Check Out Lisa Kozak’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Kozak.

Hi Lisa, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I never could have imagined a job that essentially fell into my lap would lead to a 12 year career that I genuinely enjoy. After graduating college in 2012, I began working the front desk of the San Francisco Yacht Club while searching for what I thought was my dream job in marketing. I applied to a position for a marketing assistant that turned out to be a licensed real estate assistant job. During the interview, I actually said “I love watching house hunters” when asked about my real estate experience – hilarious and so cringe worthy today. Turns out the realtor I was interviewing with was a member of the San Francisco Yacht Club and had been impressed with my attention to detail and work ethic, so he was willing to take a chance on me.
I started my real estate career on January 2, 2013 with one of the top luxury brokerages in San Francisco. The girl who watched House Hunters was suddenly among the top of the top producers in one of the most influential markets in the country. I decided to jump all in and quickly fell in love with the world of real estate. I worked as a licensed real estate assistant in San Francisco for three years before moving up to Sonoma County, where I became an individual Realtor. I love that real estate allows me to craft my schedule around my responsibilities of motherhood and raising three small children. I truly can’t imagine doing any other career.
My family moved from Northern California to Holly Springs, NC in October of 2022 and after a brief stint as a stay at home mom, I decided to rejoin the real estate world full time. I LOVE calling North Carolina home and helping others find their place in this beautiful space just feels like what I’m supposed to be doing. I work with all types of buyers and sellers, and have experience with everything from farm land to high rise condos.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Everything in life comes with it’s own set of struggles, and my real estate career is no different. Going out on my own after being an assistant was a big change that required me to shift my mindset about what it is that I do. Yes, realtors are in sales, but more than that we are in customer service. I’ve adopted a saying from Ryan Serhant, “No one likes being sold to, but everyone loves shopping with friends.” Shifting my mindset to this way of thinking has allowed me to create a long lasting career that is propelled by referrals from past clients. I focus more on building relationships than on individual commissions.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
My specialty is first time buyers and sellers. I think first time sellers are sometimes overlooked, but selling a home can be a deeply emotional and stressful time – especially if you have children and are living in the home while selling it. I like to be with my clients every single step of the way and provide clarity and assurance at every turn.
There have been a couple transactions during my career that I’m proud of. One would be when I successfully closed a sale in just 3 days – escrows are usually 30 days. The other would be when I sold a home at a price that set a new record for price per square foot in the neighborhood – as much as I’m proud of the price in this one, what I’m most proud of is that my seller told me she felt as peace closing that chapter of her life. She raised her children in that home, said goodbye to her beloved husband in that home, and had a whole lifetime of memories there. It was an emotional, yet necessary, sale and knowing that she felt positive about the entire experience meant more to me than any price.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
Be willing to adapt and don’t be afraid to take up space. During Covid everything was online and it became necessary to share myself and my work on social media in order to stay relevant. Through that time, I learned the importance of authenticity on social media and taking advantage of client interactions online.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.LisaKozakRealtor.com
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/Lisa.Kozak.Realtor