I was on the ground floor of a property management company, fixing what broke and learning a building from the inside out. That led to a promotion into leasing, and then into assistant property manager — where I picked up the three things that actually run a piece of real estate: maintenance, leasing, and accounting.

Most agents come at a transaction from one angle. I came at it from three. I know what a property costs to keep running, not just to buy. I know what makes a tenant stay or leave. And I know what the numbers look like when a deal is good versus when it just looks good on paper.

Eventually I realized I wanted more than a seat inside someone else's operation — I wanted ownership of my own career. So I got licensed.

Today, I work under Dudley Pro Homes across Maryland and Washington, DC, where I've spent the past 7+ years managing 250+ rental units and guiding buyers, sellers, and landlords through decisions that are a lot easier to get right when you've actually done the work yourself.