Priyanka Johri
Broker/Owner/Real Estate Advisor
Woodlands Eco Realty
Priyanka Johri delights in changing people’s perspective on what makes a successful businesswoman. It takes business savvy and passion.
Johri, the owner of Woodlands Eco Realty, is a “serial entrepreneur” who decided to listen to her passions and take control of her life and career path to create a world where she could fulfill the dreams of not only those around her but of herself as well.
“I dutifully did the corporate America routine in the energy industry for decades,” says Johri, who was a petroleum geologist who worked in the oil and gas industry, first for Shell in Houston and then for Anadarko in The Woodlands. “Financially, it was fulfilling; however, my heart was not content. I wanted to do more, do better, for myself and others. So, I quit my cushy job to strike out on my own.”
For almost 10 years, Woodlands Eco Realty has specialized in helping buyers and sellers get the best price for their homes, but also in supporting local non-profits with donations. After Johri noticed that many of her relocation clients were living in small, cramped hotel rooms while looking for a home to buy or build, she founded Woodlands Executive Rentals, which provides furnished rentals in The Woodlands.
“Woodlands Eco Realty, a ‘Company With A Cause,’ is a unique brokerage that was founded to help my fulfill her dream of helping others,” she says.
Her strong business sense coupled with her desire to help those around her has given her the reputation of being a real estate agent who can be trusted to do right by her clientele.
“My clients like that I always protect their interests, and it gratifies me that they understand I know what I am doing and why I am doing it. They say they always feel like they are the only client when I am with them,” she says. “In a sense, they’re right. When I’m with a client, they are the center of my world.”
She also opened a special nonprofit sanctuary for elderly and special needs animals. Her acute business acumen led her to open a for-profit business that could provide funds to operate her sanctuary.
Johri’s compassionate business strategy paid off, and her business has grown and has been able to not only just sustain the sanctuary, but also grow it. Johri is looking to hire compassionate Realtors to manage the growth of her business. “My dream to successfully build a for-profit business enough to be able to fund a nonprofit came true,” she says. “Due to special-needs animals, sanctuary vet bills are tremendously high. Being able to pay for the day-to-day care of these animals and all the medical bills makes me feel quite accomplished.”
Johri’s passion has not gone unnoticed by her industry peers and the community in general. She recently won the Good Neighbor Award from the National Association of Realtors for her ceaseless efforts in community involvement. Not only does she donate to her charity, but she herself can often be found at numerous charitable events, whether organized by others or at her own “Love Matters” event series.
As well as being an active volunteer in her community, Johri is a member of the Montgomery County Leadership Team, the Houston Realtors International Advisory Board and the Texas Realtors Leadership Program. She is also a diplomat at The Woodlands Area Chamber of Commerce. The few times she is neither working nor rousting about with the dozens of pets at the sanctuary, she enjoys reading, parasailing, swimming and enjoying the benefits of holding her own commercial pilot’s license.
