenings, and so I was like, what do I do? I'm like, bored, well, I'll get my degree. So I started getting uh my degree, and then when I switched over to Toyota and I finished it off there. So I was working during the day and then in the evenings, and that's obviously before you know I had my son. So I was always doing something.
SPEAKER_01So what school did you go to? Isaac College?
SPEAKER_00Uh uh uh Incarnate Word.
SPEAKER_01Okay, nice.
SPEAKER_00And you got a degree in business administration with a concentration and information system.
SPEAKER_01And you said you were at Toyota. What were you doing over there at Toyota?
SPEAKER_00I was uh a buyer for indirect parts. So I was there four years. So and then that's when the market crashed, right? 2008. Uh right before. So I had just uh got my real estate license. I was doing it in the evenings and weekends, and so when Toyota was gonna cut back on overtime, they just felt, well, we don't wanna put families in a bad situation. So we're offering a six months package, seven months package. If they decide to, you know, continue or take the package or take time off. And I was like doing really well with the real estate already, and I was like, this is kind of my opportunity, right? To run with what's already working. And I knew it was gonna get to the point where I have to give it a hundred percent, either a hundred percent to Toyota or a hundred percent to real estate. And um I talked to my husband and he's like, the market's not great. It's like, you're good, but I don't trust the market. So as it got closer that we needed to give an answer, I was like, I know you don't want me to do this, but I have to do this. Like I feel it's the right thing, you know, for us. And I feel like it's the best thing I ever did. I didn't feel like I had to touch that money as soon as I went into the real estate full time, but I had it there. So having that that cushion to feel confident that financially we're okay to take this risk. And um it it was the best thing that I ever did.
SPEAKER_03So hustlers, real estate investing doesn't have to be overwhelming and you don't have to do it alone. If you've been watching from the sidelines, scrolling past deals on Zillow, or binging YouTube videos, but still not taking action, this is for you. That's why we built Hustle Academy, a community designed for new and experienced real estate investors who want to learn, network, and grow. Inside Hustle Academy, you'll get weekly live calls, QA sessions, and step-by-step classes on fix and flip, wholesaling, creative finance, and my favorite subject who deals. Everything you need to know to build real skills and start closing real deals. You'll join a powerful group of like-minded hustlers who are sharing wins, breaking down deals, and all pushing towards the same goal financial freedom through real estate. If you're ready to level up, no matter what stage you're starting at, join Hustle Academy today, tap the link in the description, or visit hustleacademy.com and let's trump the hustle together. And that cushion, I had that same cushion, right? I had uh I was in the military. So in the military, I under I remember my story on the military. You needed something to transition fully in real estate because that nine to five hourly salary compared to hey, now you're working for yourself, it's tough for a lot of people to get started. Especially if someone's straight out of school, they want to go straight into real estate and you have no cushion, that's really, really hard. So let's quote that Toyota, how it all aligned correctly. But now going before that, you got your real estate license because you wanted a side hustle? Like why real estate out of all the professions?
SPEAKER_00And I keep trying to think of that. Like my stepfather was in construction, so he worked for custom builders, and I don't know if it was the the love of you know putting your hands into it and that customer service feel of it. Um I don't know. My my current boss at the time, I always say because of her, I got into real estate. You know, it was one of those things that's like I work hard, like I was mentioning to him. I don't need to be friend and center. It's like I like being the worker bee. It's like you take all the shine, just let me do what I do best, right? And so at that time, um, my manager didn't like that. It's like it's not my place to suggest something, it's her place. And I'm like, I'm just here helping you. So there is a lot of that that I just started feeling, you know what? I'm not gonna stay here and not be happy when all I am doing is trying to make her job easier. And that's when I decided I was like, you know what, I'm just gonna get my real estate license. And so every weekend I took every Friday off and I did Friday, Saturday, and Sunday classes. And then there were some where I had to take them in the evenings, and so I was doing that, and I got my license within that month. So I was done. I was like focused. And I was like, yeah, just preparing my path. And then it just it worked out when it came time that period I gave the severance packages.
SPEAKER_03Now, did you do deals before the uh crash?
SPEAKER_00Yes. So I was working my evenings and I was working my evening. I mean, I know you just started back then, but how was the I was doing well because I was helping friends and family. So my concern going full time is like I hadn't had the question as like, hey, I need you during the day. You know, you're not available. I, you know, you I'm gonna find someone else. So showing in the evenings, we'd be there at eight o'clock at night before the super stopped working, dark with our flashlights, our clients, and on the weekends. And uh so my concern was like, how am I gonna do now full time? And at first I was doing a lot of my honeydews for my husband, you know, going to the cleaners, things like that. And as it got, I got busy, I was like, sorry, honey, I can't go to cleaners for you. I didn't have to go on the way home. But I started picking up. So what I thought was gonna be a struggle ended up working out.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, back in the day, you had that little super black box. Yeah. The little super black box become most realtors don't know what we're talking about. Yeah. But yeah, so it's crazy to see how you're back before the market. Now back then they had stated income loans. Do you have that? Were you working with those or not yet? No, it was not. And then the crash happened. And then what did you do to reset? Because you quit Toyota. Make sure I'm right here. You got your real estate license as a side hustle, you quit Toyota, and then the crash happened.
SPEAKER_00Uh I think the crash happened right when I left. So I came in during the crash in 2008. And um, but that's where I feel I already came in a down market. So I already started doing open houses, I started doing everything that I knew to do. So I don't feel like I felt anything. You know, people are like, oh, you know, then the dip. And I feel I was already coming in hustling and trying to prove myself because I was new. So when all that was happening, I it didn't phase me, you know. And so when it started getting easier, it it I was just not accustomed to that. You know, and then you know, COVID happened. It was like, that's when everybody else came in. And I'm like, okay.
SPEAKER_01So back then, you were new into it. Obviously, the internet and everything has changed a lot since then. What was like the marketing tactics back then?
SPEAKER_00Everything old school, right? You know, definitely open houses. I was really big on open houses, but I would do them, you know, on the weekends, I would do Friday and Saturday back to back. I love doing it that way because I would advertise on my listing um the sign on the yard two, three days before, and letting them know that there's gonna be an open house on Saturday. And if the people didn't show up on Saturday, uh, then they knew that on Saturday when I was leaving, I would put the sign that there's gonna be an open house on Sunday and already people driving by. So my advertising was letting them know it was like Friday, uh Saturday and Sunday because I wanted to make sure that I had traffic coming in. If you put your sign that first thing in the morning, like some agents do, well, people didn't plan for it. Yeah. And so I had the sign where I propped it in the yard and I already had Saturday on it, already pre-made, and then had a field where I would enter the time. And so I always put what time it was. And I did it at least two, three days prior. So at least if I got traffic coming and going, I would get that traffic as well. But a lot of that in mailers, you know, just mailing out press cards.
SPEAKER_03You ever work with like a Zillow or anything?
SPEAKER_00At the time I didn't. You know, at the time I didn't. I think I might have tried Zillow maybe four years in. Um, but I didn't like it. I just felt there was a lot of people calling and just want information. I was throwing my money away. Uh I was really big with pot buys. And so a lot of people know me with that. I am I'm more of a personal. We call them pot buys. And it's just trinkets. Pop buys, it's trinkets or whatever, just to stop by and say, you know, hey, I came by to bring you, you know, this little trinket. How's everything going? How are the kids? Just to, you know, build that conversation. You know, I'm not one to call and make that call and be like, hey, how's everything going? Like I I I want to see my people, right? Um then with time I started having client events. You know, so I did the client events to make it easier for everyone to come to me.
SPEAKER_03You know, what exactly is a client event for those that haven't heard of it?
SPEAKER_00So my client events, like my first client event was at a movie theater. And my son was, I want to say, you know, three, four years old. So it was his first movie theater. So I did uh Zootopia and I invited all my clients uh to come and join us for a free movie.
SPEAKER_03And we say clients, you're talking about my past clients that helped them.
SPEAKER_00At that point, I I did a lot of buyers.
SPEAKER_03What year was this?
SPEAKER_00This year, uh that was I want to say 2010.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_00So once I started building up my clients and I felt like I'd had enough clients to do to make an event. But what I didn't like about that event is that everything was rushed at the theater. You know, you come in and they have certain windows that get your people in, the movie starts and all that. So I didn't feel like I could really connect to them. You know, it was just quick, like say hi and all that, and I didn't really get to network.
SPEAKER_03When you watch a movie, you can't talk.
SPEAKER_00Exactly. So it was a nice gesture gesture and everybody liked it and they appreciated it, but I just felt like I didn't get to connect with them. So then the next one was uh Big's burger joint, and that I did love. I was able to get a balloon artist, face painter, I got a DJ, you know, got toys for the kids to play, you know, ball and frisbees. Then I was able to go and network within, you know, everyone that was getting burgers, sitting down, just to be able to reconnect. And I don't want my events to be huge because there's times that I don't get to talk to everyone, then I feel bad. Like, what are they thinking? You know, like Saturday didn't even come to our table. Like, I don't ever want to feel that way. And I don't want ever my clients to feel that way either. So I don't do it to get over a hundred people. You know, I do it to get enough people, interact, and connect. See what's life? It's not just about realistic.
SPEAKER_03I don't think I've seen a modern-day world for do that. Uh-uh. Heck no.
SPEAKER_00No, I have them every year.
SPEAKER_03You have them every year?
SPEAKER_00Right now we're working on our Halloween event. And then um, I'm also looking at um in Thanksgiving. We'll do a pie for Thanksgiving. Last year we did it at a model home. Everybody wants to come and see a beautiful, you know, model home. So then they are SVP with the pie that they like, the flavor they like. I ordered them, they come. We'll have food. I think last year um we had like just appetizers on the island, and they're able to come and look at a beautiful home and you know, reconnect, and then they leave with their pie.
SPEAKER_03For all the realtors out there saying that there's no bars out there, you can't do any type of marketing. This is legit. I mean, I've been doing this for almost 12 years, I've never even heard of that. So that's a realtor who's hustling to really connect and thinking outside the box. And a lot of these realtors, I would assume, they close the deal and they're done with that client. You're coming back and you're circling, and it's what word of mouth, and you're telling her cousins and her friends and families, hey, Sandra's the person to go to. That's really cool to see how uh it started from the movie theater story at today.
SPEAKER_00What's the relationships we build? Like one of my homework, you know, that Claude asked me, the last 50 deals, where did my clients come from? You know, because I was like, should I be investing in ads? Should I be doing this? You know, what else could I be doing? And it asked me. And I was like, oh, you know what? The last 50 deals, you know, 34 were my past clients, referrals or them coming back, and five were, you know, Google My Business that they found me there, and five were agent to agent, you know, referrals. So I was like, okay, I need to build up my agent to agent referrals. And I was like, I need to keep doing what I'm doing with Google, but bottom line, my business coming from the relationships I'm building. And so what am I doing to make sure that I continue those relationships?
SPEAKER_03Now, someone who's a brand new realtor, right? Because you got a lot of years of experience, especially doing that uh client appreciation, is that what you call it? Yeah. Client appreciation. For someone who's brand new, joining this market now with social media and like you say, cloud or chat GPT, what advice do you have for those guys? Hey, I'm a first-time realtor. I just I just graduated Champions last week. How do they get clients?
SPEAKER_00I feel like in order to be found, they have to see you, right? And I know hiring a videographer like I do, it can get expensive. And now everyone has that budget. Uh, but obviously quality, you know, pays off. But right now, even the ones that are doing local content, you know, either when you're going to the coffee shop and you're recording yourself like you're here, it's like on how you present it and making sure, like, hey, I decided to try this new coffee place, putting yourself out there and showing what you ordered, and that's free, right? You know, you don't have to pay anyone for that. And it doesn't have to be a perfect video. The more natural it is, the more attraction you're probably gonna get. But also putting yourself out there and visiting these model homes. You know, there's so many homes out there that you can record and provide the content, but not just the home itself, but everything around it. And I think that if we get back to letting these people that are coming from out of state, what else is around this particular house? Not just the house, you know, because I've helped investors, you know, that flipped the house and it was in Kirby and it was gorgeous and everybody wanted it, but it just wasn't in the right location. But I was like, I have so many buyers, but can you move the house to this location? So it's the same thing. It's like if we share that information with these people that are coming to move from you know into San Antonio, then they're gonna trust you that you're sharing a lot of the good information they want to know.
SPEAKER_01You know, as a flipper, I am genuinely curious, what are the top locations you'd recommend for middle, median income, you know, I think it's what 300,000 or so in San Antonio too.
SPEAKER_00And I know you guys look at um the return, right? Did you get it for a good price? You know, so sometimes that works on in a different location. But where I see a lot of turnaround is northwest side. You know, you have SeaWorld, you have Lackland, you have the Medical Center, UTSA. You have so many businesses in the northwest side of San Antonio that that always turns really good for me.
SPEAKER_01If you had to pick a second spot, because I agree, a lot of my flips this year that have been very successful have been anywhere from right here on Bandera Road all the way out to, like you said, past SeaWorld or so. But if you had to pick a second spot in town, where are you looking?
SPEAKER_00Um maybe 1604 in O'Connor area.
SPEAKER_01Okay.
SPEAKER_00Because that's still an affordable area, and so I do place a lot of my borrows in that location as well. Um there's a lot there.
SPEAKER_01Super H E Bs there. Yes.
SPEAKER_00Uh there's a lot of growth over there.
SPEAKER_01Soccer field. If anybody's in soccer, I got that. New soccer field out there.
SPEAKER_03Now you talked about these new road trips having social media. Now I'm a busy guy, but when I do hop on social media, I don't see everyone looks everyone has a different lens, right? So I don't see the client appreciation, I don't see the hustle. What I do see is you doing these videos on San Antonio's city with the next big face. Now, those videos, where do where do those videos come from? Like who comes up with those ideas? Like what was the last one? Did you do one with the Spurs in or Or uh which was the last big video you did talking about the city itself and not really the neighborhood.
SPEAKER_00I have a few. Yeah. So we go out there and we batch um 10 a day. So like I'm busy. And unless I have the appointment set, uh, like I'm actually going on Friday. So DiCarlo is my videographer that does my hotspots. We call them our hotspots. He picks the locations. In the beginning, it it was one of those like not love and hate, but more to struggle. He's young. And I like that because he helps me be open-minded, right? He'll be like, hey, people my age are looking at these things and we're doing these things. And so I rely on him a lot so I can try to reach out to the younger generation as well. So I think it's a good mix. And he'll give me a list of places that he's thought of, or there's places that I'm invited to that I'm like, hey, this location has invited me to go, you know, feature them. I think it's gonna be a good one. Let's go do it. And, you know, we'll we'll add that list and then we'll evaluate. We'll have a Zoom meeting to figure out am I good with the with the spots that he's talking about. We'll start at nine in the morning and then we'll finish about five o'clock, you know, at the day.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's the thing.
SPEAKER_00And so, but it's funny because a lot of the times they're restaurants or you know, coffee places. And my husband one time made a comment and he's like, Well, you've tried all those places, and I'm like, wait a minute, we don't eat at all those places, we just video and then we're off to the next one. And it's like we got to keep it going. But I like to mix them, you know, within my content. But I started doing that because not everybody's looking to buy. And so and when I was just posting houses, I even did that trend. Oh, you need to post, you know, a home tour every day for six months, you know, then you'll start seeing traction. I did it for nine months. I didn't see any difference. And I'm like, I'm spending a lot of money paying for these home tours. Like, okay, I'm not feeling this. But then I felt, well, what am I doing for the community? You know, all I'm doing is real estate. And I'm thinking to myself, like, I'm just thinking about me, right? You know, my work, money, closing deals. And I'm like, well, what am I doing to tell people about my city? And I was like, you know what? What about talking about local things? So that's kind of how I started adding the hotspots is this feature, local things to do here. And so then it just picked up and it's doing really well. I mean, I get a lot of views from them, but also too, after a while, I was like, well, what am I doing with these views? And then I was like, hmm, let me get on the DMs. And so now I have a lot of conversations and I like it because I'm getting to know these people that are either coming to San Antonio and they're kind of looking at what's going on. Or people that lived here, they left and they're planning on coming back. So I'm getting the conversations to getting to know them. They're getting to know me too. Plus, I also welcome them. Thank you for following me. You know, then I ask the questions and it's me. So I don't have an AI doing it. It's me responding, it's me having those interactions because when they say, Oh, I used to live there and I love this and my family's still there and I'm thinking of coming back, an AI is not gonna respond how I want to respond. I'd be like, you know, I'm gonna respond more with I'm a human, right? And maybe throw something in there to to relate. But I also feel that when you follow, you know, a page and nobody ever says anything, there's not really a connection. But then now that I've introduced myself, said hi, you know, who are you? You know, nice to meet you, you know, af at the end, you know, even if they say, Oh, just here for the hotspots or great. I try to post something new every week, you know, nice to meet you. And then they'll respond back. Oh, nice to meet you. I actually got a listing right now because I did that, you know, because I DM'd him first. And then two months later he's like, I'm thinking of selling one of my properties in San Antonio. Can you help me? Absolutely. So not everyone's gonna be a lead, but when they're ready, I wanna be there. You know, just the fact that I acknowledge them. And I think it with everyone else, people want to be seen. So it's like we need to be intentional to respond to everyone that follows.
SPEAKER_01A little more on the technical side. Are you taking those DM leads and putting them into a CRM or are you just trying to manage it through?
SPEAKER_00I'm not there yet. So there's a lot of things that I could be doing better, and so I'm working on that. My assistant is uh really big on trying to figure out ways with Claude. I right now she's systemized her Google My Business, like we post every day. And so she already instructed Claude and she loves Claude, and now she doesn't have to do that anymore and batched and all that. And I was like, hey, now we gotta find other things that we can systemize. So then I have time to connect with the people that I need to connect with. Because posting on Google My Business doesn't have to be me. It doesn't have to be her. That could be, you know, our systems that we're creating through Claude.
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SPEAKER_00So NAREP is uh National Association of Hispanic Realtors. And um, you know, here locally, we have a national one, but the one here locally. So every year they'll take the top 100, they recognize them, we'll have a gala. And um for a while I was on the top 10 and and I was fine. I was like, oh, this is cool, right? And uh a a lot of the agents that were on the top ten were men. And so the year that I was gonna be number one, um, I get a call and saying, I think you're gonna be number one this year. And I'm like, no. I was, you know, it's it's great for business, you know, because you use it for marketing, but I I was told I would have to do a speech and I don't like public speaking, you know. I'm doing this podcast, you know, because I like you guys and I wanted to do it. But I prefer, you know, being behind the scenes, doing the work and just, you know, grinding. But when I was told that I I was gonna get number one, I was gonna be the first woman to have number one here in San Antonio, she was excited. I was excited for that part, but I was also nervous because I knew I was gonna have to get in front of the public and say a speech. And I knew that I was gonna have to give a little bit about my history. And, you know, I get, you know, depending on what topic it is, you know, I can get emotional. And I'm like, okay, I don't want to talk about me, right? And I rather when someone talks about me versus me in a positive way. And so I was just nervous about that. But I was, it was exciting knowing where I came from. And that was the first award that I ever got and the biggest accomplishments. We get them now, you know, the more you work, the more you get recognized. Right. And I appreciate them. Not that, you know, to water the other ones down, but you know, it's just hustle. You're gonna get recognized, you're gonna get these awards. It does help for business when people want to see that uh when they're working with an agent that has all these accolades behind their name. But ultimately it's you know the service that we provide. And so I think that was my biggest one.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's been a while since I've been part of uh NAREP. When they the top 100, that's individuals, right? And that's including teams, right? They'll have individuals and then they had the teams as well. So to have number one, it's a lot, right? Because there's a lot of realtors in San Antonio, and of course, we're in San Antonio in Texas, a lot of Hispanic realtors, the majority I would feel like it's a good amount of Hispanic realtors. So to be number one and be recognized is really cool. The last time I was part of NAREP um and being recognized, I think the special guest was uh Mayor Taylor. That was the last time I was there. That was a few years ago. But cool to see how the gala comes around, everyone gets dressed up, um, get to network with all the other realtors and see what they're doing. And of course, if you're number one, like you're like you're like the feature, right? As soon as you walk in, everyone wants to take a picture with you and ask you questions. How did you become number one? How do you push someone's volume? That's really cool to see, especially in female, right? That's a whole nother industries in this industry alone, very male dominant, right? And you doing what you're doing, you think it's all hustle. Like, how do you see yourself as the number one female realtor when it came to NotRip as a female version of it?
SPEAKER_00I think with me, it's just it is harder for, in my opinion, for women, especially your wife, mom. You know, I still have, even though, okay, I don't have to cook all these meals like you know, I grew up doing, but you know, I still have to feed my husband, my son, be there for them as well. So it's it's it's a balance. And it it is challenging to continue to hustle and do what you love to do because I I love what I do. And um I have to make sure that I have that balance, you know, make sure that it doesn't affect my affect my family life, um, that I'm there for my son. He is 13 now. And you know, you know, also for him to see that I'm mama's working, you know, to to provide and dad is too. And so also to be there at home. And I think if we structured ourselves the way we should be, um, you can get a balance. Like rarely do I have to work evenings. I'm working this evening, but rarely, uh, and weekends, rarely. And so where before it's like, okay, almost every weekend, and every other evening you're out there showing your buyers or you're out there at a listing appointment. And that's it's not because I'm structuring it that way. It just seems to be flowing that way. And so now with the years, I already know how to fit into my schedule or say I'm available within the these times versus letting the client dictate the time, you know, to making sure that it fits both our schedules. I think it's just getting smarter on how to structure it.
SPEAKER_01How did the uh how'd the speech go? Oh the NRS B.
SPEAKER_00The neighbor? Yeah. No, you want to hear he wants me to say it. So obviously I was nervous about doing the speech. And uh so I had like two tequila shots right before just to kind of, you know, ease the nerves. And I was so nervous. It was the first time I ever had to do a speech and talking about, you know, my stepfather wasn't around anymore. And so talking about that and giving him credit, you know, even now I'm getting choked up, it just it was hard.
SPEAKER_03So I saw that when we talked about the the questions, right? And it seems like we're going back to stepfather a lot. You know, it seems like stepfather put a really good foundation in your life, even till today, because I mean it's clear you're you're getting teary-eyed. Yeah, you don't make me cry. Yeah. So it's it's clear you're getting teary-eyed stepfather. And you know, stepfather roles tough for a lot of people, right? Stepmom is tough for a lot of people too.
SPEAKER_00Well, it's hard too, because you hear a lot of stepfathers that are not positive, you know, where take advantage of the kids and you hear all those negative things. And to know that I had a good role model to get me to where I'm at now.
SPEAKER_03Means a lot to you.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. All right, no crying.
SPEAKER_03Um okay, so now you've been through a lot. You've been through NARIP, you've been pushing, new content. Now at one point, and you're doing this for almost two decades now, right? Even though you're almost 21. You're doing this for two decades, right? As doing this for two decades and having over 400 million dollars in volume, there had to be some tough moments. Whether the market's shifting, whether everything was just not going your way. At one point in your career in real estate, like it was really, really tough. And how do you overcome that?
SPEAKER_00I think um you always have the tough moments on when the market slows down, either if it's during the winter and sometimes it's in the summer where deals fall apart, you know, you think you have, you know, eight deals, you know, to close that month, and then all of a sudden it's like, how did I go from eight deals to all of a sudden two deals? And it's everything got pushed, or um, you weren't able to save it. And I just think you have to have enough reserves to keep you going. And there's many times I've maxed out my credit card. I have a business credit card, everything I use is I put on the credit card. At the end of the month, I pay it off. And there's times where you max it out and you're like, okay, I need some closings because I need to make a payment to that credit card so I can keep keep it rolling. And but people don't see that. And you don't advertise that because that's not what you want people to know. Like, shoot, if you knew, and it's it's the hustle. And also, too, I have a sist an assistant. She's been with me going on 10 years. And you know, she she spoils me. I love having her right now. I'm I'm in this podcast and she's taking care of business because she knows I can't get to my phone right now. And I I like having that. So I feel that I'm responsible for somebody's, you know, well-being. Well being. If I go out of business, you know, she doesn't have a job, right? And so I think that helps me also hustle because I know I'm responsible for other people.
SPEAKER_01Is it Christy? Uh Roseanne. Roseanne. Roseanne. Yeah, I remember we worked on it a couple deals back and she was very on top of everything. Yeah. Uh always staying on top of updates. If something was coming in from the buyer's agent right away, you know, if you were on another listing or showing or whatever, she was very, very much on top of it. So it's a big I think that was the first time I ever worked with an agent. Because I'm new to the industry, right? I'm barely two years into it, and we were testing out some other people, and everybody else was just doing everything on their own. And whenever I started working with you, uh, it was the very first time somebody had an assistant. I was like, oh bosses, why doesn't everybody do this? Yeah, because she helps move my listing.
SPEAKER_00She makes sure that we reverse prospect, we make sure that our listings are everywhere they need to be. And I can't do that if I'm out there getting more business.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_00So it it's it's well worth it. And so she likes it.
SPEAKER_03That's good. Now, for those people who are watching that are on that cusp of being a Sandra of really having a lot of volume and having that hard time committing, that's hard for a lot of people, whether you're in that seat as a realtor or just in business in general, to hire that first individual. When would how when did you know the right time was right for you?
SPEAKER_00So I started with um getting a little bit busier and I had one of my coworkers at Toyota, his wife um was looking for something part-time. I wasn't quite ready to hire someone, but the fact that she just wanted something maybe, you know, 10 hours a week, and I was like, okay, I know that I need to start releasing some duties so then I can have more time to go out there and get more business. So it started uh with 10 hours a week. And as she took on more duties, then we started increasing her hours. And she lived close to the office, so it's not like she had to drive far. And she has a special needs daughter, so it was convenient for her just to have something to keep her busy while her daughter was at school, you know, and then being available to pick her up, you know, when school was over. And so when we added the 20 hours and we picked up a little bit, I was flexible with her schedule, then I started ramping up a little bit more. And but it allowed me to be out there more, knowing that she was in the office taking care of contracts, you know, making sure the documents are uploaded into the system. But I think now, you know, there's virtual assistance, which we didn't have back then. So you have the ability where you can pay, you know, four or five, six dollars an hour to have somebody help you with administration work. Um, but then also now we have more transaction coordinators where they get paid per transaction and they get paid at closing. So I think there is the ability for people to leverage without feeling that they have to pay a salary like I do. Um with Roseanne, she's salary, you know, she's there, you know, all day in the office, and I utilize that time, you know, to the fullest.
SPEAKER_03A lot of people have a hard time rul letting go of responsibilities. They feel like it's just easier if I do it. Did you feel that when you first started?
SPEAKER_00I did, but I think now I'm spoiled. I mean, I I love it. And so whenever I have to put in an offer and it's after hours, I'm like, darn it, Roseanne's already off.
SPEAKER_03Type up the contract? Oh, typing up a contract or something. Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Putting up the offer. Summing an offer, and I'm like, oh, you know, but a lot of the times.
SPEAKER_03Type of police. Yeah, type of police.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_03Okay. So now you got a lot going on, right? So from way back in the day, right, talking about Edgewood, old school days in the West Side, to where you're at today, from Toyota to NAREP to a lot of content to I like what you call it hot spots, right? The hot spots of the week or hot spots of the month, and really pushing out content and having this a team really grow. Like, what's next for Sandra? Like, what's the next major milestone for yourself that I don't know will give you that self-fulfillment or whatever you're looking for? What's what's next?
SPEAKER_00I don't know. I mean, I don't see retirement in my near future, that's for sure. I I I like what I'm doing. I just think trying to find more ways to interact with AI, you know, with the systems in the background, uh, to streamline things, but also still be able to provide better customer service. Like I'm always looking to improve our processes and also to be able to communicate with our sellers, especially right now with the listing sitting longer, you know, feeling where what else do I tell my sellers like we're doing everything? But if we don't communicate, they're not gonna know. They don't see what we're doing behind the scenes unless we tell them. So now finding ourselves providing either more reports, figuring out with AI on how can I structure these reports where it's explained and then we can get on a call and go over it. Um, today this morning I just spoke to one of my clients that I sent them the email and got on a call afterwards, and he said, Oh, yeah, I saw the reports. Yeah, it's exactly what you're saying. So they're keeping up with the market. And so they agreed with what I provided, but I'm using Claude to help me gather that that data to provide to them. But the sellers know, you know, they're paying attention to what's going on in their neighborhoods and all around. And so it it it paid off for me to have the same data that they they are seeing and then kind of figure out, okay, this is our game plan. You know, we'd be patient or adjust. Um, even one right now, we took it off the market, we redid photos and put it back on the market, and it's getting a lot more showings. And I think it's in one day, it already has 50 saves on Zillow. So I was like, okay, this was good. So just need that offer.
SPEAKER_01Now when you take it off, are you taking it off for more than 30 days to get the reset, or are you just doing it just to get new photos? Or what's the what's you know what?
SPEAKER_00It was only a week and it reset. Okay. So even though Zillow it says that it's 30 days, or MLS says 30 days, um, we didn't do it for that reason. He used his own photographer, and I said, please let me do my deal, you know, because I have it on the Zillow showcase, and but I have to use my photographer. So we do the 3D, um, the virtual, and then also do lifestyle video with it too. So doing all that, I I just told him, please let me run with it. You know, I know you like your photographer, but let me do it my way. So he let me and we took it off uh a week and we just put it back and it it reset. I I didn't think it was, but it it reset to one. Um so that helps.
SPEAKER_01So me being a flipper, I've done decent volume this year, and I've obviously sales side is one big part of the business, right? Finding deals, constructing them, you know, the construction part of it, and then selling the deals is, you know, for me right now it's the most important part because if you can't sell them, you can't buy new ones and you can't keep the contractors moving. So this year specifically has been very sales focused, and that starts with the buy side, like we talked about earlier, changing which neighborhoods we're buying in, saying a lot of no's to a lot of deals, um, and just being very specific on, you know, before we used to look at comps, and all you're looking at is what's the price and what's the uh the types of finishes. Now you're looking at price, types of finishes, and average days on market, right? You're looking at outliers, why are they outliers? Why are they taking longer? And so all that comes into play this year. And so me being a I would consider myself a volume seller. We're selling probably more than 30, 40 deals a year. It's a decent amount of volume. That's good. Um and so being a volume seller, I'm always thinking about normal sellers because my product is basically everything brand new. We're not ever cutting any corners, we're always putting brand new cabinets, countertops, paint, floors, if we need roof, roof. Uh I mean everything's like brand new doorknobs, handles, light fixtures, mirrors. I mean, the whole nine yards, it's staged to the maximum. We're staging every single room, and it looks like a model home every time you walk into it. And so that's, you know, that attributes to why I'm able to sell so fast. But even with that, we're getting hit with $15,000 and price reductions. We're getting hit with $10,000. We budget, I mean, I budget it now. I budget for $15,000. I mean sorry, $10,000 in seller concessions. We budget for a little bit of variance on the sales price. But you know, that's with a brand new product. Staging with professional photos, 3D walkthroughs, like you said, all I mean, we've done all the research and done all the things we needed to to adjust to this year. And, you know, thank God we've got average 20 days on market. We're doing well. But I can't even imagine being a normal seller who goes with a normal agent who, you know, their house, because I buy a lot of these houses that are in nice neighborhoods that don't need a ton of fixing updates in cosmetics, but I mean cosmetics can run you $50, $60, $70,000. And so if I'm having a, I wouldn't say I'm having a hard time selling, if I'm having, you know, friction on the sales table right now because of it is a it is a buyer's market, I can't even imagine the sellers who are trying to sell right now who are not rehabbing anything. The house has been there for 15, 20 years. They're not staging, they're not, you know, it's because it's got their furniture in it, so it doesn't look like a model home. They're not taking, like you said, professional photos. How in the world can anybody expect to sell in a market like today? What should the expectation be?
SPEAKER_00And that's why when I go to my listing appointments, I set the expectations. You know, yes, I try to get it sold quick, you know, and it's not because I'm drastically lowering the price. Um, one example, I had a listing where she had so many questions, and I don't blame her. She had her house on the market for six months and it wasn't selling. It it backed up to a loud uh ro noise uh road behind her. And um her agent, she says, the agent just keeps telling me, Well, I can't move that road. And I said, Well, let me go and look at the house. I know, I know. I was like, poor thing.
SPEAKER_01Very insightful.
SPEAKER_00Yes, I'm like, and so she grilled me on the questions and I was like, I get it, I get it. She's frustrated. So I said, I need to go walk your property. So I walked the property, I gave her my suggestions. I said, I can hear the road. Every car that passes is I'm sitting here in the living room. I understand why it's not selling. I said, but this is what you need to do. I said, you need to put some blinds on all the windows that back up to that road, you know, because we need a barrier between that road and your in the inside of your home. I'm not gonna make you go put new windows, you know, but you need blinds. So got a handyman, she put it on her card, handyman put put them all out. Then the stager put furniture and then curtains. So that way we could have another barrier. Uh, within that two weeks, we we got well, actually we raised it $500 more and we got full asking price in two weeks.
SPEAKER_02The listings, yeah.
SPEAKER_00It was the solutions that I was giving her, you know, versus telling her I can't move the road. And I really enjoyed that one because it was like I gave her, you know, we're problem solvers, right? It's not uh just about listing the house and putting the sign and putting it on MLS, it's about listening to what the client needs and their frustration, you know, and seeing if I could fix it and if I could help. And I was like, I can totally help her. And so once I told her what we needed to do, she was on board and um she was so happy with me. And I was like, that and that's what makes me feel good. It's like knowing that after six months, I like we got it done. And it's not just say, oh, well, you lowered it, Sandra. Well, of course, you know, and I'm like, I didn't lower it, I actually raised the price, and we still moved it. But it was all the details that I told her we needed to address and then stage it, and it sold.
SPEAKER_03Let me ask you something. You ever thought about investing in real estate, but assumed he needed perfect credit, a huge savings account, or a bank willing to say yes? That's exactly why we're excited to partner with our guy Mike Leva at Conventus. Conventus is a real estate lender built specifically for investors and not homeowners. They help people fund deals like fix and flips, buy and hold rentals, and even ground up construction. And here's the part most beginners don't realize Conventus doesn't lend based on your W-2 income or your personal credit score. They focus on the deal itself, the value of the property, and the numbers behind it. That means investors can often access higher loan amounts and more flexible terms than a traditional bank, sometimes with rates that are more competitive than people expect. So instead of asking, do I qualify? The better question becomes, is this a good deal? If you're serious about getting to real estate investing and want a funding partner that truly understands investors, reach out to our go-to guy at Conventus, Mike Leva, today using the link in the show notes and see how real estate investors are actually getting deals funded. I'm gonna put you on the spot on this one. Uh-oh. House had uh trouble getting sold because the backyard was a big slope. So number one complaint was if it we think that's what the complaint was, that we think if it rains, the water's gonna come down to the house. How do you battle someone like that?
SPEAKER_00The entire seen houses like that. And I actually we had a listing like that. And um and the thing is that I've seen so many homes where the owner spends the money and do does awesome landscaping because there's ways to take the eye away from that. I've seen where they have those type of retaining walls that are really nice. Um, I saw this one client that I went to go and look at the home to see if it was a good time to sell. And they had a really nice that he did it himself, so it's not like you got to spend a lot of money. And he had some pavers where he paved against the wall, and then he brought it sideways, and so he made it where it almost looked like you could sit, like for entertaining. And so he made the center uh where he put pavers where you're like more now it's an entertaining space. And now people are not gonna look at it as like it's an eyesore and the water's gonna run through. Now you brought the eye to where you just made it flat in the center point and then you kind of dressed it up around it. And it is it's it really boils down. It's like, do you want to invest in it or do you want to keep lowering the price and then never sell it? So something simple like that. See? You want me to sell it for you?
SPEAKER_03That's how you know you have experience, Sandra. Now, what about those investors, right? You ever get a seller and say, hey, this is houses inherited. It's ugly, dirty, stinky, hoarder house. I got it from a tenant, and they don't want they don't want nothing to do with it, they want out, they want quick. Do you list those houses or do you have uh investor clientele that you work with? Now we're talking about houses that really shouldn't be on MLS. Stinks, maybe dead dogs. I mean, I'm really going to put it on the code. Why give it to him? Give it to this guy? What do you do with those type of houses?
SPEAKER_00It just depends. You know, if I I've helped clients where if they just need to do a little TLC, then I definitely help them.
SPEAKER_03We're talking about major TLC. Major deals.
SPEAKER_00Usually I call my connections. Like uh Skylar or Carlos, you know, and say, hey, you guys, I have this. If y'all want to come and take a look at it and see if you have anybody.
SPEAKER_03Just get over with quick, right? Tell the seller, hey, it is what it is. You're not gonna put the money into it, so let's just get a cash offer and work with that seller and hey, this is your your best plan. Yeah. Or of course, fix it up in which take care of it.
SPEAKER_00And usually they come to you because they trust you, right? And so you're gonna look at the numbers and explain to them, you know. And then someone will say, Oh, should I go to open door? I'm like, Yeah, open door is not gonna do anything for you. I was like, they're not. Say that again, right? So I'm like, they're not. And and then even when I tell them, like, you're welcome to to try it, I said, but I'm already telling you they're not. You know, you don't have to take my word for it, but I I'm already telling you what they're gonna tell you. Um, but usually I'll tell them, look, I know a few wholesalers, I can get a group out here, I'll open it up, have them look at it, and see what they can offer you. And then we can decide from there. Sometimes they just need you to be the one that holds their hand, knowing that they trust you and you're trying to find the best deal for their situation.
SPEAKER_03Now, on the other end of this spectrum, what about those houses that have little to no equity? Someone just bought it six months ago, maybe a year ago, and they're going through a divorce, and they call you say, Hey, this thing, you bought it for 300, and it's been one year later, your balance is 297 because it's a VA loan, and the contract is still 300. What do you do with those type of listings?
SPEAKER_00I haven't had those listings.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_00But if I do, I'm gonna call you. Okay, good.
SPEAKER_02That was the answer. That was the answer.
SPEAKER_00Because I don't do subject to, so it's not for me. I stay in my lane, and you know, obviously I that's why I like building the relationships that we have, is because if the time comes and I already know who's good at that. Same thing with short sales. Yes, I know how it works in the process, but I call my friend Josh Boggs.
SPEAKER_03You know, it's not your using Josh, you're using Josh?
SPEAKER_00Uh yeah, he's my buddy, you know. So I sent them to him because you know, my clients trust me, I trust him.
SPEAKER_03I haven't talked to him in a long time.
SPEAKER_00Last year he helped my clients sell two, two different ones. And so it works out.
SPEAKER_03Okay. Now, on your end, as a realtor, what about a team? Like what what about a team, a brokerage? Who are you with now? You're with real?
SPEAKER_00I'm with real.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Now, under Sandro, that wasn't having a team, that's something you envision?
SPEAKER_00So that comes and goes at times. You know, I do mentor people, I I do help. I do have one agent that's part-time. Um, he does this on the side. And uh the the great thing about real is that they don't charge me a monthly fee for every agent that I have. When I was at Remax, for every agent I had on my team, Remax would charge me $400 per agent. So that's like $400 either producing or not. Because Remax was not pro teams, they're pro, you know, individual agents. So when I left Remax, at that end of that year, my fees, I tell people I gave myself a raise. At the end of the year, when you get your statement from your broker, it's like $54,000. I'm like, what did I pay $54,000 for? I have my own admin, you know, I do my own payroll. I'm like, why did I give Remax $54,000? So that's kind of a little bit of a reason why I jumped over to real, not because I hated Remax. I loved Remax, but I was like, you know what, financially, that's it's it makes no sense. So then when I switched, I got a college student for my marketing. And uh, so I was like, shoot, even with the $54,000, I'm paying her and I still have money left over to do marketing. Um so at that time I had four agents that came with me, and little by little they started becoming like solar agents. And so the model that I like about real is that, like example, on Alisa was my heavy hitter. She also does flips and, you know, she has some rental properties, but she is a hustler like me. We would be, you know, neck to neck on production. And so now we collaborate a lot on figuring out what better do we do, you know, we can do better. We both share a virtual assistant. She has her 20 hours, I have her 20 hours, and we each show her things that we're both going to use. So instead of spending money on training one person and then her spending money on training another person, we use the same systems. So we have no problem sharing, you know, the same virtual assistant. Uh there's times that I'll give her things, uh, the VA duties, and say, Annalisa uses this too, but she likes this style. So I'll give her some pointers. I like, hey, Anna Lisa likes this style, but I like this style. And so I've already taught her how to do it. So Anna Lisa doesn't have to spend time teaching her that. So we collaborate that way. But what I like too is that, you know, they're still within real, so it still feels like they're part of my team, even though they're not under my umbrella as Rangulistate group. My neighbor just got her license. So she's right now under my team because I'm mentoring her, you know, and I'm giving her the resources that I have to get her started. But even with her, I said, look, let's give each other a year. You know, in a year, you feel like, hey, I'm I'm good, uh, I'm ready to go solar, I'm still here to support you. We're still within the network. But I don't ever want anyone to feel that I'm one of those teams that gets upset because, oh, you learned everything from me, now you're leaving. It's not about that. It's about everyone's individual growth. If you're ready to, you know, to go on your own, then absolutely. It's like parents, you know, when the kids, you want them out of the house, you know, you want to make sure you did a good job to get them to that point. Same thing with people that come and want some mentorship. I'm here to help and support and grow. And even when they're not on my team, I get so many agents that'll ask me questions, especially for listings. My listings aren't moving. Can you kind of look at it and tell me what else I can do different? I'm happy to help.
SPEAKER_03What are your thoughts on uh brokerage?
SPEAKER_00My brokerage? I love my brokerage. Yeah. I love um I love everything. You getting your own broker's. Oh, me and my own brokerage. Your brokerage. No. My brokerage has so many things um to offer. Like, I know we have attraction. I'm not big in attraction. I feel like I make myself available. And if I'm gonna tell you, hey, come join real, like, like I'm gonna be there to help you grow as if you were in my team. I don't have a lot of time, so that's probably one of the reasons why I don't try to convince people to follow me. Uh, because I I want to be there and I'm still heavy in production. But just with the little attraction that I've had, my son goes to private school. And basically, I say my my peers, my agents that I help mentor, pretty much covers my son's tuition. You know, so there's opportunities there that it's not even coming from my own production. So if I didn't produce, I knew my son's tuition is gonna be covered because of my revenue share.
SPEAKER_02That's cool.
SPEAKER_00And then also the stock, you know, I had agents that say, Well, why don't you just buy stock? And I'm like, I don't know anything about stock. I'm like, I'm not gonna do it. If I wasn't doing it when I was at Remax, I'm not gonna do it. Yeah, you know, uh, I was like, no. And so all the money that I pay in, I actually I haven't even announced it, but I already reached elite for the sixth time uh since I've been with Reels. So that means they're basically giving me my money back in company stock that I paid into my brokerage, which I wasn't getting that at REMAX. So it's like out of sight, out of mind, and that's growing my stock, you know. My even my financial was advisor was like, dang, your stock is really good. And I was like, okay, I'll take that as a compliment. I'm like, you know that stuff. I just leave it up to him. So there's just so many opportunities of why I stay versus I I have my own broker's license. You know, I could have my own, but I'd be missing out on all these, you know, different opportunities that Real offers.
SPEAKER_01Did I hear that? Didn't Real buy Remax or somebody bought Remax? We did.
SPEAKER_00So I was like the full circle. I mean, I'm excited for Remax, and uh, you know, I always liked Remax, you know, the the brand. It was always great. So I'm excited we did. I know there's a lot of Remax people that are not too excited yet, but I I think it's a good thing. I like it. I'm happy for that.
SPEAKER_01Have you seen any roadmap with the plans with the with the brand? Are they gonna eliminate Remax? Are they gonna just be able to do that?
SPEAKER_00No, everyone's still gonna st you know stand alone. So Remax still has a Remax. It's just like the headquarters is gonna have the logo shared, but they still their market is still the same. I'm not changing my logo, it's still real, it's still business as usual. But they always say, give it two years.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, well, you just never know.
SPEAKER_00I mean, I would like it if it was up to me, I would like that if they could benefit with some of the things that we take advantage of, like the Rev show, like we can co-sponsor. Uh so I can co-sponsor an agent coming in with another real agent. I would love that if we could co-sponsor with a Remax agent. Yeah. So then that way they have a little bit of Remax, you know, and a little bit of real. I I would like to see that because I am still friends with a lot of Remax agents, you know, here locally and in Dallas, you know, I get a lot of business from Remax. You know, that my previous broker at Remax, uh, Kate Keating, she retired. She was amazing. She connected me with so many brokers in Dallas, in Houston, and they still refer me business. So I still have Remax connections because of her.
SPEAKER_03That's cool. On the uh luxury side, you do a lot of more uh luxury listings. What do you feel like is your clientele? Is it median price San Antonio?
SPEAKER_00My niche is usually medium price. Obviously, I help anyone and everyone that wants my my help. And I'm not picky, but do I try to go and go after the luxury? I don't try. Um it for the amount of money that I spent on my listings, that's gonna be a whole lot more spending on my end because a lot of it I do take it on me. I don't, you know, that's part of my marketing, you know. Uh some of my listings, I stage them. You know, I don't charge my clients, you know, and uh some, you know, and so it just all depends and like the Zillow Showcase, you know, that's extra. I gotta pay more for the photographers. I gotta pay more to be part of Zillow Showcase. So it starts adding up. And so I definitely want to work with people that want to work with me and appreciate the effort and everything I'm putting into my listings because I am doing a lot. And even though it may seem, you know, social media, if they don't see it online, you're like, well, what are you doing? Like, there's so much more than just social media. It's not just social media. Um, I have one client, I resold two of her investment properties, and she came to me to refer to somebody that was in a small town by Houston. So I referred her, you know, an agent. And then she came to me because now they're moving to California and they're selling their house in Austin, and she really wants me to go all the way to Austin and list it for her, and it's gonna be a $1.7 million listing. And I'm like, okay. But it's just it's one of those things. So I'm getting that because of the relationship that I've had with them, and you know, they're happy with my services, so I'm probably go on Wednesday to go and look at it and list it.
SPEAKER_03Well, it seems like you definitely got a lot going on, and you know, in this podcast, it's been a little shy over an hour. I feel like you learned a lot from me, right? Besides I've seen your videos, but I've learned a lot from you know, y such a young age to what you got going on and the true mindset and hustle on a daily hustle that you're doing that made you who you are today. And, you know, Sandra and Gaya, in my honest opinion, that's a powerhouse name when it comes to traditional royalty here in San Antonio. We talk a lot about hustle, um, and this is the Trump the Hustle podcast. Now, to me, turn up the hustle is not a motto, it's not a slogan. It truly is a way of life. It got me to where I'm at today. When Sandra thinks of turn up the hustle, what does that mean to Sandra?
SPEAKER_00Turn up the hustle is just continuing to keep doing what we're doing and service servicing basically our community. And that's what it really boils down to. It's like without coming with a serving heart, you're not gonna be where where your business is today. And so I think uh continuing to keep that, you know, front of mine is gonna continue to help us succeed.
SPEAKER_03Very well said. Now, for me to actually get to know the person in that seat right there, I gotta know this question. I asked every single person what is Sandra's favorite movie?
SPEAKER_00My favorite movie.
SPEAKER_03It helps me get to know who that person is.
SPEAKER_00Well, I don't know about movies. Um I mean, right now, TV show, Lioness. You haven't heard that one? Oh no, you need to look at it. That is that is good.
SPEAKER_03What about a movie? If you had to pick one.
SPEAKER_00Uh The Avengers.
SPEAKER_03The Avengers?
SPEAKER_00I love Avengers.
SPEAKER_03I've never thought about it.
SPEAKER_00Uh Avengers. I love action. I love action movies. I mean, uh I don't like to re-watch movies. You're like, oh, I don't want to see that one. I already saw it, right? You know, one and done. But Avengers, you you could play it anytime. It's still entertaining.
unknownAvengers.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's cool. I wouldn't I wouldn't, I don't know. I thought something I thought the notebook or something. I don't know. I don't know. Titanic, I don't know.
unknownNo.
SPEAKER_03It's a little more classic, but Avengers, okay.
SPEAKER_00Nope, action. Action or military base type of shows.
unknownCool.
SPEAKER_01Tom Cruise.
unknownYes.
SPEAKER_00Tom Cruise. Yeah. Action.
SPEAKER_01Well, very cool. Before we let you go, we appreciate you first of all for coming on here. I want to give you kudos and flowers again for all that you've done, what you do for this city, uh pouring back in the city and not just being a transactional agent, because there's plenty of those out there that just want to do the transactions. But having worked with you and knowing you and obviously getting to know you better today, you obviously do pour in your heart and soul into your listings and to your clients and really do care about their well-being and not just another you know line item on your sheet, another, you know, house you know, in the record book. So really do appreciate everything you do for the city, for your clients, and for taking the time to be out here. Is there any last words you want to depart with with our guests?
SPEAKER_00No, just if I come across any deals for you and you, and likewise, you have any listings that aren't moving, send them my way.
SPEAKER_01What is the best way for people to send listings to you? How's the best way for them to find you?
SPEAKER_00So I I think the best way is going to my Instagram, you know, send me a DM. I'm I'm always looking at my DMs. So I don't have a virtual assistant looking at that. It's me. If I see it, I respond to it. Um Sandra Rangale 2018, or just uh find me Rangel Real Estate Group.com.
unknownCool.
SPEAKER_01Well, very cool, guys. We appreciate you tuning into another episode of the Turn Up the Hustle Podcast. We hope that you find value out of these episodes. We try hard every single week to make sure that we're providing value. And if you are, make sure you like, comment, subscribe, do all the things, send it to a friend who needs to hear this. And as always, is always Turn Up the Hustle. We'll see you guys on the next one. Peace.