Today we’d like to introduce you to Betty Joyce Fish.
Hi Betty, 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?
I grew up in Mansfield, Texas, and was a first-generation college graduate from the University of Texas at Arlington. I worked full-time throughout college and transitioned from a lead teller at Chase Bank to working for a small company based in the TCU area of Fort Worth. The company, Harvest Rock, Inc., was one of the top suppliers for the JCPenney Outlet division and assisted the JCPenney buyers in finding products for their promotions and ads. As Harvest Rock grew, the owner began diversifying and started heavily investing in rental properties in the TCU area. After working at the company for six years, my life took a bit of a turn. I accepted a position as personal assistant for Justin Bieber’s mom and moved to Los Angeles, California. While I was working in LA, the owner of Harvest Rock called and suggested that I move back to Texas and purchase the JCPenney business from him. I was young and scared, but it was an incredible opportunity that I could not pass up. A few months after moving back to Texas and before the purchase of the company was finalized, we were very shocked to learn that all of the JCPenney outlet stores were closing. I went from purchasing a company to helping shut it down. This was a very difficult process for me, but I am so thankful I had not gone through with the purchase yet. After closing down the company, I was offered several jobs, but they were all out of state, and I did not want to move again.
The owner of Harvest Rock encouraged me to get my real estate license and offered me a position at the property management business that he had been building – Harvest Rock Realty. I got my agent license in December of 2013, accepted the position, and became very excited about my new venture. 6 days after I passed the Texas Real Estate exam, the owner was rushed to the hospital and discovered that he had stage four brain cancer. I began running the property management business and became Vice President of the company while he was battling cancer and undergoing treatment. He fought it for 18 months until he tragically passed away in June of 2015 at the young age of 33. I stayed with the company, and we continued to grow and thrive, becoming one of the top property management companies in the area. I resigned as Vice President in December of 2017 after the new leadership began taking the company in a direction that did not align with my personal values. At this point, I already had a lot of experience on the buy/sell side and decided to step into full-time real estate and build up my clientele. I studied joined Dewbrew Realty, Inc. and got my broker’s license in 2018. My business began to grow exponentially year over year, and I cannot imagine doing anything else in life. I am so passionate about helping others build wealth through real estate and love educating others on the process.
My journey into real estate was not exactly what I imagined, but being thrown into the fire gave me an incredible amount of invaluable experience, and I was able to grow and learn very quickly.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I once heard someone say, “I don’t trust a leader without a limp,” and that has stuck with me throughout the years. I have definitely had my share of struggles along the way, but they have all been opportunities to grow, learn, and become a better real estate agent and person. Closing the company I was planning to purchase and then walking through the loss of my boss and friend of 8 years was extremely difficult and emotional. I had to navigate learning an entire new industry/field of business while dealing with heartbreak and grief. Real estate, in general, comes with its own set of struggles. There are lots of unknowns, ups and downs of the market interest rates, and relational stressors that are unique to each transaction. You are often times walking side by side with people who are going through massive life transitions. They could be purchasing their first home, needing to expand due to a growing family, empty nesters, or dealing with loss of a job, relocation, death or divorce. I personally believe that these “struggles” are part of what brings me great passion and purpose in real estate. I love getting to be in the process with my clients and serve them in the best ways that I possibly can while they are navigating big life changes. Another challenge that I personally face is maintaining a healthy work/life balance. Real estate never sleeps and can be all-encompassing, so you have to work hard to set good boundaries around it. COVID produced an interesting set of challenges in Texas real estate because SO many people were moving here from out of state. We were BUSY in 2020-2021!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am currently Associate Broker at Dewbrew Realty, Inc. I specialize in residential real estate and have also done commercial deals as well. I service the entire Dallas / Fort Worth market and have worked with tons of local and out-of-state clients. I love walking buyers and sellers through this process and serve as an advocate to fight and negotiate on their behalf. Some of my core values are integrity, authenticity, excellence, and empathy, and I approach every transaction with these values at play. I have a client-centric approach and deeply believe that if you live a life of generosity and put people first, it will come back around to you. I highly value clear communication and pay close attention to details. Real estate is usually one of the biggest purchases someone makes, and I do not take it lightly. I am proud of the way I have walked through adversity, both personally and professionally, and have maintained compassion, confidence, and positivity. I hit top 1% real estate agents in DFW and was recently featured in Real Producers magazine. I am deeply grateful to all of my clients throughout the years who have trusted me to be their advocate.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
I would say the best advice I have is to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Make a phone call. Put yourself out there. Look within your personal sphere of friends and family. Ask someone to coffee. Ask for recommendations. Do research. Reach out. There are tons of opportunities to meet new people every single day and there are lots of resources out there. I personally have one mentor who has been in my life for over 20 years. She has been with me through personal difficulties and trials, and I can process things from a business perspective. You never want to be the smartest person in the room. It’s so important for growth to be challenged and be around others who are doing things differently than you.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.dewbrewrealty.com/agents/betty-joyce-fish/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bettyjoycerealestate/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bettyjoycerealestate/
Image Credits
Ruby Olivia Photography
