Once upon a time, there was an IT Manager who was forced to look for a career change. The company she was working for had announced it would be closing it’s doors. The year was 2003, and with the tech bubble burst, there were little options in that same field. The clock was ticking, and with 2 small babies at the time, she had no choice but to think outside the box. 

That IT Manager was Liz Silva. Her love for all things “tech related” would later prove to be a huge asset to the career she was about to embark on. 

Why Real Estate?

Your guys is as good as ours. A career in real estate was probably the last thing she would have thought of back then. A bit of an introvert, and not particularly being fond of the sales industry in general, it’s still a bit of a mystery. Family was her first priority. Her loving husband, has always been supportive in all of her endeavors, so it was just a matter of choosing a path – and moving towards it.

One day, when randomly discussing options with a co-worker one day, they said “What about Real Estate?”.
Liz scrunched up her nose immediately, but her co-worker spoke of a friend who was a Realtor® with small children who worked flexible hours.  (Boy, was she wrong, LOL).  

So, Liz did some research, and signed up for Real Estate school. It was all a blur, and happened so fast. In hindsight, it was too easy, almost like it was ‘mean to be’, as everything just kept falling into place. She took her courses over the course of a few weeks, obtained her real estate license on a Friday, responded to a newspaper ad a local Real Estate agency had ran, and by Monday morning was already working at a real estate brokerage learning the ropes.

The Hard Work Begins

Then the hard work began. 9 months of working full-time Monday through Friday and not making a dime. 
(Real Estate Agents primarily work on commission, dont’cha know)
It takes hard work to get people to start working with you when you are new. 
The odds were against her. She was young, an introvert, and had never worked in sales. But persistence paid off. 
After 9 long months, she made her first deal. A piece of Land in Dartmouth where the client built a gorgeous home.
12 Years later, that same client reached back out to her to list her home. 

The Hard Work Pays Off

Being “Hi-Tech” gave her a big advantage. Having setup up her own website in 2003, she was probably one of the very few Agents, (let alone brokerages) who already had a website back then. There was a steady stream of leads coming in… at a time where many agents still thought advertising on the web was a passing “fad” , and that Newspaper print ads were where it’s at, and always would be! They refused to think outside of the box. This paid off big time. With a very small circle of influence – this allowed her to expand her reach. She could often be seen driving around town with huge letters displaying her URL address across the back of her rear window!

It wasn’t long before fellow agents wanted to work with Liz Silva. Her hard work and integrity was magnetic. She didn’t use sales tactics, and buyer clients loved her no-pressure attitude when searching for homes. Salesperson was not a title she liked to use. Consultant felt more suitable. 

In 2005, she created BuyBankREO to better serve her growing REO Corporate clients and Asset companies.
Through the years, some of her valued team members and agents included: Isabel DaSilva, Jacqueline Mello, Lucy Gomes, Matti Goulart, Cynthia Lafleur, Gassan Hachem, Jason Graca, Lori Almeida, several others, and several key staff members.  

There have been many changes in the industry, and some of our agents have gone on to newer things, while others have stayed and are riding out the volatile market. Our Team strives to keep abreast of ever-changing technology and to keep up with the changes that our clients make as well. If technology changes and advances, we change with it. 

By 2007, it was time to graduate to the next step. Liz obtained her Broker’s license and grew her team. By 2014, she opened up her own Real Estate Brokerage, known as Silva Realty Group Inc.

And the rest is history… 

Who knew a seemingly split-second decision on where to look for a new job would catapult into a long successful career in Real Estate?
Something that was always thought to have been a temporary fix… ended up being an unexpected destiny fulfilled. 

A message from Liz Silva

I would be nothing if it weren’t for my family, including my SRG “family”, and all of the amazing people I’ve met throughout the years. From fellow agents, team members and my awesome staff, who help make Team Silva who we are… and have helped me “clone” my way of helping buyers and sellers without being sale-sy and working in the best interest of the client vs trying to “make that next sale”. To mentors & competing agents, who even though are in fact my competition – we never treat each other as such. 

To my parents who never thought twice about taking care of their grandchildren when I had to rush off to last minute appointment or have to work long days.  To my dear brother, who would accompany me to showings with any new clients so I was never alone at an empty house with strangers. 

To the many customers and clients who put their trust and faith in me, and who have repeatedly come back to me over the years, again & again. That is the greatest compliment I can receive! 

To my kids – who would patiently “shush” while in the car so Mom could take a quick call from a client… or putting up with a “quick detour” to drop off paperwork to a client. It was almost comical, how they’d know all the homes I was listing and selling and could often recognize who it was I was talking to on the phone. 

And last, but certainly not least, and most important,  to my husband – who picked up (and continues to pickup) the slack wherever and whenever it was needed. Becoming Mr. Mom many times… freeing up time for me to build my business and my brand, which allowed me the strength, time and encouragement to shine.

Thank You!

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Learn more about the rest of our amazing Realtors. We are located in the New Bedford, MA.

Looking to join us? At this time, we are only interviewing full-time agents. (Yes, we enjoy being small! We like it this way. 🙂
But if you think you would be a good fit for us – we’d like to hear from you!