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Meet Trailblazer Madison Bustamante

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Madison Bustamante.

Madison, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
For as long as I can remember, I have been passionate about helping others and making people happy. It fills me with indescribable joy and pushes me to become a better person.

Throughout my education, I also found the passion for leading others, especially as president of my sorority at the University of Arizona. After college, I was accepted into Teach For America, a diverse network of leaders working to confront educational inequity through teaching. As a corps member, I was placed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to teach lower elementary school. Here, I not only completed my two year TFA commitment, but also became a founding member of one of Baton Rouge’s first charter schools, and continued teaching another four years.

After six years in Louisiana, moving back to my hometown of Phoenix was not easy, as the south treated my husband and I so well, presenting incredible opportunities for us to grow as individuals and professionals. However, we knew our home wasn’t “home” without our family.

Moving back to Phoenix, I knew I wanted a new challenge – to help people in one of the most exciting events in their lives – buying a home! You can definitely say my desire for teaching has transferred well with my real estate clients, as I love to ensure they are well educated and have an advocate in the largest financial purchase of their life. So, here I am today, loving that I get to help others find their dream home and reach their real estate goals!

Has it been a smooth road?
Most people don’t realize that as a Realtor, you are the CEO of your own business, and starting your own business takes discipline, motivation and a lot of “NOs” before a “YES.” I believe it’s important for anyone just starting out to understand that it’s okay if you don’t succeed right away. However, with dedication and consistency, you will get there. Make sure you have your goals written down and that your activities each day are working toward reaching those aspirations. I am a huge believer in time blocking my day. This helps me stay on track to reach my daily, weekly and monthly goals.

We’d love to hear more about your work.
Most of us have a handful of teachers who made an impact on us, like teaching us rhymes about math that we probably still sing in our sleep, or making us feel better when we fell and scraped our knees. They have molded us into adults who know how to negotiate the last cookie – by splitting in half, of course! And they were always there for us, no matter what.

This is the reason why teachers also make great real estate agents. Just like teachers, a great Realtor is one who can read body language. When someone tells you, yes but they really mean no, or when someone is holding back questions or pretending to understand. Great Realtors make sure their clients are always with them before they turn the “page.” I mean, really with them! As a former teacher, I always ensure my clients are true with me before we turn that page, building a relationship of trust.

Just like with my students, my clients need to know that they can come to me with their math problems, scraped knees, or even when they need some help negotiating that last cookie! At the end of the day, real estate is all about relationships and trust, and I promise to be there for my clients, whenever they need me. Even if it’s late at night and I’m already in my pajamas, I’ll be there! I inform them every step along the way, am their comfort when things get scary, and am committed to their success in finding their perfect home.

We’re interested to hear your thoughts on female leadership – in particular, what do you feel are the biggest barriers or obstacles?
The largest barrier women face today in leadership is having to prove they capable of everything a man can do. We’re still fighting to receive equal pay, and still having to prove that we are strong leaders. I do believe that as females we have made strides in breaking down these barriers, but the fight isn’t near the end. Whenever I feel that my gender is a disadvantage in my professional life, I just remember that I AM capable of everything a man can do, sometimes better. The more we believe in ourselves and don’t settle, the more the barriers will crumble.

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