Meet Trailblazer Candace Larson

Candace, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Back in 2001, I found myself seeking a career change because my current job was no longer fulfilling. After several months of interviews and soul searching, my husband randomly suggested looking into Real Estate. While this suggestion initially caught me off guard, I thought, “Might as well, I’ve looked into everything else.” After just two days of intense research, I knew I had finally found the perfect fit and was signed up for RE School by the end of that same week. Once licensed, I hit the ground running and haven’t stopped since.

Over the last 18+ years, I have hit numerous milestones; while helping hundreds of families, of all income brackets, become Homeowners.

In 2002, I was awarded Rookie of the year with over 3 million in sales.

In 2004, I got Agent of the year with Home Gain (a Networking Company) and was invited to speak with thousands of Agents for their National Phone Conference; with over two thousand on the live call.

In 2005, I was awarded Agent of the Year with High Profile Realty with over 7 million in sales.

In 2007, I became a Broker Price Opinion Agent with a company called, “S.A.M” and was quickly promoted to their top Agent because my values were consistently within 5% of the official appraisal. I have since improved with an average of 3%.

In 2011, I became a licensed Real Estate Instructor and have a few ADRE approved classes.

In 2012, I was invited to join Keller Williams Baltimore Partners and within two months was asked to become the Team Leader. However, I declined because I didn’t feel ready to be leading such a large Brokerage so soon after joining. This is my biggest regret, as I now see myself as they did.

In 2014, I was again catching the eyes of large businesses Nationwide, due to my highly accurate Broker Price Opinion Reports, and was interviewed by, “Small Business Trendsetter Magazine.” To read the article in full visit here: https://smallbusinesstrendsetters.com/broker-price-opinion-expert-candace-larson-believes-better-realtor-education-

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Being a woman in a primarily male-dominated field has come with its challenges, so my journey has been anything but smooth; however, I wouldn’t have wanted to get here any-other-way.

The challenges I’ve faced have made me smarter, stronger, and more self-aware. I’ve learned how to negotiate, to redirect conversations, and to stand my ground while still posing myself as the lady I was raised to be; but make-no-mistake, I am a bulldog when it comes to fighting for my client’s rights and needs. This is also why I made it my mission to learn our Purchase Contract and Addendum language inside and out. Regardless of gender, no one is going to pull a fast one over me or my clients!

My advice to other women would be to surround yourself with a team of people/vendors whom you trust explicitly. There’s not a single person, on this planet, who got to the top without help; anyone who says they have is not giving credit where it is due.

I cannot tell you how many times a vendor saved the day and made me look like a Rockstar, and they continue to do so because I always give them the credit they’ve rightfully earned. If you want to be successful in business, then you need a foundation of partnerships that are based on trust, integrity, honesty, and praise; it’s just that simple.

In 2015, I landed a contract with the City of Phoenix; the largest city in Maricopa County.

The City of Phoenix (COP) reached out directly and asked me to come and help them restructure a low-income home-ownership program called, “Section 32.” After my first meeting with COP, I knew I had to step up and help; because the program was not reaching its full potential. To understand the heights ultimately reached, one must first grasp the purpose of the program.

Section 32 is a City-funded program that is backed by HUD. HUD gave the City a grant to purchase numerous Single-Family homes that would be provided to low-income families through a subsidized lease. The goal was for families to rent the home with the intent to purchase within one-two years of occupancy; however, a majority of these tenants never took the plunge to ownership. This ultimately left COP managing hundreds of homes that cost them thousands a year to maintain.

With HUD’s permission, COP opened the opportunity for the public to purchase, if they met the strict HUD income guidelines; however, their current Coordinator was not marketing the properties properly and didn’t know how to correctly budget the required repairs. This same Coordinator had only sold 24 homes, during her 8 years of leadership, with a lifetime sales of 2.4 million.

In the first two months of taking over, I focused on rewriting the sales approach, how applications were processed, how repairs were conducted and approved, and created a relationship with a new Title Agency that could handle closing the transactions on time and at a much lower price; thus saving COP thousands in closing fees. Once the new system was up and running… so was I, as I closed 25 homes in my first 6 months and made the City a little over 2.5 million in profit.

The following year I helped the City to make over 7.95 million in profit by helping 56 families become homeowners and more than doubled that figure the following year. Collectively, I’ve helped over 125 families make their dreams come true, and I did it knowing that I would never get the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) recognition. This is because HUD mandated that any home listed on the MLS had to be done by a Non-Profit Agency. This alone would deter numerous Agents from taking this type of work because having that MLS sales recognition is what sets precedence within the Real Estate Industry; and among my peers.

However, I have never been the type to allow that kind of thinking to stop me. I continually put the interests of my clients above my own. This mentality is what catapulted the program and earned me, and the program, some very prestigious awards, such as:

Brian Mickelsen Housing Hero Award – State Award, in August 2017.

Program Innovation of the Year Housing. – National Award, in August 2017.

The COP allowed me to accept this award on their behalf. This alone was a high honor as the City has never allowed a Contractor to represent them in any form.

City of Phoenix Excellence Achievement Award– the first Award ever given to a COP Contractor, also in August 2017.

The City of Phoenix recognized my crucial role in getting their program State and National attention. As a matter of fact, I quickly found myself receiving calls from other lower income programs, across the Nation, wanting to know how I was able to take a program with an average of $300,000 annual profit to $15 million, in such a short time frame.

My answer was always the same, “By understanding the rules of value, market timing and trends, knowing what repairs to make that align with Health and Safety Lending rules, which cosmetic upgrades have an actual ROI, how to properly budget overall operating costs, and of course… putting the client’s interests above my own.”

This knowledge is why I am still high in demand with Investors and Commercial clients alike. Most Residential Agents are not well versed in this area, however, I continually strive to expand my knowledge in all areas of the industry. To date, I have sold over 75 million in Commercial transactions, with the average sale being 5.7 million. Investors continue to flock in and seek my ability to save them thousands while boosting their ROI on an average of 30%.

I’m also well known within the the Farming and Land community. I have a strong background in this area, as my mother’s side of the family has been farming for generations. Not all Agents fully understand why a client with horses vs. sheep, or even cattle, will have different land needs. Not to mention, how to line them up with the correct City Zoning Regulations; which is a big one, in my opinion.

I think I made a wise choice of choosing Real Estate back in 2001, and I have only gotten started. My goals for 2019 are set extremely high, with a few being recognized as the Top 1%  in Arizona, landing a teaching contract with Phoenix’s prestigious real estate school called, “Arizona School of Real Estate and Business”, becoming a Broker, and helping another hundred-plus-families purchase a home. If you think this is setting the bar too high, then you don’t know me very well.

My Grandmother once told me, “The day you stop learning, is the day God calls you home.” I think that might be why I love to learn new things, along with how to sharpen my current skills; which is probably why my bookshelf contains an array of Authors and subjects.

My favorite books, besides the Bible, are, “I am a Badass” and “You are a Badass at Making Money”, both by Jen Sincero. I love her snarky/blunt writing style because I don’t have time for fluff; just get to the point and keep it real.

Joyce Meyer is my favorite daily podcast. Her teaching style helps me to stay grounded and focused on the word; which in turn, helps me to remember that life doesn’t revolve around me and my needs.

I also have a few blogs that I enjoy.

1. The Sticky Apron

2. Mom and Her Goals

3. Style By Nohea

All three are based out of Arizona and are vastly different from each other. However, one that I read religiously is the “Arizona Journal of Real Estate and Business”; it keeps me up to date with trends, market shifts, expert opinions, national influences, new technologies and etc.

Speaking of new technologies, I have an arsenal of Apps that I use daily for my business. The top four that I use are:

“Inigo Card.” It is hands-down the best platform I’ve found for digital business cards. It also tracks the clicks, shares, and auto pulls all of your contacts social media links.

Next, would be a program called, “Typorama.” I use this one daily because it allows me to make memes, search for copyright free stock photos, quickly watermark, and a few other things. They also have a video version, that I just purchased and is proving to be a wise investment.

MOLDIV is my next go-to and is worth the upgrade. This one allows me to create magazine type layouts and collages that don’t look cheesy.

My final app is called “Plann.” This one is strictly for Instagram and has helped me to revamp my page by allowing me to see what my feed will look, once a month’s worth of content is posted. It also allows me to edit the photos and to ensure I choose the best hashtags for each post.

I put a lot of thought into my social media content and each platform serves a different purpose; I never cross-post, so I need an arsenal of apps that will help me to create content that will keep my followers interested. While I don’t have thousands of followers, I do have a high engagement and retention average. I focus more on quality over quantity, because social media is a fickle beast that changes more than any other aspect of business; and yet, I love the challenge!

I am extremely blessed to have people who truly support me, my values, and my business goals and vision. I made a promise to myself that 2019 is going to the be the year that I give back to my clients and community more. I have made the choice to donate a portion of every commission check to varies local charities, school programs, individual child sport sponsorships, and etc. Moreover, I have created different listing commission structures for those with little equity and have no choice but to sell; either due to relocation, foreclosure, and or etc. Why? Because again, I am putting the clients needs above my own.

Moreover, I am opening my business back up to people who need help finding rentals, not just buying/selling. After hearing numerous stories of people getting taken advantage of, I knew I had to step up and help in this area again; nothing gets my blood boiling more then to hear that someone got mislead, lied to, or that their deposit money(s) was wrongfully held.

I am an Realtor who operates with very high moral and ethical standards. I truly love to help people make or save money, while protecting their rights during the process. I also love referrals and I never take them for granted!

I’d be amiss not to take this opportunity to say, “If you or anyone you know needs help, please call me. I will answer any questions, squash myths, breakdown terminology, and thoroughly explain your rights. As a licensed Instructor, I genuinely love answering questions and guiding people without pressure to use my services.”

9 Comments

1. 

   Candace Larson

   May 22, 2019 at 1:43 pm

   I am so blessed and grateful to have been chosen as a Trailblazer in Phoenix. I would love the opportunity to be interviewed by anyone who is in need of Real Estate services or Real Estate Coaching/Mentoring.

   I love this industry and take my duties as a Realtor, and Community Leader, very seriously.

   Feel free to contact me through any of the avenues listed above; or call/text me anytime at 602-989-2451

   Reply
2. 

   Rob

   May 22, 2019 at 1:49 pm

   I have known Candace, professionally, from across the country. Her reputation for being a master of her craft, an outstanding teacher and a excellent negotiator for her clients is known nationwide in many Realtor circles. She is truly a class act that knows her stuff. She has been a huge asset to have as a Real Estate Expert that I can lean on for support and someone that I have full confidence is referring my friends and family to in at Arizona market. Congrats on your success Candace! Its well earned! God Speed my friend!

   Reply
3. 

   Brandi Yancy

   May 22, 2019 at 2:01 pm

   Making a connection with Candace Larson is a smart choice for business and a personal experience that is genuine, honest and caring. She will work hard for you and more importantly she will work with you, together to achieve your goal.

   Reply
4. 

   Lindy

   May 22, 2019 at 3:08 pm

   Way to go Candace!

   Reply
5. 

   Al Bolin

   May 22, 2019 at 3:36 pm

   This lady is the best. She stays in constant contact and you are in the know constantly.

   Reply
6. 

   Whitney Lightner

   May 22, 2019 at 11:18 pm

   I can say from personal experience working with Candace, that she is the best agent we have ever worked with. We have multiple rental properties and a commercial location all purchased with her at our side. She truly helped us achieve this investment goal. Candace is knowledgeable, open minded and most of all trustworthy. She helped us navigate thru a very complicated commercial purchase with ease, and we knew we could trust what she was telling us, all the way thru the process. I wont buy property without her involved ever again, until she retires. And even then, I would probably call her for advice!

   Reply
7. 

   Lindsay Jenks

   May 22, 2019 at 11:39 pm

   I am so proud of you! Girl you are kicking butt! Love all your accomplishments! That glass ceiling doesn’t stand a chance against you😉.

   Reply
8. 

   Tanya

   May 23, 2019 at 1:50 am

   My boyfriend was stuck in a situation from a horrible divorce that left his home going into foreclosure. Candace was a HUGE help and willing to help him sell it before it went to auction without really making any money off the sell. Unfortunately, due to the loan company and how awful they are to get help from she was unable to move forward with the sell but not cause of anything she did. She has a HUGE heart and she tried to help us out of a horrible situation. I would recommend her to everyone I know! She is amazing. Thank you for trying for us and we will always come to you for any buy or sell of a home.

   Reply
9. 

   Lauri

   May 23, 2019 at 3:20 am

   Way to go Candace, you have a lot of accomplishments.

   Reply