In Austin, Texas the real estate market, although not perfect, still seems to be somewhat viable. There are many agents waiting for the market to turn around in a year or so to make a nice profit and there are others that are still working in the trenches making the best out of the current market.
Real estate agents are entrepreneurs to the core and it is interesting to learn what drives them to continue in a market based on interest rates and the economy. Ryan Campbell of Campbell Properties is one of the young agents making moves in the Austin real estate market. He is knowledgeable about the market and he has a clear strategy about how he wants to continue to grow his business. We were able to ask him the Liberate 10. Here is our interview with Ryan Campbell….
LM: What drives you?
RC: My driving force is the endless feeling of autonomy in my work and the ability to be my own boss. Having my actual name in my business name keeps my motivation to succeed very high as well.
LM: What experiences influenced your decision to start a business?
RC: I grew up hardly ever getting to spend time with my Father because he was always at work and trying to reach deadlines set for him by other people. I realized that this was not the life I wanted. If I can harness the power of modern day business technology to be able to work for myself mostly remotely, I consider that to be incredibly badass.
LM: What formal education and/or training do you have or had to get to start your business?
RC: Obviously, I obtained my real estate license. I attended University of Missouri-Columbia getting an undergrad degree in Finance and a minor in Sociology. I feel like both those studies have aided me greatly in my current real estate business. There’s a lot of finance involved, but moreover the job boils down to personal relationships and understanding people.
LM: How did you get started?
RC: I have a friend who moved to Austin in 04′ and got involved with a real estate company through people at his church. I moved down shortly thereafter in order to live in this awesome town (Austin) and join the real estate firm working for myself.
LM: How did you determine what product and or service to sell?
RC: I can’t lie; my initial draw to real estate was the potential money involved. It sounds cliché, but now I enjoy being in the business watching people’s dreams of home ownership become reality. I also felt like it was the easiest business to break into without a lot of capital, which I didn’t have.
LM: What lessons have you learned from your first years in business?
RC: I’ve learned entrepreneurship is mostly about attitude and schwagger. In the same token, you really need to stay educated, so you don’t get caught with your pants down. Also, if you put all the energy into your own business that you historically did into others, you’ll inevitably be a success and realize infinitely more satisfaction.
LM: Who were the primary influences in your life as it relates to being an entrepreneur?
RC: My good friend Ryan Jenkins (www.sellfortcollins.com) was/is my mentor in the real estate business. I also follow a variety of entrepreneur blogs which keep me up to speed on the type of thinking that enables this type of true success.
LM: What has been your biggest success?
RC: Oh gee… Being able to move to Austin on a whim and setting up my network in the short time I have been here would be my biggest personal success.
LM: What has been your biggest disappointment?
RC: I never tend to think in terms of disappointments. I believe everything happens for a reason and positive thinking keeps me in the right mindset to never be able to look at things in terms of failures or disappointments. I equate missed calls and temporary failure to lessons. When you’re an entrepreneur, you have to learn a lot the hard way, by experience.
LM: What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs?
RC: Obviously, you have to know what drives you. You have to realize the freedom that working for yourself provides. You MUST love your chosen career. You must be hungry for life. And you must come to love discipline through daily constructive habits and will power.
