Monica Foster of RE/MAX Space Center-Clear Lake, League City
What was your first job in the realty industry? Corporate accounting management.
Where did you grow up? I grew up in the small town of Red Oak, Texas (16 miles south of Dallas).
What do you do to relax when you’re stressed? Unwind at the end of the day with a glass of cabernet.
Growing up, what did you want to be? When I was a child, I wanted to be a pediatrician. When I was in high school, I was torn between a career in accounting and a career in real estate. Accounting initially won, but I am now in real estate, so it’s come full circle.
If you could have lunch with a well-known figure (living or not), who would it be and why? There are so many, it’s hard to choose just one.
Where is your favorite place to hang out? On a sunny day, my backyard paradise that we dubbed “Foster-Rica.”
What do you love most about the industry? Helping people realize their real estate goals.
How do you distinguish yourself from the crowd of agents? By providing more service, marketing and doing it better. To be a successful agent you need to be willing to spend your own money to market the property or provide concierge service. Going above and beyond what other agents are willing to do is how you stand out and differentiate yourself from the crowd.
What is the most difficult aspect of your job? Time management – dealing with all avenues of communication that need to happen with all the transactions going on simultaneously. This can be further compounded if the client is unrealistic about market conditions.
What has been your greatest accomplishment? The entire year of 2015. I was able to support my charity of choice, Communities in Schools – Bay Area, in a large financial way due to the great success of the business. I received the RE/MAX Diamond Club award for the second year in a row, received the RE/MAX Lifetime Achievement Award for selling over $100 million in real estate and earned a place on the 2015 Top 20 List for RE/MAX teams in the state of Texas for the very first time.
What is your favorite restaurant? Locally, it is Lupe Tortilla in Clear Lake. In Texas, it’s Bohannon’s Prime Steaks in San Antonio. Out of state, Firefly on Paradise in Las Vegas.
What kind of car do you drive? I have a 2014 Lexus IS 350, which is my business car, and a 2014 Corvette Stingray, which is my personal car.
Smartphone or paper? Smartphone for almost everything, but I still need paper for notes when taking new client information.
What is your favorite city after Houston? Dallas, since I was born and raised in the area.
In 10 words or less, what is your advice for someone new to the industry? Use your sphere of influence, but also realize you will have to spend money to market yourself.
What’s your favorite real estate iPhone/Android app? The RealtyByMonica app found exclusively in the App Store for iPhone. My husband developed it for me.