Agent Spotlight: Jenna Richardson

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Every month is a month to celebrate women, but March is Women’s History Month so we’re taking an extra moment to bring you access to some great female minds in the industry. We were lucky enough to catch Jenna Richardson, a Charleston agent and real estate investor, to chat.

Jenna first came to Charleston, SC after graduating from Georgia Southern University with a bachelors in Health Science. She then went on to graduate school at the Medical University of South Carolina and took to the world—traveling to 22 countries across seven continents. She’s now based full-time in Charleston where she works for The Real Estate House International and lives with her husband, three sons, and a daughter. And our conversation starts with a great story about her daughter, Erin.

Q: Hi Jenna. Let’s begin with why do you think it's important to be a woman in the Real Estate industry?

A: For me, it’s about compassion, empathy, and setting an example for my daughter. The other night my daughter, Erin, built a fort and I asked her if she had paid her rent. She quickly responded "no, I own it." While I know she doesn't know the full details of what ownership means, I saw the mindset of an unstoppable, confident future engineer, builder, interior designer and, of course, Realtor. This industry has exposed myself and now my daughter to so many spaces where women have traditionally only been tolerated or accepted in doses.

Q: That story is amazing. You reference what the space has traditionally been. Are there challenges you face as a woman in the industry?

A: Finding my voice and showing up for myself. I don’t think of myself as a saleswoman, but I have a salesperson license to help others buy and sell real estate. That means I'm definitely in sales! Understanding how to sell myself to others while sustaining a balance of humility and confidence has been challenging and something I (and other women I know) work on every day.

Aside from being a realtor, I also renovate homes with two of my amazing girlfriends. We taught ourselves everything from the ground up, thanks to YouTube University. We have since reduced the amount of time we spend in homes physically doing work. But often we'll reach out to contractors for estimates and we are “mansplained" how something should be done. Sometimes we’ll receive a ridiculous estimate because they think we're oblivious to how something is done and how much it costs.

Q: That’s really frustrating. But what a great business to be building with your friends. Do you have recommendations for other women in the industry—especially if they’re new?

A: Find your tribe, your support system. Real estate is tough, especially in this market. We are responsible for guiding others through one of the most expensive transactions of their lives, and it's not always rainbows, sunshine, and ice cream. You will need a place to go to recharge, where others can fill your tank back up. I've been able to find this at my brokerage, in online communities, and in existing friendships.

Also always take the opportunities to learn and ask questions. The industry is forever changing and there's always something new for us to learn. We have to keep our skills sharp and that comes from learning, applying and repeating. For example, I was introduced to Ribbon by way of a lender. I thought it was interesting, but I had a ton of questions and was honestly very skeptical. Then it worked for a client and it's been a blessing for offers that would've been overlooked when they were put up against cash or offers without contingencies. There are so many problems out there and there are just as many solutions, but we as industry professionals have to understand both, so we can advise our clients as best we can.

Q: That’s really good advice. What's the best piece of advice you have gotten?

A: Protect your peace. Every client is not your client. Every deal, no matter how hard you try, is not meant to work. I can only serve my clients if I'm operating at my best, if someone or something is distracting from that, it has to go. That's a difficult decision to make when you are used to being the answer, but our health and sanity is of utmost importance to ourselves and our loved ones.

This has been so great, thank you Jenna.