Meet Ashley Johnson | Real Estate Agent and Apartment Locator

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

Hi Ashley, is there something you can share with us that those outside of the industry might not be aware of?
One thing about the real estate industry that outsiders are most likely unaware of is how long it can take to generate clientele and secure your first deal. It usually takes new sales agents anywhere from six to twelve months to secure their first deal, so up until that point, you are essentially just networking and working for free in order to get your name out there to potential clients. So, it is very important to have another source of income until you get to that point where you have clients that you are working with consistently! 

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a real estate sales agent and apartment locator for Jara Realty, located in Dallas, Texas. What sets me apart from others is my versatility, drive, and determination. I pride myself on being able to work with people from all different walks of life and at every price point, all while maintaining the highest amount of efficiency and professionalism possible. I want people to know that when they work with me, I am not solely working for compensation. I truly love what I do and one of the best feelings in the world to me is seeing my clients happy in their new homes or apartments, so I truly do have my client’s best interests in mind.

This career path is definitely not an easy one, but I was blessed with an extremely strong foundation that helped me get to where I am today. I have been around real estate since birth because of my mother, however, while attending college at The University of Texas at Austin (Hook ‘Em Horns!), I got my real estate license and worked as an apartment locator for two years for a company that was catered specifically for UT Austin students. They taught me a lot of things that I still use today, such as how to generate leads, how to market yourself on social media, etc.

A lesson that I have learned along the way is that no matter how badly you may want to, you can not please everyone. There are some people who will approach you with unrealistic expectations and criteria, and you just have to learn how to turn those people away because you will not be able to find them what they are wanting. Politely, of course!

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?
Okay, first of all, I am a HUGE foodie. A lot of people say that they are foodies, but I am the real deal. One of my favorite things to do with friends is try new food places. If my friend was visiting the area for the first time, some food places that we would definitely have to visit are Ojeda’s (the best Tex-Mex ever), Rudy’s Chicken, either Oishii or Little Katana for sushi, Haywire, Drake’s, Kitchen + Kocktails, Al Biernat’s, and Del Frisco’s. For dessert, we would have to go to Cake Bar, Braum’s, Insomnia, or the Creamistry. For drinks, I would take them to Art Park at Trinity Groves, Clutch Bar, or Frankie’s, or if we wanted to do something a little fancier, I would take them to Catbird or Monarch.

As far as activities, there are a lot of things to do in Dallas. I would take them to museums such as the Perot or the Sixth Floor Museum, or we could go to the aquarium! I would definitely take them shopping at Northpark or the Galleria, or if we wanted to go a little further north we could go to the Shops at Legacy. Klyde Warren or the Art Park at Trinity Groves are amazing places to just chill and hang out, especially on a pretty day. If we wanted to have more of a wild time, we could go to one of the many bars in Deep Ellum, such as Bitter End or Stirr.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to give a shoutout to my mother, Angela Johnson, who got me interested in Real Estate from a very young age. Growing up, I would spend days at the office with her, accompany her on her showings and open houses, and sometimes even help her take pictures for her BPO’s. She is the person who taught me how to hustle in order to get the results that I am striving for. Now, I am fortunate enough to have her as my broker at Jara Realty, which is the brokerage that I am currently working for.

Instagram: ashleyj_realestate

Linkedin: Ashley Johnson

Other: tiktok: @ashtherealtorr !

Image Credits
Afolabi Oywuwo @afosphotos