Exploring Life & Business with Shawnay Longmire of Longmire Real Estate Group

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawnay Longmire.

Hi Shawnay, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Real estate has honestly always been around me, even before I realized it would become my career. I grew up in Los Angeles, specifically in the Crenshaw District, where my family owned property throughout Southwest L.A., West L.A., and Inglewood, California. So from a very young age, I was exposed to real estate, but I didn’t fully grasp how uncommon it was for Black families to own multiple properties throughout the city. As a matter of fact, my grandfather gave me my very first real estate sale!

The funny thing is that Sunday after church, we would go look at open houses- and we were Baptist, so church already lasted forever, like well into the afternoon. The last thing I wanted to do was spend the evening taking a stroll through someone else’s house. I absolutely dreaded it! I thought open houses were so boring. Little did I know, those family moments would later shape my entire professional future.

Having grown up in a family where ownership was normalized, I genuinely grew up thinking everybody owned property. I thought everybody’s family owned the homes they lived in. In fact, if someone lived in an apartment building, I assumed their family owned the apartment building. Although, that sounds incredibly foolish…to be fair, one of my elementary school friends actually did live in an apartment building that their family did in face own, so in my mind that was just normal. However, now reflecting back- I realize how blessed and unique my upbringing really was, especially growing up as a Black child in the Crenshaw District. To be clear though, my family was definitely not rich or super wealthy, but we were not poor either. I would say we were more of an upper-middle-class family where ownership, hard work and accountability was always at the forefront. Above all though, God remained at the core of our entire family and still does to this day.

With me being introduced to the industry so young, you would think Real Estate was the obvious choice for a career right out of grade school. Ironically though, I did not jump straight into real estate. I was in fact fortunate enough to experience my first real taste of entrepreneurship through party promotion. There was a guy named Casey Parker who gave me my first opportunity to make money outside of my immediate circle. I loved it. I met amazing people, made money, and realized very early on that I genuinely loved business.

Actually, if I’m being honest, my very first taste of entrepreneurship was selling candy in elementary school. I learned how to flip candy before I learned how to flip anything else. My aunt picked me up from school one day and I asked her to buy me candy to sell at school. She obliged, gave me a lesson on expenses, income, profit and loss and I was off to the races.

Anyway, after high school, I went to college. I actually got accepted into all 17 colleges I applied to, and I initially chose to attend Mount Saint Mary’s University in Los Angeles. During that time, I had a serious hustler spirit in me. I hated the idea of being a broke college student so I went to work.

While I was in school, I had 2 jobs, but I also had side hustles and straight A’s! One of my side hustles was tightening weaves and selling hair. Eventually, I realized I was making more money for other people than I was for myself. So, after receiving a small refund check, I had about $300 left and I took that last $300 and started my hair business.

That little $300 eventually turned into multiple six figures by the time I was around 20/21 years old. Back then, that was not common. Today you can scroll Instagram and see teenagers making millions of dollars online every day, but back then, seeing a young Black woman build a business making a quarter of a million dollars was a huge deal. That was the moment I really realized entrepreneurship and business were naturally a part of who I was.

But even during all of that, real estate was always in the back of my mind. Back in high school, I actually used to sit in class scribbling imaginary real estate deals in the back of my notebook. I would write out how much I would buy a property for, how much renovations would cost, what I would sell it for and what my profit would be. I literally wrote out a full blueprint for becoming a millionaire through real estate without actually understanding everything it took to get there.

Then one day, while sitting in the office of my second store in Inglewood, I realized I had hit a ceiling in the beauty industry. The business was successful, but I wanted more. I remember sitting there thinking about real estate for days and even weeks. Eventually I shared my ambitions with my mom and she gave me her full support.

My mother, having always been one of my biggest supporters ended up finding me an internship at Camden Realty Group. They were a very successful Commercial Real Estate firm in Beverly Hills. That internship completely radicalized my life. I was mentored by some of the most incredible commercial real estate professionals who I still respect deeply to this day.

To my surprise, on my very first day of the internship they sat us down, gave us an excel spead-sheet and said “Pick up the phone and call.” That was it.

While others in the internship struggled to make the calls. I jumped right in and started cold calling. It came naturally to me and the very first day I picked up the phone, I landed a $55 million lead….

At that moment, everything clicked. Because, realistically, nobody was calling my hair store trying to buy $55 million worth of bundles. I knew at that very moment that I wanted to be the representation for black professionals in Commercial Real Estate.

So, I made a very bold decision to close my store and go full-time into Commercial Real Estate. Even though that $55 million lead never saw the closing table, it reshaped my mindset. I didn’t need to make money to believe in the possibilities of real estate.

I started studying for my real estate exam and ended up failing the first time and I was devastated. I went home and round that same time, my grandmother was battling cancer. I told her I failed and through her agony, pain and discomfort she still believed in me enough to sit down and write me a check so I could retake the exam. I ultimately passed but back then, after taking your exam, you had to wait for your license paperwork came in the mail. Right after writing the check, my grandmother ended up going into the hospital and she passed away. That was undeniably the hardest days of my life. I remember walking into her house, going to the mailbox and there it was…a letter from the Department of Real Estate. My license had arrived on the very same day that my grandmother passed away.

Even now, it’s hard to explain what that moment felt like. In a very spiritual and symbolic way, I honestly feel like she made sure I crossed the finish line before she went to heaven. Every since then, real estate has felt bigger than just a career to me….more like an obligatory duty or a purpose if you will. An assignment from God.

After getting my license, I immediately got into property management. For the past 11-plus years, I’ve successfully had the honor to strategically help lead at MMGM LLC, a small property management company based in Inglewood, California. I’ve been blessed to expand into acquisitions, disposition, commercial real estate consulting, financial reporting, residential and commercial property management, leasing, and client relations.

Although, I haven’t made what I consider my big break, I am optimistic that it is on the way. Every step brings me closer to achieving my goals in this industry.

Looking back now, I can honestly say that every phase of my life somehow led me back to real estate. What started as a little girl being dragged to open houses after church eventually turned into a career, a business, and honestly, part of my purpose.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Real estate has not been a smooth road for me at all, and I think that is important for people to understand. A lot of times people see the polished version of entrepreneurship or real estate online, but they don’t see the real life experiences behind it. Real Estate is hard work. I, like many of my colleagues have been stripped of everything while still continuing in this business.

Over the years, I have gone through many personal struggles while still trying to build my career and keep moving forward. Not only am I neurodivergent-so I like to color outside the lines! lol But I unexpectedly became a single mother, lost my grandmother who was one of the most important people in my life, went through a divorce, experienced financial hardships, and even had a brief period of homelessness. Ironically, yes, the girl who grew up around family-owned property experienced homelessness herself. Life has a way of humbling you and teaching you lessons you never expected to learn.

I have also faced a lot within the industry itself. I have had people attempt to blackball me, I’ve been ostracized, ignored, bullied, discriminated against, underestimated, and misled. There were moments where I questioned myself, moments where I felt isolated, and moments where I genuinely did not know how I was going to keep pushing forward. But through all of it, I kept my faith- knowing that God would never leave me nor forsake me.

I have come to understand that nothing worth having comes easy and anybody who tells you success is effortless is simply not telling the truth. Every meaningful thing in my life has required sacrifice, resilience, discipline, faith, and perseverance. Prayer is the foundation I live by. Declaration and decrees will change your life spiritually and naturally. I am a living testimony of the goodness and grace the Lord provides.

God has always been my foundation and my anchor through every season of my life. No matter what circumstances I have faced, I have always found the strength to keep going. I truly believe the Holy Spirit has guided me, protected me, and continued to give me direction even during some of the darkest moments of my life.

And honestly, those experiences changed the way I approach both business and people. They gave me empathy, perspective, and a deeper understanding of what people are really going through behind closed doors. So when I help clients today, especially families trying to create stability, ownership, or a fresh start, I do not just understand it professionally. I understand it personally. Those are skills that only life can teach. AI could in fact never duplicate that level of human understanding and interaction.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Longmire Real Estate Group is honestly part of something much bigger than just selling homes. My ultimate goal is to help push the needle forward when it comes to property ownership, especially within underserved communities, but to do it in a financially literate and sustainable way. Growing up in Los Angeles and working in real estate for over a decade, I’ve seen firsthand who owns a large percentage of the real estate in underserved neighborhoods and how much wealth is generated from communities where many residents themselves are still struggling financially. That reality stayed with me.

What I want to do through Longmire Real Estate Group is help families from communities like the one I come from build ownership strategically and wisely. I don’t believe in encouraging people to simply “buy a house” for the sake of saying they became homeowners. I want people to understand financial literacy, investing, cash flow, long-term wealth, and how to avoid becoming house poor while still building equity and creating legacy for their families. I also am focused on creating 100 Landlords through commercial real estate aquisitions.

What sets me apart is that my work goes beyond just real estate transactions. Of course, I help clients buy, sell, lease, and manage real estate, but the bigger mission is community development through education, access, and support. I’m very passionate about helping people understand the power of ownership, credit, investing, and financial planning in a way that feels realistic and attainable.

I also want Longmire Real Estate Group to become a bridge between real estate and real community impact. A huge part of my vision includes creating support systems for underserved populations through things like subsidies, scholarships, mentorship, wellness initiatives, and educational resources. I want people to feel like they are gaining more than just a realtor when they work with us. I want them to feel supported, informed, empowered, and seen.

Brand-wise, I’m probably most proud of the fact that everything has been built authentically. My business reflects who I am as a person. It’s rooted in resilience, community, ambition, education, and legacy. I never wanted to create a brand that only looked successful online. I wanted to create something that genuinely impacts people in real life. I also never want to feel like a phony when I show up in my business. In my business, I am not yet where I want to be, but I am growing into who I was always meant to be. That is a blessing.

At the end of the day, I want readers to understand that Longmire Real Estate Group is not just about properties. It’s about helping people create stability, ownership, opportunity, and generational wealth while also reinvesting knowledge and resources back into the communities that shaped me.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
More than anything, I would want readers to know that your current circumstances do not have to determine your future. Life can humble you, redirect you, break you down, and still somehow prepare you for the very thing you are called to do. I think a lot of people see success and assume the road was smooth, but for many of us, especially those coming from underserved communities, the journey is layered with loss, setbacks, rebuilding, and resilience.

I have experienced success, failure, grief, financial hardship, motherhood, divorce, rejection, isolation, and moments where I genuinely did not know how things were going to work out. But I kept going. I kept my faith, and I kept believing that purpose is bigger than circumstance and this is where my handle @thekeysthatspeak comes from. The motivational keys I post were born out of a dark place where God uplifted me and restored me so…I feel like its my purpose to share what he gives me with other people. My purpose is to help other people become a better version of themselves and through all that I am called to do…I aim to do just that.

As far as real estate, I also want people to understand that ownership matters. Financial literacy matters. Community matters. Representation matters. Sometimes all it takes is exposure for someone to realize what is possible for their own life. I was fortunate enough to grow up seeing ownership normalized, and even though I did not fully understand it at the time, those experiences planted seeds that later shaped my entire career and purpose.

I truly believe we need more conversations around building sustainable wealth, protecting legacy, and creating opportunities within underserved communities in ways that are realistic, healthy, and financially responsible. My mission is not just to sell homes. It is to help people think differently about ownership, stability, legacy, and what is truly possible for themselves and their families.

And honestly, I would say to anybody reading this: do not let setbacks convince you to stop. Some of the hardest seasons of my life ended up producing the greatest growth. Keep going, keep your faith, and trust that your story still has purpose even when you cannot fully see it yet. Lastly, if you ever need any motivation visit my page @TheKeysThatSpeak and view the “Keys”. Those truly are designed to be daily keys for daily living, helping uplift those who may not be able to uplift themselves.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thekeysthatspeak
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnay-longmire-cruz-444848149