The Impressive Journey of a 23 year old Real Estate Entrepreneur - Katelyn Israel
If someone were to tell me that by age 23 I would have quit my 9-5 job and be a full time real estate agent and real estate investor I simply would not believe them...
Hi Everyone! My name is Katelyn Israel and I am a proud member of the Deal Acquisitions Team at Cornerstone Multifamily Inc. and a Real Estate Agent in the Kitchener-Waterloo area who is extremely excited to share my story with you.
Over two years ago I was studying Business and Financial Mathematics at Wilfrid Laurier University, extremely stressed and confused about my future. In this stress and confusion, I started listening to the famous Bigger Pocket Podcasts and was instantly intrigued by the world of real estate investing. For those of you who have never heard of Bigger Pockets, it is one of the best real estate investment podcasts that teaches a variety of concepts and skills for real estate investors looking to get started. The podcast suggested reading Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and I can honestly say that book has changed my life. I was introduced to the concept of finding ways for your money to work for you and the power of financial education. The concept of "Financial Freedom" excites me, and I am confident that every person, regardless of their financial situation, has the power to become financially free with hard work, persistence, and financial education.
After reading several of Robert Kiyosaki's books, I knew that my passion was in Real Estate. I began turning every conversation into a real estate conversation and by doing so, I was connected to John through family friends. I am very blessed to have John as a Real Estate Mentor at such a young age. I was a part of John's first Mentorship group and had the opportunity to travel to Edmonton to meet his "Power" Team and view a variety of John's properties in Edmonton. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be connected with John's resources out in Edmonton. The trip ignited a fire in me and I was committed to buying a property in Edmonton. I started to practice the skill of capital raising with the help of John and I purchased my first investment property in 2022 using other people's money to do so.
In 2022, I graduated with a Bachelors of Business Administration degree and a Minor in Financial Mathematics. I knew that I wanted to do something real estate related but I didn't know if I could be a real estate investor full time. After all, university is very expensive so I felt like I needed to use my degree to some extent. I ended up working at a few different real estate investment firms while doing my real estate course to become a registered Real Estate Agent. Throughout this time, John approached me to be a part of Cornerstone Multifamily and with no hesitation I jumped on the opportunity to be a part of this group! Fast forward a year, I obtained my real estate license, quit my 9-5 job at a Real Estate Investment firm and I am now a full time real estate investor and real estate agent.
So many people have asked me how I am enjoying my life as a real estate agent and real estate investor and I can honestly say I am absolutely loving it. I feel like this is what I'm meant to do and I feel so blessed to have this career as my life. I don't feel like it's work because I am living out my dreams and my passions, each and every day! I love how I can help so many families, friends and investors, find the best property that works with their strategy. I love how I'm surrounded with like minded entrepreneurs in Cornerstone Multifamily. But most importantly, I love how I'm surrounded by other Christians who are seeking ways to bring glory to God through the world of Real Estate.
As much as I love my new career, I want to shed light on some of the challenges I faced to get here. First and foremost, it was hard for me to do something "different", something that society views as a risky decision. As humans, it's natural to care about other people's opinions and I really struggled with this. The other main challenge I faced was fear. I was scared to leave a good paying job because as an entrepreneur, your income is never guaranteed. However, after a lot of praying and self reflection, I was able to see how my personal attributes and skills aligned with this new career path. I absolutely love building relationships with people and I love finance and numbers, which makes for the perfect combination in the world of real estate. I am a risk taker, hard worker, and I absolutely love the flexibility of being my own boss. Once I was able to fully understand my skills and passions, I had the confidence to leave my 9-5 job and venture into the world of real estate as an entrepreneur full time.
If you are in a position where you are on the fence about quitting your 9-5 job and becoming an entrepreneur these are some questions I would ask yourself:
1. Would I rather work for a company to make them more money, or do I want to become my own boss and have the flexibility of allocating my money the way I want too?
2. Is this job helping me to achieve financial freedom?
3. What are my strongest skills and passions? Are there any opportunities to build a business that will align with these skills and passions?
Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to anyone from our team. We would love to be a part of your journey, in any way that may be.
Katelyn Israel
Deal Acquisitions
