Serving the Veterans, A Tireless REALTOR®
A single mom aged eighteen, Julie Neira worked in the fine dining sector of the food and beverage industry in Chicago, Illinois. While focusing on making ends meet and providing for her daughter Kassandra, Julie missed out on building relationships over the years, working day and night. At 10 years of age, her daughter was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which made her realise how short and precious life truly is.
Setting up a real estate business was a complete leap of faith for Julie as she didn’t plan to be a realtor like others, and she did not even realise it until the opportunity knocked, and she embarked on the journey after a prayer. “That was five years ago, and, to me, the biggest takeaways in this have been my unwavering foundation of faith in conjunction with lessons in humility. Through these lessons, Real Estate continues to be the catalyst to my purpose of serving others, and all the glory goes to God,” she exclaims.
Beginning her journey as a realtor made her feel overwhelmed and unfocused, but Julie Neira remained determined to brand herself and ultimately stand out amongst other realtors. Hovering around, trying to find her niche, she finally listened to her heart’s call, and ‘Julie Helps Veterans’ was born, and everything fell into place. She was passionate and had the drive to succeed, and even though she has been a workaholic all of her adult life, since the birth of her grandson Spencer, she learned to rejoice in every moment with him and uses it to recharge herself from her busy schedule.
“As we know, this is a man’s world, but I do believe corporations are slowly beginning to see the need for education in diversity and inclusion.” She claims that women are shown bias and do not have the same opportunities regarding advancement in their careers as men do. She believes that most women receive encouragement from other women but that women are not treated equally. The only way it will change is to recognise the salary inequities and address them.
Julie insists that in order to assist women in achieving more prominent roles, corporations need to encourage more balanced leadership opportunities, provide training for future women leaders, work towards building a friendly and unbiased empowering workplace and provide education regarding the importance of encouraging
women leaders. Her greatest challenge has been a lack of self-confidence. Daily affirmations and prayers help her override these obstacles. On certain days when she feels lethargic and unmotivated, someone comes around sharing their story of how Julie has inspired them, and only then does she realise what her ultimate aim and goals are.
Her faith in Jesus continues to bring her new heights and accolades. It is what helps her stay focused while she works hard towards the betterment of life. “I choose not to define success with a number but to live a life of passion, inspiring others to be better and, in doing so, to work toward the end goal of making the world a better place.”
Helping local veterans through volunteering and shooting billiards are things she rejoices in the most. She says her soul is set on fire, making her feel fulfilled in serving others. Being empathetic has helped Julie tremendously by representing the buyers through the transaction and beyond. Buying a home can be very stressful, but showing compassion and reassuring her clients that she works on their behalf is essential.
Driven to serve others, she believes that when people strive to make a difference in the lives of those experiencing crisis or difficult times, they inadvertently encourage and
inspire others to follow suit. Julie exclaims that her business is built on a lasting foundation of faith, integrity and honesty. “As a Veteran spouse, I have seen and experienced many of the sacrifices which are synonymous with military life. Although my husband’s experience was not as difficult as some, I choose to express my appreciation and gratitude to our Veterans.” This is accomplished through being a
Homes for Heroes® Real Estate Affiliate; Julie credits 25% of her commission to Buyer and Seller Clients who are Military Members, Firefighters, Law Enforcement, Teachers,
Healthcare Professionals, and First Responders, along with her decision to donate to a local Veteran-focused nonprofit for every house she sells.
Amongst several awards and accolades, Julie has been the recipient of the ‘Top 20 Leaders in Real Estate’, ‘Best REALTOR® of Charleston 2022’, ‘Best REALTOR® of North
Charleston 2022 and 10 Most Exceptional Leaders in Real Estate. Finally, Julie shares with readers an excerpt from Philippians 2:3-4 “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”
