Today we’d like to introduce you to Claire Khoury.
Claire, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Sure! I grew up in the Preston Hollow area of Dallas and belong to a very large family. I have two brothers, but my three cousins all practically lived across the street from us, so we were always together. We all attended St. Michaels and continued on to The Episcopal School of Dallas. Every year, the teachers would ask how many Khoury’s they had left to go until we had all graduated. Having family so close and able to lean on is really what carved who I am as a person from the beginning. I was lucky to have been so supported and surrounded by so many different personalities.
Bucking the trend of graduating from ESD for high school, I got accepted into the dance program at Booker T. Washington HSPVA. I absolutely loved it and had always been more creatively driven. After graduating in 2007, I went to college at The Savannah College of Art & Design where I got my degree in creative writing. I dreamed of being a writer in New York, but life had other plans.
It was difficult getting started as a writer and make good money, and I had bills to pay. So, after a stint of internships in Dallas, a friend of mine was planning a move to Los Angeles and I thought “This is it. LA will finally kick off my career as a writer.” I signed on to work in reality TV alongside a producer out there and wrote scripts and network pitches. Needing extra money, I waitressed on the side which eventually grew into me being promoted to an Assistant General Manager. It was then when I realized I had a knack for sales and loved being around people and developing servers through training.
After three years, I moved back to Dallas because honestly I just missed it. It’s the only place that really ever felt like home and I had every intention of continuing in the restaurant field. Instead, I got an opportunity to work at Glazer’s (now Southern Glazers) selling wine and spirits for Diageo Moët Hennessy. Being able to combine my love of sales, and have the chance to go out and meet new people within the service industry and be “in the know” about new restaurants and bars opening up was such a cool experience. I stayed with Glazer’s for four and a half years before I really started thinking about my next move. I loved what I was doing, but I’d always been interested in Real Estate and the desire to be able to do something that was my own. I wanted to make a name for myself that was directly affected by my own strong work ethic and networking abilities. I made the leap, got licensed and haven’t looked back since.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not been an easy road. I’ve been lucky though because I’ve had instrumental people throughout every stage of my life that really provided me with a strong support system and truly cared about developing my potential.
I look back on a lot of decisions I made and wish I hadn’t stood in my own way. I think I stunted my growth a bit in the beginning; comparing myself to other writers or dancers and always coming up short. I’ve learned now that that kind of negativity will stop you in your tracks if you let it. If you had told me ten years ago I’d be where I am today, I would have been shocked. Because there were so many different directions my life could have gone, but for whatever reason, it didn’t work out that way. In the end, I finally followed my heart and made one of the scariest moves I could have ever made which was going out on my own and discovering my true potential without any restraints. 10 years ago that girl would have been too scared.
Please tell us about your work.
I’m a licensed real estate agent and a member of the National Association of Realtors®. I joined with The Standard Real Estate and am loving it. When you’re surrounded by like-minded, creative people who all have such drive to be the best not only for themselves but to their clients, it really is inspiring. I’m inspired every day to do what I do.
I think working with first time home buyers is really one of my favorite things to do. I enjoy explaining the process and putting them at ease about the most important financial decision anyone could make. It’s such an emotional decision for someone to make, especially if they’re planning on making this their first home, or staying in it for 10 years.
It can be scary not understanding what you’re getting into, but going back to my love of training and my management experience, I feel like I can connect quickly with people and identify what really matters to them. I want my clients to enjoy the experience and know that I hold their interests above my own. I do everything I can to ensure that.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I think a successful person is someone who isn’t afraid to push themselves and follow their heart. I think you could be the highest-ranking salesperson at a company, but if you’re just going through the motions and have absolutely no connection with what you’re selling and who you’re working with, then you’re doing a disservice to yourself. Being truly interested in real estate allows me the drive to not only work hard but to continue to learn and seek out more information on the field I’m in to better serve my clients. A lot of people would probably disagree with me but the only thing that drives me is being truly excited about what I’m doing. I think that’s so important.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 214-662-3204
- Email: clairekhouryrealestate@gmail.com
- Instagram: Claire_Khoury_
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClairesellsDallas/
Image Credit:
Zach David
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