Today we’d like to introduce you to Manuel Chavez.
Hi Manuel, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Everything started in 1999 when I arrived in the USA with my wife and my daughter to have a new page in out life, with only 2 luggages pieces, one for clothing and the other one with dreams, at the beginning we slept in the floor since we dont have beds, looking for jobs with no english and leaving all the job experiences behind, i started working on a industrial AC units company making $5.60 per hour, i was there for the hottest months of the year and working nights as well. ‘A friend of mine invited me to join him in working as a painter. I didn’t know anything about paint!! But the pay was $9, much better than $5.60, i was learning how to do it, I did it fast, and soon I was using the sprayer machine and also taking jobs on the side for the weekends and getting some extra dollars. I learned to do faux finish, and that helped me, too.
While my wife was still working at the same factory, she started earning around $ 6. We moved into our own apartment. We didn’t have furniture. We ate on the stairs, and we had only 2 plates and forks, so I waited for them to eat and did it after.
My wife’s relative asked me if I want to get another job. I said yes; he said it was as a stocker in a shoe warehouse at Nordstrom. I didn’t know what “stocker” meant, but it sounds better than “painter.” I went to the interview, half spanish and half english i got the job, they asked if i can start next day which was sunday, i said yes, i came to work earlier tahn anyone else and went to see the stockroom, it was HUGE, around 45,000 pairs of shoes and 2 story, i was overwhlmed inmediatly and decided to leave thinking it was too much for 1 person, i was on my way out whem the assistant manager came and he said, oh you came early, let my show you your section!! I understood it wasn’t the whole room. I stayed that day, did what they asked me to for 3-4 hours, and asked him what else he wanted me to do. He said, ” What?? I said, I already finished, and he went to see it. He said, ” You can go now. ” I didn’t know if that was a good or bad thing. The next morning, the manager was there when I arrived, and she said, “Great job yesterday!” You did in 4 hours what it took the whole day!! A few months later, I was assigned as a lead stocker and later promoted to cashier. At the same time, one weekend we paid the rent and bills and only had $ 35 left. My wife and I said, we have 2 options: one, go to McDonald’s with our daughter and eat there, or try to do something with that money. we went to a dollar store owned by a friend and asked her if she can sell us the pre paid phone cards for 4 dollars, back in that time was no internet to call the families in Latin america, she said yes and we invested that money in phone cards, we went to resale them knocking the apartements complex doors and we sold them for $4.50, we went back several times and we started a new business, we also ofered them to friends and we told them to call us. We provide the code over the phone, and we pick up the money on payday. We made some money like that.
One day, while working in the stockroom, my wife made pupusas for my lunch. I was reheat them when some one asked me what was that smelling so good, i wasnt able to explain that with my limited english so i cut a piece and gave it to him, he said those are delicious and asked me who made them i said my wife, he asked, do you sell them and i said YES, how much, $1 and he said, next time she make them bring me some and i did, next ssaturday i got 15 pupusas, 5 for him and other 10 for sale, everyone loves them. I started selling those at lunchtime on Saturdays; later, it was tacos, tamales, pupusas, and burritos!!! God turned those $35K into $ 18 K, and that was the down payment on our first house!!! We asked God to have it in 5 years, but He gave us the house in 3.5 years, brand new !!
I asked for the opportunity to sell at Nordstrom, and my manager said yes. I was a salesperson, but before that, I had worked 6 months as a stocker. I was awarded the All-Star Customer Service Award.
As a new salesperson, I heard someone say it was a level called pacesetter that required selling more than $350K, and I filed that away. I made it !! And for the following 17 years in a row, I did the Pacesetter, Pacesetter Gold, and Pacesetter Platinum, moved up to be in designer shoes, and ended my career in the top 3 in the store, part of the top 1% company-wide.
While I was working as a salesperson, I helped a friend buy houses, and the builder reps always asked, ” Are you the realtor, i said no. They said, ” You should !!, When the pandemic hit, I had the opportunity to get my license and start a new career with 100% faith knowing God was with me, even though I didn’t know where I was going.
I heard several times God takes away the good to give you the best, and my question to him was, where am I, in the good or the best? He answered…
I started my career in real estate with Ebby Halliday, a great company. I learned a lot. I was the rookie of the year company-wide, and soon after, with my colleague Jamie Marancenbaum, who was the top salesperson in the office, I decided to create a team. Originally, it was only 2 of us, but it organically grow til 10 members. We created the Living Dallas Team !! We had a great year, winning multiple awards individually and as a team. rookie of the year, top 10% company wide, top 250 Nahrep nationwide, D magazine top producer and best agent, local producer top agent, real producer magazine top agent, and many more, we did more than 500 transactions with more than 300 millions on sale, we decide to part way on 2025 on December, we had great relationship and results. Still, we also have different long-term goals and dreams. Now, Living Dallas Legacy Group is alive!!! My son and I are working together as a group and creating a legacy, one of my dreams. We’ve received our first top producer recognition, and we will continue to serve as many clients as possible. We are honored by the opportunity to change people’s lives through home ownership!!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
no, it has been difficult, language barrier, cultural change, discrimination, economic challenges,and many more
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Focus always on serve , we are proud of serving our clients with high level customer service, we adjust our schedules to our clients needs, always looking for the best for them , we cover the whole metroplex, helping clients to buy, sale and rent properties
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I can control only my industry, regardless of where the industry is going, we need to shift routes and systems based on our clients needs , always will be someone looking for a house , it is a natural need that need to be cover
Contact Info:
- Website: https://manuelchavez.cbapex.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manuelchavez_livingdallasteam/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manuel.chavez.5494
