Today we’d like to introduce you to Caroline Waterwall.
Hi Caroline, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I honestly never imagined I would be working in the Real Estate Industry. Outside looking in and without any real understanding of the industry, I did not find myself to be salesy enough or prim enough to fill a role of a Realtor. As many stories go, I found myself in a pursuit to ‘find myself’ when I let go of an identity that I had identified as for most of my life by that point. I knew it would only be possible to begin that journey with my support system – my family. I relocated to the Austin area after accepting a Contract-to-Close and Executive Assistant position with a wonderful boutique brokerage in North Austin. I learned the ins-and-outs of the business and gained beautiful connections in this chapter of my story. I had an opportunity to take over the role of Property Manager at the same brokerage. This chapter was a difficult one – I gained a ton of knowledge that would help me for my future real estate endeavours while also struggling with growing pains of my new position.
I am thankful for my broker family support and patience while I balanced my new role. While I know property management is not my personal ideal end goal, I am beyond grateful for the knowledge and insight it gave me. I love helping my clients build their wealth in the city they call home and taking on a Property Manager role allows me to do that with first-hand experience. I actually pursued my Real Estate license during this chapter as well. I quickly realized that Real Estate was less about the pomp and pageantry or the commission breath you hear about through the grapevine. Real Estate was about helping and caring for people, which is something that speaks to my heart. So, in short, Real Estate grew on me. I gained experience and knowledge that I could use to help my community – and I ran with it.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think there is a successful entrepreneur that hasn’t failed… a number of times… on their way to success. Thankfully I had my support systems – family and broker – that were patient and guided me to success. At least continuing to better myself with each trial. The main challenge I faced was early on in my Realtor role. I had a large insecurity about providing the absolute best service to my clients. When I say the absolute best, I mean I wanted to know Every. Single. Detail. about a real estate transaction – perfection. There was a point where I was overwhelmed with the idea that there was a large amount of information that I had yet to learn. That little nagging thought convinced me that I was not providing the absolute best service. It has been a journey of self-discovery and self-love that allowed me to gain the confidence to get over that challenge.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
In short, I help people buy, sell, and rent real estate. I focus on Single Family Residential throughout the greater Austin area and have a special interest in the South-West Austin area stretching from Northwest Hills to Lakeway to West Lake Hills. I am able to provide full rental services as well – listing your rental, including tenant screening, or finding a rental. I have experience with multi-family homes as well, which are a great opportunity to grow your portfolio. I believe each realtor has a different aspect they are able to bring to the table for a client. The easiest thing I can reference is the DISC assessment – a behavior self-assessment tools that will give you insight into your personality style strengths, limitations, and communication preference. I like to think I am a very empathetic person and I care about my clients, I care for their best interests, they are why I am in this business after all! I think that is side-car’ed with being trustworthy. That is huge when you are choosing who will be guiding you through the largest financial decision you will likely make. Even if it isn’t myself, that is the biggest advice I can give to someone looking to buy/sell/rent real estate, trust your gut and find the right fit for a real estate agent that you know you can trust to guide you in the right direction to the best of their ability.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
I actually made my largest shift this year! As I have mentioned, I was blessed to start my career with an amazing support and a knowledgeable broker to steer me in the right direction. I made the decision this year to switch to Compass – the culture is unbeatable. It opened my networking platform to a whole new level and allows me to bump elbows with the best in the business. This transition came with a little heartbreak, I loved my little brokerage, but this allowed me to truly experience the full Realtor experience and gave me even more ownership of my business. You can think of a little bird leaving the nest. It has been a whirlwind! It was the best decision for me at the end of the day. Compass gives my clients even more confidence when they choose to work with me too. Our agents are vetted and are the best in the business. I remember the first few intros I had at the Compass office, I left thinking “Oh my goodness… that was a full out interview!” They were feeling me out just as much I was feeling them out. It solidified my decision, truth be told. I knew they wouldn’t onboard a realtor that didn’t meet their requirements or fit their culture and, ha, I wouldn’t make the switch unless my brokerage fit those things for me. For the next 5-10 years, I want to continue doing THIS. Providing my best for my clients. Success looks different for everybody, right? It’s not necessarily a financial or income milestone that I hope for. I hope to impact lives and continue making meaningful connections all while providing real estate services to my clients.
Contact Info:
- Email: Caroline.Waterwall@compass.com
- Website: https://www.compass.com/agents/caroline-waterwall/?showClientView=true
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cwrealty.atx/
- Other: https://www.zillow.com/myzillow/Profile.htm
Image Credits:
Georges Schemagin
