Today we’d like to introduce you to Misty and Charles Vasquez.
Hi Misty and Charles, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Our story starts at a local Mexican Restaurant here in SLC, The Red Iguana. We were both working as servers. We fell hard for each other. While in the first days of dating, I quickly realized I had met his dog, Dusty well before I met him. My parents have lived around the corner from Charles’ house for the last 15-plus years and I had tried to rescue his free-spirited pup several times while he was roaming the neighborhood.
My dad loves to tell the story about how I called him one day to tell him I was dating the guy who is the owner of the puppy we always try to “rescue”. I think it was 2012. We worked together at Red Iguana for 2 years. We talk a lot about our Red Iguana days with nostalgia. That place was major in giving us our Work Ethic. If you don’t know, it’s one of the busiest restaurants in the city. We worked hard, fast, and efficiently.
We learned to be great listeners and to deliver just what the guests wanted. We met amazing people and learned how to always deliver our best to the people we served and to the people we worked with. What we learned doing that job, definitely reflects the service we currently give our Real Estate clients. After our Red Ig. days, we went on to do a few other jobs, searching for our “purpose, “passion”
We got married in 2016 and had our first son, Charlie Blue in 2017. And this is where the story of our life picks up speed! We went on a family vacation to Mexico. While there, we decided to pursue Real Estate. Charles’ mom, Carmen has been a Realtor for over 30 years. She was always encouraging us to get licensed and she saw that we had what it would take to succeed. We would go home, and take the course every night after the baby was in bed, while still working our day jobs. We were tired new parents with a big goal in mind. And we did it.
When I had that little moment of wanting to give up, Charles with that first-generation spirit (First gen American) would motivate us and keep us going. You hear people say, “Your first year in Real Estate is the hardest!” And it is. Ha! We learned a lot, including how we did and did not want to grow our business. Charles and I are very social people, with large a large friend group and they came through. We survived those first 2 years helping our friends and family, and their friends and family make big real estate decisions, all the while learning how to be parents. We found our niche, and growing our business organically has brought us so much joy.
After 2 years in the biz, we were expecting baby number 2. Our business was growing, so we decided to quit our day jobs and focus 100% on Real Estate. 1 week after we quit those jobs…. surprise “It’s Twins!” We welcomed our sons, Luca and Augustine at the end of 2019. They were pre-mature so those first few months were quite the adjustment. Charles and I did bounce back into work 6 weeks after they were born and quickly realized how lucky we were to essentially be working from home and most importantly side by side. 2 Newborns, a toddler, and a Real Estate Business! COVID-19 hit that spring, and business did the opposite of what we all thought it would do, It picked up and we were busier than ever. The market was moving at high speed and was very competitive. We learned so much that year. It was stressful and exciting and exhausting. and it was our best year to date. We had found our passion!
Towards the end of 2020 our son, Luca was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy (earlier this year we received a new Diagnosis, Autism). This threw a huge curveball our way and all we could do is keep manning the ship and learn to re-navigate our beautifully blessed little life. The prognosis seemed so bleak. I would be lying if I said I was fine. I felt like I had somehow failed and I suffered from a lot of self-blame. Writing this right now is drawing up a lot of those old feelings. But I want to share this so that someone out there can maybe draw hope from this.
Charles and I did what any loving parents would do, we advocated for him, researched all that we could research, and sought out as many resources, groups, and therapists. Soon enough we even found ourselves in a little community of families with similar diagnoses. Luca has amazed all of us! He is so motivated to move and enjoy life and has a deep love for music. In his short 3 years, he has physically gone through more than most of us have or ever will. Resilient, unstoppable, fearless. Just a few things he has taught Charles and I, and that we now carry with us in our daily lives.
Being parents has made us the best versions of ourselves and better at our careers. Talk about your kids motivating your to succeed! To finish this off, we work hard to give our clients the keys to a brighter future, keys to generational wealth, and of course…literal keys! We work hard to guarantee a secure, happy, and bright future for our boys! – Misty Vasquez.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It’s been bumpy! Navigating parenthood, twins, a disability, another disability (Luca’s recent autism diagnosis), fluctuation of the Real Estate Market, a global pandemic changing so many people’s lives and circumstances. Interest rates going the lowest they’ve ever been to then skyrocketing.
Salt Lake City not being a secret anymore.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
When the term “real estate” is mentioned, everyone who is old enough to own property likely has an opinion about it. In Salt Lake City, there are numerous Real Estate Agents, but what sets us apart is that we are a husband-and-wife team. Our dynamic partnership enables us to work exceptionally well together, contrary to the common belief that working with one’s partner can be challenging.
We possess a deep understanding of each other’s strengths, allowing us to provide two valuable perspectives when evaluating properties, negotiating, and navigating transactions. We specialize in Residential Real Estate. Helping home sellers and home buyers, whether it’s their first time or they are seasoned.
Misty, with her charm and relatability, brings a unique quality to our team. She pays meticulous attention to detail and has a remarkable ability to simplify complex matters, making it easier for clients to grasp crucial information. Her commitment to the details ensures we stay well-informed about the many different aspects of homes we see, comparable properties in the area, the history of the homes and so much more.
Throughout our business, we have developed strong and lasting connections. The friendships we have formed along the way are immensely meaningful to us, and we are grateful for them. And as for myself, Charles, I’m a graphic designer, who has a passion for learning about branding and marketing. Misty and I have created a distinctive style guide for our social media presentations, which gives our online presence a personal and appealing touch. We recognize the importance of social media as a platform for quick information dissemination. However, we don’t take ourselves too seriously and like to infuse our presence with an element of fun.
This approach serves as an excellent conversation starter when interacting with people in person, allowing us to provide further insights and establish meaningful connections. Along the way, I’ve learned to ask a lot of questions and have gained an immense amount of knowledge about homes. And I will add, we do have quite the knack for understanding the psychology behind a home buyer/seller. You learn a lot about people in this business!
Our branding strategy is characterized by a light and friendly tone, infused with our unique sense of humor. We primarily focus our marketing efforts on social media platforms, leveraging their reach and engagement potential to connect with a broader audience. -Charles Vasquez.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
Charles: 7 Spiritual Law of Success by Deepak Chopra, How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie, Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, and Siddartha by Herman Hesse.
Misty: I love anything written by Alice Walker, Special by Melanie Dimmitt, True Crime podcasts and books, Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles, The Little Book of Big Lies by Tina Lifford, and Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/mvrealtors?igshid=MmIzYWVlNDQ5Yg==
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RealtorsMV?mibextid=LQQJ4d
