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Meet Ashley Kennedy

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Kennedy.

Ashley, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I never planned on pursuing a career in real estate. I have always been a creative person and I love being a part of people’s milestones in life. After I had my oldest daughter, I continued to build my home baking business and at one point I considered opening a bakery. I was pregnant with my second daughter and I was ready for a change and wanted to start a career. I have my B.A. in Social Ecology from the University of California, Irvine, but I’d never used my degree and had a major gap in my employment after having my first daughter. My husband and I would watch a lot of HGTV and one night I said “Hmm, what if I became a real estate agent?!” I signed up for the online courses and got licensed a few months later! I actually planned to have my license before giving birth to my youngest daughter, but there were hold-ups. The day I took my license exam I was EXHAUSTED from breastfeeding a newborn throughout the night and reviewing the exam material, but I was determined to pass the exam on my first time and I did!

Has it been a smooth road?
I’ll start by saying that a career in real estate is nothing like what you see on reality shows! I didn’t have any prior experience in the field, so I was blessed to have had the opportunity to work with a great mentor. That mentorship allowed me to quickly learn the ropes and make great connections in the real estate world. The real estate market in Los Angeles is very competitive, there are a lot of agents.

We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a REALTOR® and I assist people with buying and selling real estate. For me it goes beyond sales, I am truly honored to be a part of the largest transaction in someone’s life. My way to help bring about change and create more opportunities for those that look like me is to educate and share resources. I’m proud of the amount of effort I put into empowering our community and future generations. I love hosting events, last August I partnered with a lender to host a back to school supply giveaway at Darby Park. We had snacks, crafts, and a face painter, the kids had so much fun!

As a millennial, I’m on social media often and I use my platforms to spread resources and knowledge. So far, I’ve hosted five free homebuying workshops. During the workshops, I’ve partnered with a financial advisor, credit repair specialist, and mortgage lender to help other millennials prepare for homeownership. I most recently hosted a virtual First Time Homebuying Workshop at the end of June and we were able to connect with 55 millennials that want to become homeowners! In my opinion, that’s amazing!! I think that homeownership is one of the best ways to create generational wealth, as well as decrease the wealth gap. In the US, Black homeownership rates are 30 percentage points lower than Whites, with just over 40% of Blacks being homeowners compared to 70% of Whites.

I also use my business to help other Black entrepreneurs grow their businesses. When clients work with me they are also supporting other Black mortgage lenders, home inspectors, transaction coordinators, and chefs for events.

My husband and I recently purchased our first home. I love great design, but I’m also frugal so we do a lot of DIY projects! I recently started a blog to share our home renovations, DIY projects, and home design.

Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I like best about my city is it’s history, resilience, and it’s future. I was born and raised in Inglewood, attended schools across the LA area, and now I’m a proud homeowner in South Los Angeles. The culture of South LA is unmatched and there are so many beautiful neighborhoods that you never hear about in the media. I love the architecture of homes, sometimes my family will drive around View Park, Windsor Hills, and Leimert Park and admire the beautiful homes! I also think you’ll love your own neighborhood a little bit more when you walk. My daughters and I will take a stroll through our neighborhood, Vermont Knolls, and I love the amount of pride of homeownership!

Pricing:

  • As a Buyer’s Agent my services are usually free to you as the Buyer, so be sure to have your own representation when purchasing your first home!

Contact Info:


Image Credit:
Oscar Alcala, Brandon Vidal

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