Buckle up, my friend, because this story is going to be long and quite frankly, the most REAL and authentic I've ever been online – so far.

So, how did I get into real estate?

Long story short, after high school, I found myself at a crossroads, uncertain about my career path. Despite being a top student and earning the "Student of the Year" award in Grade 12, university or college didn't feel like the right fit for me. Thankfully, my parents supported my decision. But I'll admit, while in high school, I did toy with the idea of business school for marketing because I liked media arts and design. However, deep down, I really just wanted to open a café with my mom in my small town – but that's a story for another time.

Fast forward to my early twenties, I was on a journey of self-discovery, exploring various jobs to find my passion and what I liked. Then, one day, while scrolling through YouTube, I randomly stumbled upon a video by Graham Stephen. He talked about getting his real estate license young, and suddenly, it clicked – for one, I met all the minimum requirements to get my real estate license: over 18? Check. High school diploma? Double check. Real estate, here I come!

Thankfully, while studying for my real estate license, I had the blessed opportunity to work at a local real estate brokerage. Big shout out to Tina and Joe for being the real MVPs! It was there that I gained invaluable hands-on experience, learning the ins and outs of real estate administration and transactions from start to finish. And that experience likely played a huge role in my ability to pass both my real estate exams the FIRST TIME!

Come August 2020, I was officially licensed at 21, and all that was left to do was to hang my license at the brokerage where I was already working, right? Nope... What happened? Well, cue another YouTube rabbit hole after writing my final exam, and again, I randomly stumbled upon a video but this time, about eXp Realty. That my friend, single-handedly changed my entire trajectory, and I jumped ship almost immediately. Some might call us young people "reckless" and "impulsive," but trust me, I did my homework. After all, I did work at a traditional real estate brokerage for a year to know where that business model fell short and I knew eXp Realty ticked all the boxes (at least for me):

• advanced technology,

• better commission splits,

• stock awards,

• global referral network,

• and more!

Intuitively, it was a no-brainer decision: I either stick with my current brokerage and settle for a 60/40 commission split with no cap and stay local, or join eXp Realty with an 80/20 commission split with a $16,000 cap and go global. Now fun fact, I joined eXp Realty when we had roughly 30,000 agents and fast forward to today (as I write this) eXp Realty has surpassed 90,000 agents world-wide. Is that not freaking insane!!!

Anyways… I faced a monumental challenge in my first year of real estate. Ultimately, I was competing with industry veterans who had more experience than I had years on this earth. Regardless, I really needed to carve out my own niche and establish trust with potential clients (who for the most part were going to be older than me due to my town’s average age demographic). Oh and did I mention that when I finally was free as a bird and licensed as an official real estate agent, we were in the midst of a world-wide panini press! Obviously, it wasn’t the most ideal situation as I couldn’t be face to face with prospects but looking back, it was a blessing in disguise and in hindsight, vision is always 20/20.

With the current circumstances at hand, I embarked on a mission to educate the masses about the intricacies of home buying and selling via online platforms like YouTube and Instagram. And so, by creating engaging content, I showcased my in-depth knowledge of the market and the real estate transaction process. But little did I know that while attracting clients through my videos and social media content, behind the scenes, I was inadvertently catching the attention of fellow Real Estate Agents who were in awe of my innovative marketing strategies. Obviously, as you may know, Canva, my trusty sidekick, played a crucial role in my business and in my marketing practices. After all, as a newbie agent, I had to ball on a budget – or rather, I had no budget, which is why I deemed myself as a DIY agent. Yes, your girl even designed her own yard signs on Canva. BTW, that’s a pro tip as I only had to pay for the print of my signs at a local shop in my town.

This unexpected audience created immense demand and led me to create free YouTube tutorials about Canva for Real Estate Agents. It also inspired me to design and share my Canva and Notion templates, which I then began selling on Etsy. And if I am being honest, I love what I do now MORE than actually selling real estate… While my primary focus has currently shifted away from transactional real estate sales to keep up with the demand of my online content, I still actively maintain my real estate license with eXp Realty for referral commissions. If you know, you know. And if you want to know, I can tell you.

But if you ask me what my ultimate aspiration is... It’s to cultivate a thriving team within eXp Realty, all while fortifying my personal brand through content creation and template sales.

Admittedly, imposter syndrome occasionally rears its head, but I refuse to let self-doubt derail my ambitions. Of course, at times, I find myself questioning the value of what I share online. Am I being impractical for choosing this path over traditional real estate sales? Is creating video content on Canva and real estate marketing truly worthwhile, or am I merely spinning my wheels? Is this all worth the effort? Will I be successful? Heck, will this actually make me money as I really am choosing the penny over the dollar at this point. Is it crazy of me to believe that Real Estate Agents will watch my videos and eventually want to partner with me at eXp Realty? These doubts linger, especially given my youth and the fact that I don’t have a decade of real estate sales experience under my belt. It's also worth noting that much of what I share online and on my channel is a real-time documentation of my learning journey, where I absorb new information and then translate it into video format.

Nevertheless, there's this inner fire that reassures me that I'm on the right path that is nudging me to continue to expand my reach and impact through content creation and simply sharing what I know, as I know it. Also, I’m happy to report that my parents are very supportive of what I do and are pretty stoked that their daughter is a successful YouTuber lol. Overall, I hope that by sharing my story, you can understand my underlying concerns as I transitioned from a Real Estate Agent to an Entrepreneur/YouTuber/Etsy Shop Owner/Canva Ambassador – that happens to still be within the real estate industry. My goal is that as I continue to evolve and grow as an individual and entrepreneur, so too will the quality and impact of my content, as well as the growth of my team at eXp Realty. What can I say, your girl here has big hopes and even bigger dreams.

To those who have supported my journey – whether by watching my videos, leaving kind comments or messages, or investing in my templates – I extend my heartfelt gratitude and I wouldn’t be here without your support, encouragement and especially, YouTube watch time!

Ultimately, if you've read this far, this can only mean one thing… you like me and my story has intrigued or resonated with you somehow, and I invite you to connect with me. Above all, if you are seeking a supportive and creative business partner (cough x2, aka ME) and a vibrant community of other Real Estate Agents that are committed to real estate excellence and are actively designing their dream lifestyles, then let's make it happen, together! Let's elevate your real estate game, make your everlasting mark and create your legacy!

With that all said, thank you sooooooo much for reading till the very end and I hope to see you on the inside or in my next YouTube Video.

Until then, take care my friend!
– Laressa Ngoeun ♡