Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Ray.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Growing up, I was always brainstorming business ideas, making big plans, and coming up with innovative ways to improve anything I thought could be done better. Fast forward past lemonade stands, a theatre company, an eBay store, and plenty of business ideas that never saw the light of day, to 2009. I found myself in working three jobs and going to school — and then I found sales.
School quickly became a thing of the past, as I found myself making more money and gaining more experience without it. My sales job was in retirement living, which suited me quite well. Seniors have always held a special place in my heart. For 8+ years, I honed the skills of learning how to read people, solve their problems, and figure out what they needed when things were too stressful for them to articulate it. I became the top salesperson in my company and was asked to take on a travel position to train other salespeople.
Even with my success, I couldn’t shake the desire to become a business owner. I felt like something was missing.
In 2016, I finally took the plunge to get my real estate license. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into, but as much of a roller coaster as that first year was, by the end of it, I won “Rookie of the Year.” I owe a lot of that success to several realtors who gave me solid advice, didn’t crush my spirit (even as naive as I was!), and gave me tangible solutions when I was struggling.
After I got the hang of things, doing well in real estate wasn’t enough for me. The last couple of years I have been focused on branding myself, innovate to create better processes and experiences for my clients, and building a real estate team.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Definitely anything but “smooth.”
When I was young, I felt like an adult in a child’s body. I was always trying to prove that I deserved to be taken seriously, only to be called “cute” or laughed at by adults who didn’t know what to do my outrageously big ideas and my ambitious spirit. For the record, I don’t blame them — I was an intense kid! I have since lightened up and learned how to have fun. 😉
When I first started in sales, I didn’t have any formal training, so I struggled daily to figure out how to become better. I doubted myself constantly. The only thing I didn’t doubt was that I cared about these elderly people and that they deserved help and compassion. So, that’s how I showed up. Eventually, after YEARS of learning from trial and error, I developed valuable skills that I still use in my business today.
I have dealt with some of the most challenging situations, both personally and professionally, since becoming a business owner. Every single day, it has been a stressful, painful process. But I have also experienced the most growth. I am a vastly different person from who I was a few years ago.
As a culture, we love hearing success stories, but we often ignore the path that helped them get there.
It is so important to pay attention to that journey because that is what will remind you to stay on track when it feels too hard to keep going.
The challenges are what provide the growth you need to get to your next step. Without the struggles, you won’t be the person you need to be to get to the next part of your story.
One of the things that keeps me going when things are tough is thinking of my life as just that– a story.
This obstacle is just another part of my story, so what do I need to learn from this to help me get to the next chapter?
We’d love to hear more about Anna Ray Team.
I have a real estate team — “Anna Ray Team” and I have partnered with Keller Williams as my broker. I am focused on building a team of great people to help support my vision of a more professional way to do real estate. It is so important to me that we are not mediocre– I am not willing to settle for anything less than clients who are raving fans, so we base everything we do around that goal.
Over the last couple of years, I have become a front runner for creative video content in real estate in Dallas. I love creating entertaining content for listing videos, promo videos for branding/marketing, educational content, events, etc.
At the beginning of this year, I produced an HGTV style web series on relocating to different cities within the metroplex. I wanted to showcase what I was already doing so people could see what sets me apart. I wanted a way for people to get to know me before I’d even met them.
Video started off as something I did because it was fun, a passion project if you will, but now it has become an integral part of my business.
We are just scratching the surface, and I am so excited for what comes next.
So much of the media coverage is focused on the challenges facing women today, but what about the opportunities? Do you feel there are any opportunities that women are particularly well-positioned for?
Real estate is a female-dominated industry. Women are more naturally gifted with empathy and tend to have a more nurturing spirit, which can be a huge advantage when you are assisting someone who is making the largest and most stressful purchase of their lives.
I also see so many women entrepreneurs building empires in fashion and cosmetics. Women are stepping up to create amazing products and build huge companies, based around seeing a need in the marketplace. It is truly inspiring.
Contact Info:
- Address: 18383 Preston Rd #150, Dallas, TX 75252
- Website: annarayrealestate.com / annarayteam.com
- Phone: 469-642-5939
- Email: admin@annarayteam.com
- Instagram: annaraytv / annarayteam
- Facebook: annarayteam / annarayrealestate
Image Credit:
Valerie Crowson, Vanessa Corral, Spencer Davis
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