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Meet Mina Torabi

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Mina Torabi.

Mina, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
We were at one of the border cities of Iran, around midnight and the men we had hired to take us over the border were getting the horses ready. I had made my mom choose the white horse because I had always loved white horses. Later I regretted the decision when I was sitting on the horse’s rear without a saddle. I had never, in my life, rode a horse before and it was not a pleasant first experience. They took us to the skirts of a mountain bordering Iran and Turkey, and beyond that point we had to climb that mountain for about six hours. It was 1994.

A year before that night we were living in a city in Iran called Fardis. I was eight years old and was attending an all girls’ school. A lot of events changed my perspective about life that year, including my 27 years old uncle’s passing. His name was Amir and he was my mother’s younger brother. Amir was a very smart person, loved to read and study unlike anyone I have ever met, even to this day. As you may imagine his natural step after high school would be college, but the harsh truth was that he was Baha’i. Iran being the Islamic Republic, persecutes its citizens if they are not Muslim, and in our case we were not allowed to attend college, hold any legitimate jobs, or obtain a passport to leave the country. Not being able attend college took its toll on my uncle Amir; he attempted to commit suicide on multiple occasions and eventually succeeded, not unlike many youth in Iran. After his passing, I became more aware of the challenges that I would be facing for my beliefs. In third grade, I started to notice how most of my classmates started to distance themselves from me and treat me differently. That was the year I realized when children learn hate, because the same girls were my closest friends the years prior. The principal of our school would always have a closer eye on me than the rest, and my grades and behavior had to always be perfect not to attract further attention or give them any excuse to punish me. This made me push harder and as a result I was always at the top of my class. When I was nine years old, my parents decided to leave Iran so that my brother and I would have better futures or merely a future at all.

We had climbed over the mountains and had arrived at a little border village in Turkey, the next day we headed to the capital Ankara to the Immigration Department and declared ourselves religious refugees which started a year long process that eventually brought us to the US. In that year, we were subjected to extreme vetting measures, medical exams, background checks, and thorough interviews. As refugees, my parents were not allowed to work in Turkey, so we lived off of my parents’ life savings, everything they had worked their entire lives for, they sold off to afford this huge journey into the unknown. We lived in a small city called Çorum which is located inland in the central Black Sea Region of Turkey and is approximately 244 km (152 mi) from Ankara and 608 km (378 mi) from Istanbul. As of the 2016 census, a population of 237,000. To the nine years old me, the city was a cold, harsh, and lonely place. We lived in cold tiny apartments, where electricity and running water were constantly shut off due to shortages. We slept on floors, rationed our meals, and lived very frugally to survive the unknown time period we would be living as refugees. We had heard stories of families who were waiting upwards of three years to be processed. As a little girl, I would stand in front of storefronts staring at the ice cream box, begging my parents for just one toy, one little tiny doll. I can’t imagine how it must have felt for them, constantly having to say no to their kids, knowing they wanted to give us the world. So I would make my own dolls out of pieces of yarn and add faces to them with drawings I’d cut out from paper. There was a daddy, mommy, sister, and brother doll. Each with their own personalities, features, and stories. I couldn’t go to school so I would occupy my time watching telenovela shows dubbed in Turkish, play cards with my brother, or play with my yarn dolls to pass the time. After about six months of living in Turkey, my mom surprised me one day via a tiny 6 inch polka dot dressed doll with black braids and blue eyes. I cannot describe in words how much joy that doll brought nine years old me. I cherished her so much that to this day, she looks as new as the day she was given to me. Sitting pretty in her blue dress, in my mom’s buffett. Life as a refugee wasn’t just hard because of the monetary hardship we had to endure.

We had gone from being surrounded by family, friends and familiarity to leaving it all behind for the possibility of freedom and hope and we paid a hefty price. It was 1994, so the greater part of the world did not have access to the internet or cell phones. Long distance calls cost a lot of money, Facebook and Instagram were not around so you can keep in touch with your loved ones easily. My cousins, my aunts and uncles, all who were at arms length to me all my life were now so far from reach that they might as well have been on the other side of the planet. In one day, we lost our entire world. Everyone we knew, every familiar smell, sound was lost to us. We didn’t speak the language, we didn’t recognize the food, and had no one to guide us. My brother and I quickly became self-sufficient in order to survive the huge transition. My mother suffered bouts of depression, and my dad remained the ever resilient loving rock. The journey although worth it, changed us all forever.

It was in the heat of the summer in June when we finally arrived in Phoenix, which was a big adjustment from the usually cool Turkish climate. Needless to say, it took some time for us to adjust, yet again, but we were better at it by now. We had to start from zero again, not knowing a word of English, or being familiar with our surroundings. My parents had to work their way up the ladder once again in their lives. Both starting to work dishwashing jobs at the Princess Hotel and then moving up to office positions. I still remember the day that my parents, my brother, and I had to split a banana between us four the first year we were here. That only made us stronger and driven to take the opportunity of this new life and run with it. Within a year of moving here, my parents managed to save enough money to put towards a downpayment and buy a home for us. Can you imagine? They worked long crazy hours on minimum wage, took the bus back and forth from west Phoenix to Scottsdale, starting their day usually at 4:00am and finishing around 7:00pm. All while raising two kids, learning a new language, and navigating all that comes with it. My parents have taught me the very meaning of hard work, sacrifice, and achieving your goals. They left their families, jobs and the country they knew so that my brother and I would have freedom and better opportunities and for that I am forever indebted to them.

My mom is truly my hero, and I look to her constantly as my aspiration. She continued her education here after some time, and after being laid off she started her own business. A business which now thrives and supports not only my community but also my immediate and extended family. She transformed herself in her 30’s with every obstacle in her way. So when I was in a transitional period in my life, I took a page from her book, unafraid of change and new challenges unfamiliar to me. Although I have a degree in Economics from ASU, upon my return to the US after living in Australia for three years from 2011-2014, I embarked on a new career journey. I went back to school and got my Realtor’s license just as the housing market started to improve. Since then, I’ve been able to help countless families make huge moves in their lives while always maintaining a high standard of integrity. It’s allowed me to work closely with people to achieve their dreams, build up their lives, and find comfort in their new homes. Just like my parents were able to do for us, after such a traitorous journey to our new life.

I can safely say that my background has made me into a person who doesn’t take opportunities, my freedom, my right to vote, my freedom of speech for granted.

I am a Refugee, I am a proud Iranian American, and I’m your local Real Estate Agent.

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?
Being a Realtor is the same as having your own business. So while you’re able to make as much money as you can without a ceiling cap, there’s the downside of not having stable income. Starting out the first year was hardest. Most agents, about 80%, quit within the first year. The costs involved with running your own business is high, coupled with huge gaps in time between one deal and the next. If you’re able to survive the first year though, it gets easier. Like any new business, it takes about five years to fully develop it. In order to be successful I learned to manage my money better, save for not just rainy days, but rainy months and always have a plan. Another huge challenge is not being paid unless a deal is actually closed, which can take months with many variable completely out of my control. So you have to be self-sufficient, motivated, and constantly looking for the next opportunity.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I like to say that my specialty is becoming your friend through the home selling/buying process. If you know me as a friend, you know I’d go to any length for you. Same is the case with my clients. Many parts of real estate can be very sales-oriented, however, I tend to look at it as a customer service career. I have an innate skill to be able to put myself in others’ shoes and find the right home for my clients. My background in sales also plays a huge factor in my ability to negotiate, market and sell properties for the highest return in value. I will always be honest and pay close attention to all details to make sure my clients are always taken care of. I also love working with people, so that doesn’t hurt.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Phoenix is one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation, and the housing market is extremely healthy. Real estate has been an amazing career for me and if you are self-driven, motivated, customer service oriented, and have an eye for sales and market trends then it can be a great field for you as well.

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Image Credit:
Lister Assister for property shots, and Usher Khan Photography for the Personal photo.

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