Today we’d like to introduce you to Ivan Estrada.
Hi Ivan, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA to immigrant parents Luis and Maria Estrada from Mexico. My dad was a janitor and a house painter, my mom was a seamstress in a factory in downtown Los Angeles. I also have a little sister Vianett who is three years younger. I went to school in Eagle Rock and was signed to a record company at age 12 where I recorded my first album and really got the sense of being a working student while still attending school. I appeared on multiple TV channels from FOX, NBC, Univision, TV Azteca, and Telemundo. Recording an album, choreography lessons, and performances all continued until I was age 17.
After that, I went to school at USC majoring in finance and accounting. I wanted to strive to be a CPA, which I did. After graduating in 2007, I worked in the Public Accounting sector for three years, got my CPA license, and shortly realized that I had an entrepreneurial spirit and really wanted to start my own business.
In 2010, I got my license as a real estate agent and started working as a broker at Coldwell Banker sunset strip. The reason why I felt that real estate was my calling is because I was always very creative and felt that I could combine it with my background of accounting and finance. Those two things would really work together. Also, at that time, no one was doing videos. I was one of the first real estate agents to ever do a youtube video and start my own youtube channel. Video was what got my name known in the real estate industry.
Throughout the last 14 years – video, networking, and building relationships in the music industry, USC, and from my accounting background really helped built my business. In the last 2-3 years, I decided I wanted to take things a little further with my brand. I wrote a book called Brand With Purpose, which is a book about branding and marketing. I really wanted to help other young entrepreneurs and people in the real estate industry. I wanted to teach them on how to brand themselves to be successful – no matter the real estate market, inflation, or recession – where they can really know how to run their business like a business and not an agency.
I also did a TEDx talk at TEDx Mount Rubidoux with a topic of “How to Build or Re-Build a Personal Brand” where I really opened up about my story and struggles of trying to figure out my own identity. The whole point of the TEDx talk is, you can’t really know where you are going or have a plan unless you know who you are as a person and as a brand.
In addition, I released my course Brand With Video which is an interactive online course to help entrepreneurs on how to brand themselves and how to use video to leverage their businesses. Now with 14 years in the business and over half a billion in sales, I really want to take my real estate business to the next level and empower young Latino entrepreneurs as well as businessmen/women to show them it’s possible to be whoever you want to be no matter the financial background, where you come from, or the color of your skin.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
It was struggle after struggle in the real estate industry especially when I started in 2010 due to the great recession. At that time it was difficult getting clients as well as keeping clients. There was a large influx of agents in the market and it was during that time I really had to figure out what made me special/different from other agents. That is when I marketed myself not just as an agent but someone with a CPA background and credentials in finance. I helped sellers sell their homes faster by utilizing video and I was one of the first agents to do that.
During this whole time in the real estate business, it has never been smooth. Year after year, I had to figure out how to reinvent myself, how to become relevant, how to use new technology, how to use new processes in order to stand out, how to continue branding myself to my current clientele as well as past and future clientele. I always continued to strive to better educate myself to have more tools available for helping out my clients.
Especially now during times of financial instability and uncertainty, it’s our job as agents to not just help clients get from point A to point B but also being a vessel of information and help them navigate the transaction not just physically but also mentally – really being able to be there to hold their hand along the way. We wear many hats in order to be able to do that with clients and to be successful at it.
As you know, we’re big fans of Ivan Estrada Properties. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Ivan Estrada Properties was established in 2010 by its founder Ivan Estrada. With over half a billion in sales helping over 200 families and 50 investors, Ivan has become one of the most sought-after real estate agents in Los Angeles. Specializing on the westside and working with first-home buyers to multimillion-dollar clients, Ivan has helped more families create generational wealth through his extensive knowledge of the market and his 14 years of experience.
Having started during the great recession, the company learned to operate during very turbulent times. A strong foundation was built through extensive training in negotiation, marketing, sales, and branding while also building a strong network of global agents. Ivan brings incredible value to both sellers and buyers through his extensive technical and ethical training.
Ivan’s network is among one of the biggest in Los Angeles that is encompassed by business managers, CPAs, financial advisors, talent managers, attorneys, USC & Stanford Alumni and real estate agents. It is notable for sellers since Ivan runs an extensive pre-listing campaign that is sent to all of his 1,546 business alliance contacts. These individuals have the capacity to bring the perfect buyer. As for buyers, to protect their investment, Ivan has great CPA’s, trust and estate attorneys and insurance professionals who can help protect the asset.
As the best-selling author of “Brand With Purpose” and TedX Talk “How to build or rebuild a personal brand”, it matters because when listing a home, marketing and branding is the second most important part of the process. Knowing human psychology using branding techniques is how Ivan creates the buyer profile and is better able to target using marketing efforts to a specific buyer pool no matter their geographic location.
What are your plans for the future?
The major plan is to continue to expand my team in Los Angeles when it comes to the luxury market. I am also going to continue to provide the best service by educating and implementing any new technologies such as A.I. and augmented reality to help buyers and sellers to better navigate the process.
Furthermore, I’m planning on doing more public speaking engagements as a motivational and inspirational speaker especially in the Latino community, to empower the young youth who may feel disempowered. I want to give them the hope of opportunity, that it is possible to achieve their dreams as long as they work hard and are dedicated and to always use education to take the next steps of their lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.IvanEstradaProperties.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivanestradaproperties
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ivanestradaRE
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivanestradaproperties/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/ivanestradaproperties
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ivan-estrada-properties-beverly-hills-7?osq=ivan+estrada+properties
- Other: https://www.BrandWith.com
Image Credits
Ian Maddox / www.ianmaddoxphotography.com
