Women Who Thrive In Real Estate | Kirsten Jordan
An Interview with Real Estate Broker Kirsten Jordan, starring on Bravo's Million Dollar Listing New York
Hi Kirsten! You are quite literally a woman who does it all! Between selling real estate, starring on Million Dollar Listing & hosting Mom's of Real Estate you are also a wife & mama with 3 beautiful kiddos, how do you find such a great balance between Realtor-life and Mom-life?
I prioritize family time at home and my business while in the office and running around NYC. I make sure that I’m home by 7am after my morning run, helping my kids get ready for school. After the half-hour rush to get the kids out the door, I leave my house and start heading to appointments and doing my real estate business. I usually get home between 6 and 7 pm, when we eat dinner as a family and read books. I try to get home at a decent hour, if I don't have a night event, to spend time with my husband and kids before bedtime. If I have an evening event, I make sure to come home before to say good night to my kids.
What has been the biggest challenge for you within your career and how have you overcome it?
Niching down. To find your niche, you simply have to decide who to disappoint. If you don’t, you’ll try to appeal to everyone, take on every bit of business, run yourself ragged and wonder why you’re working so hard and seeing so little payoff. The way I found my smallest viable audience didn’t have anything to do with location. Sure, I tend to sell in Tribeca and Uptown. And yes, I generally serve those with a luxury price point. But here’s how I define my niche: I focus on clients with whom I have the deepest relationships. They offer the best chance of long-term connections and profitable business.
How do you keep emotions in check and overcome the highs and lows that are inevitable within this business?
I used to think exercising was the most important to keep my physical and mental health in check. Now I think the supreme consideration needs to be my emotional state, which comes from moving my body and re-centering through gratitude and meditation. Being in a centered state will make me a better version of everything I am: woman, mom, and businessperson. The three levels of state management that make up my life everyday are exercise, hormonal care, and meditation.
What has contributed to your success in this business so far?
Investing in myself. Right now I’m investing big in building a team for the real estate broker I’m going to be in 5, 10, 15 years. I believe in her, and I’m going to make her real. That means investing, now, whether in time or money, in things that I trust will pay off.
Celebrating the little wins along the way I started my own team, and guess what, the first few months were beyond challenging and a different pace than what I’m used to. We’re celebrating every transaction. We’re celebrating the journey. Because really, the journey is the joy of it.
Asking myself what’s next I think about this when I’m exercising: it never really gets easier. Because the better you get, the more you push yourself. It’s always about working that edge, because that’s where the growth happens. It’s about enjoying your gains, your wins. And they don’t happen if it’s easy.
The same goes for my business. I’m never sitting around even if we are successful. I’m working even bigger. Every win can be leveraged for an even bigger win. Why? Because it’s fun. Because you do what you love, right? Because you’re seeing just how amazing you can become.
What’s one thing you wish you could go back and tell yourself on day one as a licensed Realtor?
Envision the agent you wish to be. Before you do anything else, you need to know what kind of agent you want to be. Write it down. Make it real. The more you know about who you want to be, the better your chances of becoming her.
You’ve become such an influential woman in the real estate industry! What advice would you give to empower other women within their real estate careers or/ to women who are thinking about starting a career in real estate?
Take time out to reflect. At least weekly, you should devote a little time to thinking about where you are in your current role and where you would like to be in the future. Then, spend time thinking about the steps you can take now that will help get you there.
Ask ‘why’ more. Seize every moment in your current work situation as an opportunity to learn. Believe it or not, sometimes you learn just as much of what you won’t do as you will about what you will do when it’s your turn.
Show up with enthusiasm daily. This goes hand-in-hand with the last three suggestions. Remember, you’re telling both your boss and the universe that you are serious about this business, that you want the responsibility one day, and that you’re willing to take the risks it requires to be great at what you do. How you present on the outside plays an important role in your manifestation of this dream, as well.
Keep in touch. Somewhere in your journey, you will encounter those higher-ups who make an impression on you. If you’re able to recognize it in the moment, acknowledge it out loud. Even if you feel awkward at the time, I guarantee it will pay off. And if some time has passed, and if it feels appropriate, why not reach out to them and let them know how they influenced you? Remember: you might not have a job if these people weren’t here holding it down for you.
Such great advice! Thank you for sharing your story and words of wisdom with us Kirsten!