Real Voices Podcast

Today, we look back at our conversation with REALTOR®, Oswald Nkengurikiyimana. Starting off with a background in nursing school, Nkengurikiyimana began his real estate career after being inspired by a colleague who suggested the pathway.

In the episode, he examines how his experience as a refugee and desire to help others led him to a niche in real estate. He covers the differences between home-buying transactions in America versus East Africa and how it's important to educate others on the process.

"You have to be a hard worker already. I don't see it [real estate] as a job, I see it as improving people's lives."

Listen across a multitude of streaming services, including YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts - and learn more about his incredible journey!

Sandra Plaunt had two goals before she reached fifty: Move to Arizona, and start working in real estate. With hard work and dedication, Sandra made both of those dreams come true, and has been working with sellers and buyers in the Grand Canyon State for six years.

After working as a paralegal for real estate attorneys, she knew that the first few years as an agent can be tough, and she worked hard to save enough money so that she could focus on learning the industry and helping her clients find their dream homes.

A self-described “control freak”, Sandra admits that handing clients to other professionals can be nerve-wracking. Her solution? Building a team of real estate professionals she can trust utterly in forging genuine connections.

Learn more about Sandra on our latest episode of “Real Voices”! Listen on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Youtube!

Growing up in Northern Mexico, Amira loved creating dream homes for her dolls, but never knew she could help real people find their own dream homes.

Through work as a hairstylist and helping her husband build an auto business, Amira held on to her love of real estate, and eventually was able to get her real estate license and embark on the next chapter of her life.

For Amira, the best part of being a REALTOR® is seeing the joy in her clients when she hands them the keys to their new homes. Her natural compassion and urge to help can keep her clients spirits up even in this turbulent market.

“Don’t lose hope,” she tells them. “We’re going to find the right place.”

To learn more about Amira and her strategy of hope, listen to this episode of Real Voices on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Youtube!

Louis has worked with the Arizona Department of Real Estate for 10 years, and has become attuned to the unique challenges facing the Arizona real estate market, especially as the state experiences rapid growth. 

For Louis, his top priority is maintaining integrity in the Arizona real estate market, and making sure that everyone who calls into his office, agent or consumer, gets the help that they need and the answers they deserve. 

To learn more about Louis and the changes he sees coming to the 2022 housing market, listen to Real Voices on Apple Podcasts, Youtube, Google Podcasts and Spotify!

Some people predict that the advance of technology spells the end of the real estate agent. Todd Sumney thinks these people couldn’t be more wrong.

Todd sees technology as the real estate agent's greatest ally, connecting buyers, sellers and lenders in more efficient ways than ever before. He sees that realty has “gone more virtual and become more efficient,” especially in the past two years.

He also sees agents as more valuable than ever in an age of conflicting information about properties. “I see examples everyday of top REALTORS® helping their customers navigate the real estate process, and customers needing that.”

But for Todd, despite the advances in tech, the best tool of the trade is still connection. “There are plenty of agents who would be willing to help other agents. Just ask.”

To hear more from Todd, his best advice for agents in a rut, and what excites him most about 2022, tune in to this episode of Real Voices!

Growing up in the East African country of Burundi, REALTOR® Gloria Ndayishimiye had a yearning for independence and public service early on. Today, she’s on a mission to help her people gain the American dream of homeownership she herself cherishes so much.

When she came to America in 2015, she found both opportunities and hardships; overjoyed at being able to own a home as a woman (something almost unheard of in her native Burundi), she struggled through buying a house with no knowledge of English, relying only on her phone’s translator.

Gloria uses her own experiences to help her clients, many of whom are Burundian immigrants, navigate the sometimes complex world of homebuying and experience “the smiles and joy of buying a house.

Listen to this episode of Real Voices to learn more about Gloria’s journey from immigrant to inspiration!

In the latest episode of Real Voices Podcast from Equitable, we sit down with Mila Baird, REALTOR®.

Mila Baird hails from Ukraine, where her parents and grandparents built their family home from scratch. Seeing this happen when young, Mila says “I was always curious…and coming to the US enlightened me. Everyone here looks at how a home is staged but I would look for scratches, and how the plumbing was done.…”.

Mila, who speaks three languages, came to the US with no English language skills — “It was like starting as a baby,” she says. “It doesn’t matter which level you came from, you start everything from the beginning, just like building a house.”

As a newer agent, Mila discusses the market and short inventory, and the challenges faced in the current climate as well as entering into the industry with limited clientele. “If you don’t have any inventory on top of having no clients, that’s the hardest part.”

Find out more about Mila’s journey into real estate, her attitude, and gratitude from her upbringing on this week’s episode of Real Voices Podcast — find it on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube today!

In this episode of Real Voices Podcast, we take a look back on our interviews in 2021, and revisit the wisdom and wit our guests have had to offer.

2021 showed us that all roads can lead to realty. Our REALTORS® have been musicians, educators, and boat captains; some are natives to their communities, and some have come from as far as Iraq. While they may come from very different walks of life, they all share the love of real estate and community that has helped them make their careers a success.

As we look back on 2021, we hope that you’ll take the lessons our REALTORS® shared with us throughout the year to make 2022 your greatest year yet!

Listen across a multitude of streaming services including YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts, and relive 2021 with us!