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Life and Work with Kimberly Tocco

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Tocco.

Kimberly, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My husband (a Scottsdale Fire Captain) and I experienced the loss of our home in the real estate recession. We had four beautiful boys but our youngest had been just diagnosed with autism, I needed to stay home and work daily with a therapist which is key to early intervention and progress. Then, on March 22, 2011, my 13-year-old son Jason, went upstairs and committed suicide, dying in my arms. Obviously, words cannot express the extreme trauma and pain and how it impacts a family, especially the parents. I was determined to not let his loss be forgotten or that when I saw him again someday, I wanted him to know we fought through the pain. 2 years after, I scraped together the last of our tax return money and obtained my real estate license. I could not find a realtor who would assist us in getting a loan and purchasing a home under extenuating circumstances. It had not been achieved through the FHA program that they knew of (buying a home under 3 years after a short sale and only 2 years after a bankruptcy. You must have extreme extenuating circumstances and prove the hardship). By March 30, 2013, I had my license, by June 1, 2013, we closed on our first home since the short sale. Not only did I prove my “Tenacity”, I found there was a lack of agents who would fight and give back to clients like myself. That first year, I made rookie of the year and never looked back. Today, I sell 30 to 40 homes a year, I will clear 14 million in sales and have given back over $250,000 of my own commission in rebates to help families, first responders, teachers, military and parents of special needs children become homeowners again. I am one of the top video marketing realtors, and no one fights harder for their client. I have broken sales records and multiple counter bidding wars. My son Jason was a rock star, he was 6 foot 1 and could pitch a baseball at 80 mph. There is no way I was going to let his memory be forgotten. He was meant to be a rockstar so I am doing that for him. He is not here to fulfill his dreams so in my own way, I am helping families fulfill the dream of homeownership and show my other children to not give up, do not back down, it can be done! There is a reason they call me Tenacious T! ” It’s not what you go through, its how you come through it.”

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road, there are many in the industry with high advertising budgets and teams to help them build their business. I did not have one dollar to spend on marketing so I had to get creative. Making videos on social media, calling friends, taking small flyers to fire stations and schools to let them know I give back and will fight for them. To date, my business is 100% referral and I  have a large following, by being ethical, honest and fair. I mentor agents and work 60 to 70 hours per week. Yet, I can do most of that work from home and be with my children and husband. My advice to any woman is believe in the strength and power of your voice and heart. We are emotional creatures but we can channel that into strength and wisdom. You do not need a high priced coach or marketing budget. Watch inspirational videos, pick yourself up, follow your ideal business woman on social media, ask to spend a “day in the life” of a successful agent or industry person. Most successful people give back and will do that. Most importantly, be prepared to work very hard, even if you have no business coming in, learn to market yourself and study your craft. In March of this year, I had closed 9 transactions during that month entirely by myself making it my first month to break 100 grand for one month’s income. I was overwhelmed and worked tirelessly. I felt that I was drowning and could not breathe. Then, I remembered one of my favorite inspirational quotes, “When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, THEN you will be successful.” and I do not want to breathe, I want to SUCCEED.

Please tell us about Realtor Extraordinaire powered by EXP Realty.
I work in all areas of real estate but, I specialize in finding the elusive deal and getting top dollar for my listings. When someone comes to me to buy a home, I have perfected my  craft to win instant equity and bidding wars for my buyers by using both powerful negotiation skills and tid bits I have learned along the way. With my listings, I have developed a strategy that brings top dollar and fast with my unique marketing and lifestyle videos. Additionally, for First Responders, Military, Teachers, VA, Emergency care workers and doctors and special needs parents and adults, I will contribute up to 25% of my commission towards closing costs. I recently assisted a teacher in buying a home where all she needed to have at the closing table was $1500. The lender obtained a grant for her down payment and I had the seller and my contribution cover the closing costs. In addition to that, her home appraised $40,000 above the price we had negotiated for the sale! I also will sell a home 100% for free without any cost on my end for a family that has lost a child or a spouse. What sets me apart is I care and will do what it takes to see families have the best result for them. I am most proud of my nickname, Tenacious T as it is so fitting. I do whatever it takes to see the job done and never give up!

What advice would you give to someone at the start of her career?
Believe in yourself, look in the mirror each and every day and tell yourself you can do it! The power of positive thinking. Yet, we all know that is impossible to do on a daily basis and we will break down, that’s OK too. In this business, I often say,”If you are not laughing, screaming, crying, smiling, jumping for joy or throwing something, you are not doing your job right.” There will always be failures and that’s OK. The old saying is true that without failure how do we grow and learn. Some of the greatest inspirational speakers and coaches have all been born out of the ashes of failure or tragedy. Most importantly, lead by example, show those around you how important they are to you and do not let anyone tell you no!

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Image Credit:
Shelley Franklin, Taking the garbage out of Real Estate, Gary Helland the star wars, Michelle Engberg the west world theme, James Sasser Octo Realtor

Getting in touch: VoyagePhoenix is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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