From kindergarten and elementary school to high school and university, we are constantly being prepared for the future. Who you want to be, what you want to do, where you want to go and other such questions are asked of us as we go through the system. These questions and the years of formative education and training prepare us for the transition and adaptation to career and professional life.
Some people, however are born ready.
Graduating early from high school, Shakira Scott earned her real estate certification and began working as an agent. The 19-year-old has since gained momentum, making six figures and consistently hitting the $10,000 mark each month.
“I know what I want from life. I kind of felt like why wait when the resources are here and I can do both…now I have an earlier start than others would, and I’m glad I [made] that decision. It was stressful and it still is kind of stressful, but the good always outweighs the bad,” Scott said about her decision to join the real estate industry at a young age.
After completing high school in three years due to being academically gifted, Scott began to think of her next step. She was drawn to real estate and the promise of building generational wealth. Her mother is a real estate broker and was a major decisive factor in her making the leap and join industry at only 17. While attending Louisiana State University, Scott embarked on her pre-license real estate course. She became a licensed real estate agent in Louisiana within a year.
Scott initially struggled in her early days of being a licensed real estate agent. She operated in relative anonymity and did not sell a single home in her first two months. She developed an effective lead generation formula that completely changed her business trajectory. Utilizing social media, digital advertising, physical flyers, and door-to-door outreach, Scott established herself as a realtor. She soon sold her first home within 48 hours of listing it and made $9,000 in commission.
The only way from there was up.
The month after her first sale, Scott sold three homes and made $21,000 in commission. These types of figures have since been coming in consistently. The marketing major at LSU currently earns a six-figure income annually, often exceeding $10,000 per month. Although starting in real estate at such a young age has presented its fair share of challenges, Scott has adapted to working with clients and managing paperwork efficiently. The joy of helping people close on their dream homes makes all her struggles worthwhile.
Scott was initially a little extravagant with her early commission checks. Fortunately, she was able to quickly redirect her focus to saving and investing. Her long-term goal is to develop duplexes in her hometown of Plaquemine, Louisiana, and she is actively searching for suitable vacant land. Scott is motivated by her desire to achieve success and inspire others, to show them that success has no age limit. She strives to inspire others to work towards their goals.
In addition to growing her business and studying full-time, Scott is building her social media presence and educational platform. She frequently highlights her remarkable journey from obtaining a real estate license at 18 to earning a six-figures. She has also authored eBooks that cover various aspects of real estate such as passing the licensing exam and succeeding as a young real estate agent. The books are inspired by the numerous inquiries Scott has received about her journey and her desire to make her knowledge widely accessible.
“I want to be successful, I want to inspire other people, so they can see that age has nothing to do with your level of success. If you want something, you can go and get it, and I just want to be that inspiration for people,” Scott said.