Empowering Women in Real Estate

Paula: [00:00:00] Hello, everyone. And welcome to another episode of Chatting with the Experts TV show with me, Paula Okonneh, where I speak with women, mainly from Africa, the Caribbean and the diaspora, wherever else they may be. And typically these women are professionals or business owners who have something to share with my audience, my listening audience, my viewing audience, and which at the end, the takeaway would be women or men, because we have had some men join us, would be inspired by what they heard, empowered, motivated, but best of all would go away different from when they joined the show.
Today’s episode is called a Chat With Your Builder, Best Friend, Joy Farley. And we ask [00:01:00] that you join us as we delve into the empower, I can’t speak today, empowering realm of women in real estate. And we’ve talked also about the transformative power of collaboration. We’ll also explore how women are shaping the future of the end of industry by fostering innovation and by driving positive change.
I’ll tell you a little bit about Joy, Joy Farley. She’s a real estate broker in Charlotte, North Carolina, and she specializes in new home constructions and sales. She’s passionate for building both communities and people, and is affectionately known as the Friend Collector. But you know, I can only tell you so much about her. Why don’t I do this? Why don’t I welcome her to Chatting with the Experts so she can talk to you? [00:02:00] More about what she does and why she’s here on the show. So welcome Joy to chatting with the experts.
Joy: Thank you Paula. I’m so excited to be here.
Paula: Absolutely. I’m sure you heard some of what I said about you, but of course, I’ll
Joy: pay you later for the kind words.
Paula: Kind but true words.
Joy: I only hope.
Paula: What did I leave out? Because you, I mean I’ve known you for so many years. And I’ve watched you grow and I’ve watched you become this beautiful, Christ filled young lady. And there’s so much more to you than what I said. So continue the description, continue talking about you.
Joy: I love it. Well, first of all, it’s amazing how you can take relationships that you built or fostered years and years ago. I think when we were chatting before we started recording was, [00:03:00] Oh my gosh, are you like 23 now? I’m like, Oh my gosh, I’ll be 35 in October. So it’s amazing how time really does fly by when you’re loving what you do and who you do it for. And a little backstory, I guess, a little about me originally from Charlotte, North Carolina. So East coast USA. I have 6 siblings, which is insane. So 1 of 7, never a dull moment at our house. We’re all involved in so many different things. My parents always said as long as legal will support you 150 percent and they sure have.
I have been in real estate here in Charlotte for almost 13 years right after college is what I kind of jumped into. And it’s really amazing how the right things always find you. I majored in psychology at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, you know, always thought that I was going to be Dr Farley 1 day. That was my passion, clinical psychology. And I got to my senior year, and I was like, this is really not what I want to do. I was crunching statistical analysis in the lab one day. It [00:04:00] was a research assistant for 1 of my professors. And I was like, you know, like, I think I’m too fun for this. That was my original thought.
Like, here I am crunching statistics in a lab coat. And I’ve always just loved people, you know, like, I always was that friend that he wanted to come to and tell all of their life stories and looking for advice and all those different things. And I was having like, this crisis of like, oh, my gosh, like, I thought that I was going to graduate, you know, get my PhD grad school, 10 more years of school. And I’m finding myself like having questions of like, I don’t know if this is really what I want to do long term. Well, I went in a different direction, thought the job that I had lined up, you know, three weeks before I graduated was going to be like, you know, a hit and it falls through. Literally three weeks before I graduated from college, given I put myself through school.
I just paid my student loans off recently, so I’m feeling free as a bird. [00:05:00] Yay. And I knew in my heart of hearts that like something was going to work out for me and that it wasn’t my job to like, push the door in. Well, I get a text message from a great family friend of ours. His name is Dan Horner. He was 1 of the owners of 1 of the biggest builders here in Charlotte called Through Homes and he texted me seemingly out of the blue. Right? I don’t believe in accidents. I don’t believe in just serendipity or coincidence, but I didn’t even have Dan’s number. So I get this text message on my phone that didn’t even have, like, the Internet. You know, this is long before IPhones and online.
Paula: Wow.
Joy: And he said, hey, Joy, I picked your graduation party invitation off the kitchen counter and it dawned on me that our company is hiring. And I think there’s a sales position. I think you’d be a great fit for my call me. And I kind of sat back and I was like, that my parents have never owned a home. I knew nothing about real estate. I knew nothing about construction. I knew nothing about sales. [00:06:00] I’d never sold like a big pin to anybody, you know, so. And here you have the owner of this company reaching out to me saying, Hey I’ve been watching you for years and you put your personality with any product or service and it’s just going to turn into something like magical.
And it also reminds me sometimes, like, when people see things in you that you don’t see in yourself to trust it the 1st time. And so I picked up the phone and I was like, Hey Dan, like, what’s, you know, catch me up. All the things that I know that I’m totally unqualified for. That don’t fit any of the descriptions of probably what you’re looking for. And he’s like, no, no, no, you have whatever that thing is called, it, that you cannot teach anybody. And You have it so I was naive graduating from college thinking that, hey, I graduated with honors and thought I’m so smart. And told him that I really didn’t want just to be handed a job. And I wanted to go through the whole interview process, just like everybody else and looking back.
I’m like, I wish I could have been like, well, who do I [00:07:00] know? Not what do I know? The thing is, you learn over time, right? It’s like, who do I know that I could. And I look back at that moment in my life and said, Hey, like, I’m so grateful, you know, in some senses that I stuck to my guns. I’d never been handed anything. I wanted to earn it and I wanted to be a great member of the team, but I also didn’t want it to be just handed a job because I knew one of the owners. Right. And I sure did. I was like, okay, like. I’ve been one to take leaps of faith really my whole life. And I think looking back, I’m like, I can’t believe I ever said yes, because I really was the most unqualified and didn’t have any experience.
But sometimes in those moments, like, you can learn anything. You can be taught anything. If you have an open mind to learn, then really the sky is the limit. And so that was really the start of how I got into real estate. It really was just my steps being ordered. And I feel like that has been the same favor that has chased me down my entire [00:08:00] career. I’ve worked for other builders here in Charlotte. I’m on a new adventure now, kind of going off on my own in a new direction with a partner of mine to be able to serve people at a high level, but include everybody. Really new homes is my passion and maybe it’s like the new car smell, the new house smell.
I really just love the process more than anything. It’s like, 1 day you’re standing in dirt, you know, some huge neighborhood that just looks like a vast wasteland of mud. And then every conversation one day at a time, like you’re starting to like meet new people and those empty home sites that were just dirt in your eyes or someone else driving by his eyes. I’m like, this is going to be the most precious place on earth to anybody. You know, they get to come here and make memories and, you know, start their families here and celebrate big events here. And there’s nothing more special than home. And so being able to have done [00:09:00] that over these years, I could drive through neighborhoods in Charlotte, and I’m like, oh, my gosh, there’s a 1000. There’s a 1000. Oh, my gosh, you’re going to college. Like, how did that happen? So fast? And it really is just loving people, knowing your stuff and serving people at a high level. And that’s really all real estate is. It’s connecting great people with great things that they have told you that they and it has been a wild ride and there’s so much goodness, I think, waiting for us up ahead to, so don’t look for the big thing.
I think the biggest thing for me has, it’s not about the grand gestures and, oh, my gosh, I worked so hard to land an amazing career because I’ve had an amazing career. But it was a text message that changed the complete trajectory of my life. So for those that are like, Hey, you never know what might pop up. And sometimes it’s not our job to kick the door in. It’s for the right things to find you. But to show up as like your full self and to be who you are, that people [00:10:00] take note of those things. And then you’re like, Oh, maybe there’s an opportunity or something that they see in you that maybe you didn’t see in yourself. And it might just be the very thing that you need to really change your life.
Paula: I love it, Joy. I love that because you are showing, you said something that’s really significant. You said it showed me that text message and where you are today showed you that your steps are ordered by the Lord, because I know you’re a Christian. So that’s why I’m saying that your steps are indeed ordered by Him. And so now you, I mean, your plan was, as you said, to be Dr. Joy Farley,
Joy: Dr. Farley,
Paula: Dr. Farley. And here you are now, you’re a very successful real estate broker in Charlotte, North Carolina, which is one of the fastest growing cities in the US. So, and I have watched you grow. But tell me, I mean, you talked about being 13 years in the business. What have you learned from those 13 years in the [00:11:00] business, apart from, as you said the joy, and I’m playing on your word, intention, your name, intentionality, the joy of seeing like a dirt field become homes where lives are changed, lives are started, and you see them, as you said, seeing some of these kids going off into college, and you knew when they were toddlers or they weren’t even born yet, and their parents bought that plot of land and built that home that you were a part of. So tell me what you’ve learned in the past 13 years.
Joy: It’s like when you put things into perspective of how fast time goes. You don’t even sometimes realize it until you zoom out and you say, Oh my goodness, I can’t believe how much I have changed. You know, I think you run into the right people and you have a lot of great experiences and you have some wins, you know, but you also look at how much you have grown and how much you have changed. If you would have asked me even a year ago, if I [00:12:00] would be doing, you know, what I’m doing now, I would have laughed in your face, maybe even six months ago. You know, so much has changed in so many amazing ways, but I feel like. The biggest thing for me is the personal growth, the confidence that has come from managing multi, multi, multi million dollars of business in a year’s time.
If you could zoom out and say, oh, my goodness whether you own a business or you’re in a business, maybe you’re selling something for someone else’s business. And you look at those big numbers. And you wonder how in the world did you do that? And I remember when I first got in this business, people were like, how’s the market and how are things going? And I always was kind of like downplaying the fact like, oh, things are good when I was crushing it, you know, I’ve always kind of felt like one, I’m not a small person. I’m six one flat footed and I always usually have heels on. So, I really spent most of my life just kind of like, making everybody feel [00:13:00] comfortable around me, you know, oh, you’re so tall.
Do you play basketball? Do you do this? Do you do that? I’m like, I just want to be myself. You know, I want to fully show up in that way, but I remember playing the small game of, oh, no, things are really good. Like, just like, can I keep it moving? Kind of like brush over the fact that, no, I was, you know, doing very well.
And I was selling a ton of homes and I was serving a lot of people. I think I look at sales as service and it’s never been a transactional like cool. Well, you just close off to the next thing. And, you know, I feel like in my experience, it’s been not just sales, but it’s been more project management. It’s been able to handle a whole lot of things at the same time. So maybe I sold a home today, or maybe I sold two homes today. Well, that gets added to my backlog of people that I’ve already sold into managing, you know, the process from start to finish until you get your keys. It’s like, Hey, you walk in my door. It’s like, hi, my name is to, you know, it could be [00:14:00] six to eight months. Or I mean, during the pandemic, it was even more than that dealing with, you know, one build. And then you multiply that by however many sales you might have. And so you’re managing a lot of people. You’re managing a lot of expectations and you’re managing a lot of money.
And when you realize that buying a home is everyone’s biggest investment, I don’t care if you’re buying a house. That’s 150, 000 dollars or 1.5 million dollars. It’s still the most precious thing to you, because it’s your largest purchase you’ll ever make. And so I used to feel like 1, maybe I was too young, you know, that always came up because I got in this business that I think 2022 and so I was working with doctors and lawyers and, you know, C suite executives. They never asked me how old I was because they just trusted that like, I knew my stuff and I took care of them at a high level, you know, so maybe you’re thinking, oh, my gosh, I’m too young or I’m too much or I’m not enough or whatever. But the right people always find… have always found me. [00:15:00] The confidence that grows with experience and then being able to manage people’s money expectations and using your expertise to do so. So I think my background in psychology has paid me well.
Paula: I’ll say that. Yes.
Joy: Relating to people and dealing with you know, not just things that come up with your real estate transaction, but, you know, my clients over the years have really just become friends. People told me, “My entire career, Joy, you never were our salesperson. You just became our family friend”. And that means something to me. We’re very much so in a referral based business, where if you had a great experience and you’re like, oh, my gosh, I would love to work with her. We had a great time and you know, it was never transactional. It’s like, Hey, like, let me know when I can come to your baby shower or your housewarming or the cookout or whatever you got going on. We’re just now friends. I just don’t happen to have sold you your home. But it is amazing [00:16:00] how personal growth and development really does change your career.
Because not only have I been able to solve a lot of problems, you know, you realize that there’s so many things that can and do go wrong in construction. That’s just the name of the game. Whether things that are outside of control municipalities and permanent, you just could name a million things that could possibly go wrong and how you are not shaken by any of it because the confidence that you have is saying, hey, you might not build a home every day. Follow up, but what I do know is that I do, and I see this process play out time and time again, and it’s going to be okay. Being able to assure and reassure people that not if things go wrong, but when they go wrong, that you will be the steady hand for them.
And I used to give people an analogy, like, when we were putting their contracts together of, it’s kind of like, going on a trip and flying in turbulence, you know, the pilot is not like bothered by the fact that you just hit a couple bumps, [00:17:00] like this is normal part of flying. And so I think the reassurance that we hear when we are on flights that feel a little bit more shaky and unsettling is that the pilot comes over the intercom and it’s like, hello, passengers. Hope you’re having a lovely day. We’re experiencing a little turbulence, so we’re going to reduce our flying altitude to whatever, like, thanks for flying American or Delta or whoever your favorite airline is, right? And it gives you some reassurance that, like, I’m not going to die. This is normal part of flying and the reassurance that we’re going to land safely at our final destination.
And so being able to just, I’ve kind of grown up, like, I went from college straight into having like a very high pressure, high stakes, kind of career where a lot of my friends in their twenties pride, a whole bunch of things and, you know, decide they didn’t like that. So they’re going to pick up something new and decide they didn’t like that. So they were going to go back to school or whatever. And I feel like I’ve had the same you know, [00:18:00] trajectory of growth in the same industry, but the biggest thing for me is I’ve just loved people the entire time. And I think, again, when you know your stuff and you serve people at a high level, you’ll never worry about being successful. And so I’ve kind of taken my hands off the wheel in a lot of instances recently. Of simply saying, you know, what, like, I’m confident in knowing that who I am and what I bring to the table is already enough. I have the credentials. I have the knowledge and expertise of this business that I just love serving people in the biggest transaction of their life and being able to walk with people where they are.
And I realized time and time again, over these years that not everybody buys a home or sells a home for happy reasons. You know, I think we assume, Oh, I’m moving. Yay. I’ve had clients over the years who have lost spouses unexpectedly or are downsizing because they’re [00:19:00] now empty nesters and just like really touchy moments where you’re like, maybe moving isn’t always a happy joyous occasion for everybody. But to be able to walk through those moments in those seasons like hand in hand with people who realize that or who have told me oh my gosh Do I cannot believe that one? This is my life. I never expected for you know, my husband to pass unexpectedly and here I am having to sell and buy a new home by myself or the happy moments too of, Oh my gosh, like we’re expecting, don’t tell anybody. Like we haven’t even told our parents, like you’re telling me first, like what the heck?
So it’s been just kind of this ebb and flow of being able to just like walk it out with people as I’ve grown in you know, being able to handle conflict and, you know, controversy and you know, the highs and the lows of just this human existence that we find ourselves in. And so sometimes I’m, yeah, I can help you buy a house, but at the same time, it’s like, I can also be your confidant and I can also be a friend [00:20:00] and before, you know, it I don’t really say strangers. Stay a stranger for and with many people. That’s why everyone calls me the friend collector. I think I get it from my mom. And that’s, you could probably attest to that ’cause you know, my mom.
Paula: Yes, I do.
Joy: You don’t really say stranger. Very, I’m pretty sure my mom has sounded like her best friends in life, like standing in the line at the grocery store, like, you know, in the bathroom or wherever, you know, you might find for Linda. But it’s being able to just stay curious and ask questions and get to know people on a genuine level. And, oh, by the way, like, you know, let’s buy a house and have a time of fun.
Paula: But talking about that, you know, buying a house, ask questions, and so on. A quick question I know everyone is probably wondering, so what’s the trend now? Because, you know, we keep hearing about high interest rates, you know, to buy a home, it’s hard for first time buyers. Yeah, let’s talk about that.
Joy: Because the crazy thing sometimes is [00:21:00] we have seen, at least in Charlotte, because like you said earlier, Charlotte is the fastest growing market in the country. There was a huge study. I think last year that Zillow did on, you know, the most desirable places to live in the country and Charlotte was like, number one. I think COVID changed the landscape of why and where people move based on not being tied to a specific location or a desk with remote work which has been awesome. You know, if you could keep your California or New York, Maryland kind of salary and move to Charlotte and have a whole lot more life and flexibility, you know, in terms of your cost of living. But I feel like 1, of course, we are in an election year. So a lot of things feel very like, we’ll see what happens after November.
But we’ve seen interest rates consistently drop. And I think some people have been on the fence of saying, okay, we’re going to [00:22:00] wait for interest rates to drop and then we’re going to, you know, make a move. But the thing that most people don’t realize is that your rate is variable, right? You could be in a rate now and then interest rates drop and you can always reside. You never get to pick your sales price. And I think most people don’t realize that. Okay, cool. I can have a sales price here and an interest rate here. And okay, well, interest rates dropped, and that’s going to drop my monthly payment. But if I stay in this house, or if I wait to buy for 6 more months or another year, the price has gone up regardless of what the interest rate was. So, I’ve seen time and time again, I mean, this time last year. Some of my investor clients, their interest rates were like pushing 9%.
And people were freaking out because when I first got in this business, you know, interest rates were like 3 percent or below. And that’s what people just got used to. And that’s what everybody was buying around. And then, you know, we saw during COVID how it started to kind [00:23:00] of creep up and then, oh my gosh, for first time home buyers who have been purchasing homes over the past year or two to see. Interest rates in the fives and the sixes in the sevens for a primary home has been mind blowing. But then you talk to people who bought a home in the eighties or nineties and you’re like, Oh, like, y’all are crying about, you know, five, 6 percent interest rates when I bought my first home, you know, interest rates were like 17 percent or whatever. But I can’t stress enough that. There are so many programs, there’s money out there for 1st time home buyers, whether it’s down payment assistance, you can get a gift, you can get gift funds.
There’s so many ways that you can put things together to make magic happen. And sometimes it’s having someone who’s like, hey, maybe I did things differently in this transaction that I did with this transaction or, hey, in the past, I’ve used this resource or that resource, or maybe you’re working with a lender who has different programs or access to money that you can really utilize, [00:24:00] or maybe you’re selling a home and you’ve got more money to put down on something that completely changes the game. So I’m seeing that interest rates are coming down, which is giving buyers in the market, more confidence to move forward. Whereas real estate is a game of risk. We all know that, you know, just like the stock market, you could be like, cool. I bought stock in Apple or whatever Tesla stock or fill in the blank and made a ton of money because they were willing to like take the risk.
And they also got the biggest rewards. Real estate, there’s nothing different to be like, Hey, like, I got in a great neighborhood on the beginning and the equity that I was able to build by doing nothing other than like, riding the wave of the market, or maybe bought a new community where the builder is raising the price incrementally and you’re like, okay, well, now my house is worth more than what I paid for it. And I didn’t have to do anything other than hey, my monthly mortgage, get the equity. So there’s a lot of ways you can play that, but I [00:25:00] think right now the trend is, I think more and more people are jumping into the market because they know that if they wait, it will cost them more later to wait and if interest rates are coming down.
And people are feeling more confident about, you know, where the world is going and there’s new neighborhoods popping up around Charlotte every single day. So, maybe you’re looking, you’re targeting a specific location, or, you know, you want a specific type of home. We saw really since the pandemic, because the cost of land and development is so high in Charlotte that you’re seeing more and more suburban townhomes coming into play. Where you used to see, you know, single family homes everywhere. Or that was kind of like, your only option and now you’re seeing townhomes like, what are they calling it now? It’s technically a duplex, but I think they’ve rebranded it and called it something else a duet. I think that’s what they’re calling it a duet.
You [00:26:00] know, it’s like a luxury duplex, you know, you talk about, like, multifamily where it’s like, hey, like, you might have one side, you know, the one home and, but they’re connected kind of like, the town home. There’s only two, you see them all in South park but they’re calling them duets. And so maybe you’re like, Hey, maybe I want to spend more, but I want a luxury situation that’s not a single family home. You know? So I think the buyer right now who are buying homes are millennials, Gen Z, you know, everyone’s kind of getting to the place. They’re like, Hey, I’m in my late twenties, thirties, whatever. They want to buy something, but maybe they don’t want the upkeep and maintenance of a single family home, you know, they want you to upkeep salon and, you know, have the HOA cover everything on the exterior.
So they can just come home and live life versus maintaining some big house, they don’t need, you know, space wise, but they also don’t want to be upkeep and maintenance. So, it really just depends on what are your preferences? How do you want your lifestyle to look? Maybe you love doing lawn work and landscaping [00:27:00] and gardening. Maybe that’s your jam, but maybe you’re like, have a high pressure job and don’t have time to be spending all of your time on the weekend to, you know, dedicating do those things. And so it really just depends on, Hey, what speaks to you? What are the things that you want?
What are the things you don’t want? What are your non negotiables? And then having a professional who can say, hey, based on X, Y, Z, and Q, and where you are financially where you want to be location wise. And the whole financing, you know, piece of the puzzle and bringing those things together. Also gives people the confidence to say, hey, I’ve been here. I’ve seen this. And if anything that we’ve learned from the pandemic that there’s been nothing but interest rates and pricing going in the wrong direction at the same time. So now that we’re kind of seeing. You know, a little bit of little cool off when it comes to the interest rate, then I think he’s like, okay, well, if the interest rate comes down, my buying power goes up and I’m able to buy more [00:28:00] home, you know, for grace.
Paula: So that brings it to a question, because can you believe it? We’ve been talking for over almost 30 minutes.
Joy: Stop it.
Paula: When we’re having fun. So, if there were like two resources that you could share with my listeners, let’s say you’re a first time buyer or you’re a first time seller, just give us a resource for a first time buyer that you can help because you said there are many options that we can use. ‘Cause I was one of those who was the first time by after my husband passed away. The first time I was like, wow, I got to buy a house by myself.
Joy: What do I do?
Paula: That’s it. Yeah. So first time buyer and the first time seller too, because then it was also, and I have to sell a house by myself.
Joy: Right.
Paula: Resources.
Joy: I always say like, there’s a quote out. I think it might’ve come from, it might be Tony Robbins, but he says our greatest resource is resourcefulness. And I think part of that is using who’s [00:29:00] already in your circle, you know, to lean on the trusted people that you have in your life. You’re like, oh, my gosh, like, I had a great experience with so. And you know, I could definitely give you a warm introduction or a handoff or a message or a group text or something saying, hey, like, my friends looking to buy or sell and you’re my go to person because I’ve had experience with you and I know what I’m going to get. Right? So I think some people are just trying to reinvent the wheel by like, oh, my gosh, I don’t know where to start.
It’s like, well, who do you know when you’re in your circle or maybe in your neighborhood or a friend of a friend that’s in this business who you can lean on and say, Hey I’ve got a friend looking for X, Y, and Z. Like, who do you know? That’s been the greatest resource for me on the other side of when my son rings and someone’s like, Hey, I got your number from, you know, so and so. And You know, they said they had a great experience and would love to set up an appointment where we can, you know, talk more. I think buyers in this day [00:30:00] and age have so many more resources available to you by simply having things like, Oh, the internet, you’ve got, you know, the realtor. com. You could literally Google anything. You could put keywords into Google and say, Hey, I’m looking for a new home in this area, maybe this zip code.
And bam, you’ve got like the world at your fingertips. I think people don’t realize the power of social media. I know, like I’m a millennial and everyone’s kind of like, Oh, social media. Like people aren’t, people aren’t finding good resources online. It’s amazing either the things that you can learn, the things that can inspire you, the things that can help you grow and also friends, business connections, life hacks, you name it.
You can find on Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn. It’s just incredible. The resources that most buyers and sellers now have in the market and simply, I think more than anything, it is [00:31:00] finding that person that can kind of guide you through the process and then be like, okay, well, maybe I can do some research on my own. And it’s almost like, when I used to work with buyers who would come to my office. I would already have assumed that they have looked at our website that they have looked at certain floor plans that they had already done their research, because that’s just how the world’s working right now. And by the time you walk in my door, we’re just confirming that, you know, what you saw online is what feels right in person. Just like, if you’re going to go buy a car or any kind of big purchase, okay, I’m going to go do my research.
I’m going to look at the dealership. I’m going to, you know, see if they have the style, the color, the right leather. Do you have the, you know, these type of wheels? And then if I actually show up at the dealership and want to go test drive it, then it’s an easy yes. Right? Because I’ve already taken some of the ownership on me. That here’s what I want. Here’s I want to pay. Here’s kind of where I want to stay at around [00:32:00] comfortably. And then by the time I walk into your office, it probably is just confirming those things. Well, when buying a home, I don’t really assume anything other than that these days, because buyers and someone have so many resources at their fingertips where, you know, back in the day, it was like, I had to have an agent to kind of tell you everything because you didn’t have the access. It was like, well, if you weren’t a part of the multiple listing service, you didn’t know what was on the market versus doing a little clickety clackety on your own and feeling empowered as the buyer, you know, specifically I will work with buyers. That’s kind of my jam, but I just assume that your buyers know what they want. They know where they need to be affordability wise…
Paula: I would put my hand up and say that there are people who I know who are afraid to do all these things that you’re talking about because they’re older, they’re afraid of technology, and the word social media is like a bad word.
Joy: [00:33:00] Yeah.
Paula: So what would you say to people who are like that?
Joy: I feel like it’s never too late to start something new. I talk to my mom sometimes, she’s like, I’m not retired, I’m re-fired. Where…
Paula: Say that again?
Joy: She said, I’m tired. I’m re-fired.
Paula: Oh ok.
Joy: I’m about learning something new. Put me in situations where maybe I do something different than I used to do. And I feel like, yes, it could be overwhelming to some, but I feel like if you have an open mind to learn something new. I hope to be a lifelong learner. I hope that I never know it all or I’m the smartest person in the room. Like there’s so many ways to know and to grow in any area. You can pick anything, but maybe you’re interested in. You know, gardening or you’re interested in learning a new skill, like the vastness of social media can teach you those [00:34:00] things for free. When you used to have to like go to a conference and pay a bunch of money to learn something and you know, have to pay an expert how to, you know, go from A to Z in something new, you can watch YouTube for free.
You can, you know, lean into any new experience at the click of a button. And I would say if you’re that person who’s like, Oh my gosh, social media is really overwhelming. I don’t, you know, where to start. I would say, lean on your resources of who’s in your circle. And maybe it’s just finding the right person who would say, Hey, Paula, don’t even worry about any of that stuff. That if that’s going to be overwhelming to you, let me handle that. ‘Cause that is where I thrive, you know, so leaning on the people that are the expert that know what they’re talking about. They know the areas they know those kinds of things to say, hey, like, if that’s not your area of expertise, then that’s what I do every single day.
Lean on me or lean on someone, you know, someone that you trust, obviously it’s a big [00:35:00] purchase and it’s a big commitment, but it’s like lean on your resources to know what you’re looking for, can listen intently and show you the things that fit your criteria. I feel like that’s one of the biggest frustrations for some buyers and sellers is that like my agent didn’t like give me my whole scope of what I could do and or didn’t show me the things that I asked for. So, if you’re like, hey, I want to have a bedroom downstairs or I want to have a patio or I want… you know, you’re not going to get obviously everything, you know, buying a home sometimes is a series of trade offs.
Unless you’re building something and then it’s like, okay, you might have a little bit more flexibility, but to have someone who can listen. And say, okay, based on the things that you shared with me, I vote, we look at this, this and this, and then make it a fun experience, you know, with any big purchase. You’re like, I want to have an experience. I don’t want to buy something. I want to like you know, really be shown things that I asked for that are going to [00:36:00] be something that I could purchase and then having someone who can guide you. You know, along the way to make it a really smooth transition.
Paula: I love that. So to summarize, whatever you are in that journey, if you’re well… let me backtrack, if you’re not comfortable with the online resources, look into your own circle of influence, look for someone who you feel you can rely on, and maybe they can help guide you to the person that will help you. Because buying a home, as you said at the beginning, is a very big responsibility.
Joy: Yeah.
Paula: Big investment. And, if nothing else, after listening to this program, falln Joy, because as she said, she’s a friend collector. She’s more than a real estate broker. She can help walk you and through this very, very important process and guide you, right?
Joy: Sounds like a plan to me. [00:37:00]
Paula: Where can people find you online? I mean, I’ve told them that they, after listening to this, they could get in touch with you. How would they get in touch with you, Joy?
Joy: I’m actually really easy to find online. I’m sure on all of the social handles, it’s Jump for Pure Joy. On Instagram and TikTok, you can find me on LinkedIn. So I love good professional connections and sometimes it’s the professional connections that you have to say, hey, you know, maybe you have a high power job and you don’t have the time to go be doing a whole bunch of running around and research and, you know, whatever. To find someone who’s like, hey, who’s in your city, who’s in your area, who you’re like, hey, I feel like we’re kind of, in similar spaces in life. Like, let me reach out to somebody who might have the time component where you might be busy doing other things that someone else can be doing all of the behind the scenes research.
And so when you do have a moment in time where you’re like, cool, let’s go look at it. And all the research [00:38:00] and behind the scenes have already been handled, which takes off of your plate which is fantastic. You’re on my plate off my plate. I learned that in my 1st job out of college. We had an ethos of like, Hey, on my plate off my plate. How can I get the things that are on my plate off my plate the fastest and the most efficiently with the highest level of excellence. It helps you keep your mental real clear too. Like if it’s on my plate, what do I need to do to get it off?
Paula: Love it.
Joy: And then I would say secondarily to that you also have so LinkedIn, Instagram, those are both Oh, LinkedIn is just Joy Farley and then Instagram, TikTok our Jump for Pure Joy and also on Facebook. So, however, wherever, wherever you like to hang out, I probably spend the most time on Instagram have the biggest kind of community there, but I feel like that’s just how you can make friends these days to by simply being open. And I think, you know, you can collect friends, however you want. I’m not the [00:39:00] original friend collector, that’s for sure.
But sometimes if you’re out and about and you just connect with people and you’re like, Hey, like what’s your Instagram or are you on TikTok? Are you on, you know, Facebook, Instagram right now is kind of the place where most people are hanging out, but depending on where you enjoy hanging out, maybe you’re more of a Facebook kind of person or LinkedIn but you can find me on all of the different platforms and always looking to connect.
Paula: Lovely, lovely, lovely. And for those of you, first and foremost, who didn’t enjoy this? This was so educational. Wow. And so, to my listeners and viewers, if you would love to watch another program or to connect with me to be a guest on the show, please reach out to me on either on my website, which is chattingwiththeexperts.com. You can find me on LinkedIn. I hang out a lot on LinkedIn. Just look for Paula Okonneh there. I’m also on Instagram. My handle there is at [00:40:00] chat_experts_podcast. I also have a personal Instagram, which is just at Paula Okonneh, or you can reach me on Facebook. Again, Paula Okonneh there. Joy, thank you so much for everything. I have taken some notes. I’m not planning on buying a new house now, but I know lots of our audience, lots of our guests, lots of our viewers would have learned so much that they’re going to be hitting you up. So, Facebook, LinkedIn, and I think, oh
Joy: TikTok, Instagram, it’s just Jump For Pure Joy, or you can just type in Joy Farley and it’ll pop up one of the way, one of one way or the other, easy to find.
Paula: I love it. Thank you again for being a guest on Chatting With The Experts.
Joy: Thanks for having me on.
Paula: Thank you.