Meet Graciela Martinez | DFW Realtor®

We had the good fortune of connecting with Graciela Martinez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Graciela, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I was born in Dallas, TX and have lived in Far North Dallas pretty much my entire life.

We didn’t have much money growing up but my parents always gave us what we needed and then some. With them, our only job was to go to school and pursue a higher education.

I am the oldest of three so I got to be the one to do things by trial and error. When my siblings’ time came for certain things, they had me to use as a resource.

There were many ‘firsts’ with my parents as well; from needing a ride to my first job interview, graduating from high school and being the first in my family to graduate from college, they got to experience things they hadn’t before.

I am very big on family. To me, my family is the true meaning of unconditional love, there is not one person I can’t call needing something and they won’t be ready to jump in their car to help me, and vice versa. We are always there for each other.

My parents taught me work ethic and that life doesn’t owe us anything; if you want something, you need to work for it. They taught me to never settle and I think this has had a lot to do with my decisions lately; doing things although they may seem scary or out of reach.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I graduated from The University of North Texas in December of 2019 with a Bachelor’s of Applied Arts and Sciences Degree with concentrations in construction management, business management and real estate.

I spent the last 2 years in the construction industry as part of project management. While I really enjoyed being a part of building things from the ground up, towards the end, I felt like I wasn’t serving my purpose. I have goals in life that continue to include construction but I also want to help people.

I got the opportunity to volunteer as an ESL teacher and did that after work every week last year. I also opened a tax preparing business back in 2020, this barely broke even every year, but the main purpose of it was to help people. This began after I continued to see the crazy fees other preparers were charging people for simple tax returns. The challenges of this was being tired a lot of the time, I felt like I was stretching myself thin at times but I was always thankful that people trusted and wanted to work with me.

Life isn’t easy but I think the hardest things are worth doing because they will put you in a better position later on. I think what I am most proud of so far is doing things I’m “not” meant to be doing, being in rooms that “weren’t” meant for me. During my time in construction, any meeting I attended, I was the only woman, the only hispanic and the youngest person in the room. While this came with imposter syndrome at times, I reminded myself that I was in those rooms because I had earned it. This helped my confidence as well because if I could be in those rooms and be listened to and respected, I can do anything.

And this is why I’m here. I got my real estate license in October of 2021 but didn’t continue to pursue it then because I felt like I wasn’t going to be able to serve like I needed with my work schedule at the time. What I am most excited about now is being able to help people attain the dream of home ownership. I want to educate others and let them know that what may look so unattainable isn’t that far out of reach. We will go through the process and to the finish line together.

What sets me apart from others is that I do things because I genuinely want to help. If I can do something that will help better your life, I will. I move with integrity and will always have my clients’ best interest in mind in every transaction.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
This is hard, lol. I am quite literally a homebody, unless I’m visiting my parents. BUT I do love food. Here are some of the food places I’d recommend for everyone to check out… For some of the best tacos & tortas in Dallas; Taqueria El Paisano, Taqueria El Si Hay, Taqueria Los Angeles. Chicken: Ricky’s Hot Chicken, Pluckers. Korean BBQ: Fusion Kitchen, Burgers: Twisted Root *Inserts drool emoji here*

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I wouldn’t be where I am today without the love and support from my family. They have been there for me through everything and for the last 8 years, I have my fiancé to thank for his support as well. I want a better life for myself because I know that in turn, it will create a better life for them. They are my “why.” They keep me going.

Website: gracieladfwrealtor.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gracielaamtz/