WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.480 Welcome back to Vision Pros Live. I'm very pleased 00:00:03.480 --> 00:00:06.360 to meet Karen Gonen. Karen, would you please 00:00:06.360 --> 00:00:08.380 introduce yourself and then we'll dive right 00:00:08.380 --> 00:00:11.369 into your vision. Absolutely, Sue. My name is 00:00:11.369 --> 00:00:14.630 Karen Gonen. I'm a real estate broker with Realty 00:00:14.630 --> 00:00:17.589 Executives in Vernon, New Jersey, Sussex County. 00:00:17.949 --> 00:00:21.809 I've been an agent, this is my ninth year. Last 00:00:21.809 --> 00:00:24.890 year, I was the number one agent in Sussex County. 00:00:24.949 --> 00:00:27.870 I beat out all the other top agents and teams 00:00:27.870 --> 00:00:32.109 in our county. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears 00:00:32.109 --> 00:00:35.009 went into that, but I'm very excited to say those 00:00:35.009 --> 00:00:38.619 are my stats. I love what I do. I love teaching 00:00:38.619 --> 00:00:40.840 clients how to make better decisions, whether 00:00:40.840 --> 00:00:43.820 they're sellers or buyers. And I'm also working 00:00:43.820 --> 00:00:47.159 on raising a new generation of agents that care 00:00:47.159 --> 00:00:49.640 more about their clients than themselves in their 00:00:49.640 --> 00:00:52.899 pockets. That is huge. Well, let's talk about 00:00:52.899 --> 00:00:55.759 that a little bit more. The vision for those 00:00:55.759 --> 00:00:57.700 that you serve, and I love this because you're 00:00:57.700 --> 00:01:00.479 serving, you're seeing this, I think, appropriately, 00:01:00.539 --> 00:01:03.000 where you've got this massive ripple effect that 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:05.840 you can cause with the people that you're you 00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:07.920 know, buying and selling houses with and for, 00:01:08.099 --> 00:01:11.340 but also these other agents, you know, they have 00:01:11.340 --> 00:01:14.219 the potential, they could really win from learning 00:01:14.219 --> 00:01:16.780 from somebody who knows what they're doing. So 00:01:16.780 --> 00:01:19.140 talk a little bit about this, the vision for 00:01:19.140 --> 00:01:22.120 the people that you're serving. So the people 00:01:22.120 --> 00:01:24.180 that I serve, both my buyers and my sellers, 00:01:24.379 --> 00:01:27.840 I believe that information is power. And so when 00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:31.000 I first meet my buyers, we'll start with buyers 00:01:31.000 --> 00:01:33.719 because that part is easier. I always tell them, 00:01:33.780 --> 00:01:36.120 I will tell you the truth, whether you like it 00:01:36.120 --> 00:01:38.739 or you don't like it, but I will also teach you 00:01:38.739 --> 00:01:41.340 how to make better decisions. As we're looking 00:01:41.340 --> 00:01:43.640 through houses and as I'm sending you properties 00:01:43.640 --> 00:01:47.079 online, I will teach you what to look for, what 00:01:47.079 --> 00:01:49.319 the pitfalls are. That way you can make better 00:01:49.319 --> 00:01:52.239 decisions. the houses that we're going to see 00:01:52.239 --> 00:01:55.299 if you're an older person and you don't want 00:01:55.299 --> 00:01:57.900 stairs and you see stairs in the pictures let's 00:01:57.900 --> 00:02:00.040 not go for those houses because we can't remove 00:02:00.040 --> 00:02:02.739 all those stairs and you're not getting any younger 00:02:02.739 --> 00:02:04.739 so your knees are not going to be able to go 00:02:04.739 --> 00:02:08.060 up and down 40 set of stairs and so i do that 00:02:08.060 --> 00:02:10.280 with my buyers and with my sellers what i do 00:02:10.280 --> 00:02:13.599 is i just show them stats i tell them houses 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:15.580 in the last six months with the same bedrooms 00:02:15.580 --> 00:02:18.300 and bathrooms have sold in our area for this 00:02:18.300 --> 00:02:21.099 much i'm happy to list at whatever price you'd 00:02:21.099 --> 00:02:24.340 like. However, my recommended price is this, 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:26.400 and I actually have them sign a piece of paper 00:02:26.400 --> 00:02:29.460 that says, Karen told me that my price should 00:02:29.460 --> 00:02:32.939 be X. So when they ask me to list at Y, which 00:02:32.939 --> 00:02:36.659 is $2 ,000, above what I said, they don't complain 00:02:36.659 --> 00:02:38.900 when people don't come to look at it or they 00:02:38.900 --> 00:02:42.360 complain about the price. I also feel that I 00:02:42.360 --> 00:02:46.000 serve my agents. So a lot of agents in the industry... 00:02:46.639 --> 00:02:48.879 And I don't know if it's the same in your area, 00:02:48.939 --> 00:02:52.139 Sue, but in our area, in New Jersey, agents are 00:02:52.139 --> 00:02:56.370 one step up from car salespeople. And it shouldn't 00:02:56.370 --> 00:02:59.409 be that way. But every type of stereotype has 00:02:59.409 --> 00:03:03.150 some type of reasoning behind it, whether it's 00:03:03.150 --> 00:03:06.530 some old generational thoughts or if it's current 00:03:06.530 --> 00:03:10.389 situation. I just try to teach my agents to care 00:03:10.389 --> 00:03:13.389 more about other people's well -being and them 00:03:13.389 --> 00:03:16.129 finding a new location that will make them happy 00:03:16.129 --> 00:03:19.530 as opposed to their pocket. One of the most important 00:03:19.530 --> 00:03:22.530 things I teach my agents is to be ethical because 00:03:22.530 --> 00:03:26.310 our profession is based. on ethics, but unfortunately 00:03:26.310 --> 00:03:29.669 a lot of agents are not. And so what I teach 00:03:29.669 --> 00:03:31.830 them is that it's not only important for their 00:03:31.830 --> 00:03:34.550 clients, whether they're buyers or sellers, it's 00:03:34.550 --> 00:03:36.870 also important for other people in the industry. 00:03:37.169 --> 00:03:39.569 Because there isn't one agent out there that 00:03:39.569 --> 00:03:42.629 has worked with me in over 500 transactions that 00:03:42.629 --> 00:03:46.069 could say anything about me not being ethical, 00:03:46.270 --> 00:03:49.490 being underhanded, not doing things the proper 00:03:49.490 --> 00:03:52.879 way. I'm very much by the book. But I also teach 00:03:52.879 --> 00:03:54.759 them kindness because we don't know what the 00:03:54.759 --> 00:03:56.659 other agent has been through. Maybe they had 00:03:56.659 --> 00:03:59.000 a fight with their significant other. Maybe they 00:03:59.000 --> 00:04:01.860 got up on the wrong side of the bed. Maybe they 00:04:01.860 --> 00:04:04.000 haven't made any money in the past year and they're 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:06.879 just dying to get something. So we always need 00:04:06.879 --> 00:04:09.300 to take a step back and think about what other 00:04:09.300 --> 00:04:13.240 people are going through. That's fantastic. And 00:04:13.240 --> 00:04:15.719 I love, I mean, you put into words so beautifully 00:04:15.719 --> 00:04:18.379 what it really means to be a leader in business. 00:04:19.040 --> 00:04:22.389 And you're serving, you know, as a servant. serving 00:04:22.389 --> 00:04:24.709 the people who are agents under you and your 00:04:24.709 --> 00:04:27.329 clients as well. And that's really, really cool. 00:04:28.889 --> 00:04:31.750 How would you describe your vision for your business 00:04:31.750 --> 00:04:34.970 for the long, you know, in the next three to 00:04:34.970 --> 00:04:37.110 six months, in the next year, whatever it is 00:04:37.110 --> 00:04:39.889 that looks like that for you? Well, I'm always 00:04:39.889 --> 00:04:42.410 my biggest competition. I always compete with 00:04:42.410 --> 00:04:45.050 myself. So every year I have to do better than 00:04:45.050 --> 00:04:48.629 I did the year prior. This year I was unfortunately 00:04:48.629 --> 00:04:52.649 stuck in Israel for three and a half weeks during 00:04:52.649 --> 00:04:58.029 the war. I'm kind of backed up in my goals, but 00:04:58.029 --> 00:05:00.329 that just means that just like a diamond that's 00:05:00.329 --> 00:05:02.790 created under pressure, I will do a lot more 00:05:02.790 --> 00:05:05.430 than I thought I was going to do. I'm also getting 00:05:05.430 --> 00:05:07.810 married next month, so that should be interesting 00:05:07.810 --> 00:05:10.529 because I wasn't here for three and a half weeks 00:05:10.529 --> 00:05:12.990 to handle everything, but I'm glad to report 00:05:12.990 --> 00:05:15.149 I'm almost done with everything. Thankfully, 00:05:15.269 --> 00:05:18.009 I have plenty of people by my side that are willing 00:05:18.009 --> 00:05:21.370 to help. As far as my business, my goal this 00:05:21.370 --> 00:05:25.980 year is to sell $25 million. was 20 and I sold 00:05:25.980 --> 00:05:30.399 almost 24 so I'm hoping to exceed my goal again 00:05:30.399 --> 00:05:32.639 which is what I normally do except in the beginning 00:05:32.639 --> 00:05:35.100 of the year I freak out that my goal is so big 00:05:35.100 --> 00:05:38.839 and however will I reach it but thankfully I'm 00:05:38.839 --> 00:05:41.420 blessed enough and very grateful to always reach 00:05:41.420 --> 00:05:46.399 it as far as the bigger visions for For my business, 00:05:46.759 --> 00:05:49.639 my goal is actually not even real estate related. 00:05:49.920 --> 00:05:54.079 My goal is to create a location in Sussex County 00:05:54.079 --> 00:05:57.100 where I can teach women to run their own businesses, 00:05:57.240 --> 00:06:01.160 a location that will have not only sales experience 00:06:01.160 --> 00:06:05.180 and techniques, but also bookkeeping, also legal 00:06:05.180 --> 00:06:08.339 work, all of those things that generally speaking, 00:06:08.540 --> 00:06:11.180 women are not raised with. I was raised in a 00:06:11.180 --> 00:06:14.120 very entrepreneurial home. My parents were entrepreneurs 00:06:14.120 --> 00:06:16.569 from the The minute I was born, I remember my 00:06:16.569 --> 00:06:19.509 parents having their own business. And so that's 00:06:19.509 --> 00:06:21.810 what I've done throughout my career. So that's 00:06:21.810 --> 00:06:25.029 my goal, to help women do better, specifically 00:06:25.029 --> 00:06:27.689 because men are raised in a different way. They're 00:06:27.689 --> 00:06:30.410 expected to be in business and to do better. 00:06:30.750 --> 00:06:34.250 I feel like women in my area specifically, I'm 00:06:34.250 --> 00:06:36.449 not talking generally, I'm just talking about 00:06:36.449 --> 00:06:40.120 my area. women are not raised the same way. And 00:06:40.120 --> 00:06:42.860 so I'd like to be that person that pushes women 00:06:42.860 --> 00:06:45.439 forward and teaches them what to do and allows 00:06:45.439 --> 00:06:49.339 them to grow and allow them to maintain their 00:06:49.339 --> 00:06:52.300 sanity while they're doing that because we also 00:06:52.300 --> 00:06:55.839 are nurturers and we're wives and we're mothers 00:06:55.839 --> 00:06:58.279 and we're teachers and we're doing all these 00:06:58.279 --> 00:07:01.439 things all at the same time. So I also want to 00:07:01.439 --> 00:07:03.439 teach them a little bit about balance between 00:07:03.439 --> 00:07:08.129 work and life. That's incredible. And have you 00:07:08.129 --> 00:07:14.029 started that already? I haven't. I need to work 00:07:14.029 --> 00:07:17.490 a few more years until I can get that started. 00:07:17.589 --> 00:07:20.009 And I'm actually going to name it after my mother 00:07:20.009 --> 00:07:22.550 who passed away from a non -Hodgkin's lymphoma 00:07:22.550 --> 00:07:27.290 18 years ago. So that's my way of thanking her 00:07:27.290 --> 00:07:30.509 for making me who I am. That's a wonderful tribute. 00:07:30.629 --> 00:07:33.829 My goodness. Thank you. That's really cool. Her 00:07:33.829 --> 00:07:36.579 memory will be a blessing then to many. Yes, 00:07:36.660 --> 00:07:38.639 yes, it will be. And that's my purpose because 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:41.600 that's who she was. And the funny thing is, my 00:07:41.600 --> 00:07:44.399 sister and I had no idea. We didn't know that 00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:46.279 our mother did all these things for all these 00:07:46.279 --> 00:07:48.800 different women until she unfortunately passed 00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:51.959 away. And all these women came to the Shiva and 00:07:51.959 --> 00:07:54.360 said, your mom helped me get out of an abusive 00:07:54.360 --> 00:07:57.439 relationship. Your mom helped me leave a dead 00:07:57.439 --> 00:07:59.939 end job and started a new job. She helped me 00:07:59.939 --> 00:08:03.060 start my own business. We had no idea because 00:08:03.060 --> 00:08:06.269 my mom did everything behind closed doors. Those 00:08:06.269 --> 00:08:08.389 things she didn't share with us because we were 00:08:08.389 --> 00:08:11.350 younger. And so I'm sure we wouldn't have grasped 00:08:11.350 --> 00:08:13.829 the concept. But when that happened, I was 29. 00:08:13.990 --> 00:08:17.449 My sister was only 26. So it definitely left 00:08:17.449 --> 00:08:20.550 a huge impression on both of us. That's really, 00:08:20.610 --> 00:08:22.949 really something. I'm excited for you to do this. 00:08:23.250 --> 00:08:28.449 What has to happen before? You've got a few years. 00:08:28.529 --> 00:08:30.290 So what is it that you want to accomplish in 00:08:30.290 --> 00:08:31.850 those few years before you actually do that? 00:08:31.850 --> 00:08:35.059 I have to buy a building. I have to have investors. 00:08:35.440 --> 00:08:38.480 I do have a few women that I've already picked 00:08:38.480 --> 00:08:41.360 out to help me. They don't know it yet, but they 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:47.299 will not have any other options. I just need 00:08:47.299 --> 00:08:50.279 to have more funds and more investors that will 00:08:50.279 --> 00:08:53.139 help me see that vision through. Thank you for 00:08:53.139 --> 00:08:55.139 being here today. I'm really happy that you tuned 00:08:55.139 --> 00:08:57.419 in to Vision Pros Live. I'm looking forward to 00:08:57.419 --> 00:09:00.720 seeing your reactions as these episodes continue 00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:02.480 to move forward. This is going to get more and 00:09:02.480 --> 00:09:04.519 more fun. We'll have more and more engagement 00:09:04.519 --> 00:09:06.620 as well. We'll invite people to participate in 00:09:06.620 --> 00:09:08.799 the show. And thank you for giving us your time 00:09:08.799 --> 00:09:11.059 and attention. Have an excellent time building 00:09:11.059 --> 00:09:13.419 out your vision and becoming a vision pro yourself.