(upbeat music) - Thank you for joining us today.

I am your host, Leia' Love, and this is Forum 360, where we have a global outlook from a local view.

I am so excited today because we have Miss Candice Eberhardt, and she is going to talk to us today about female leadership in real estate.

So welcome Miss Candice, how are you today?

- Thank you, Leia', I'm doing well, how are you?

- Great.

So Candice is a licensed realtor, the owner of Eberhardt Realty and Management, as well as the newly elected president of the Akron Cleveland Association of Realtors.

So tell us a little bit about your background.

How did you get into the real estate industry?

- As far as real estate is concerned, my grandfather was one of the first few Black brokers in Akron, Ohio.

He had Eberhardt Realty back in the '70s and '80s.

So on my Eberhardt side of the family, whenever we would have family gatherings and whatnot, real estate was the topic of discussion.

He had two brothers, one owned a real estate company in Philadelphia and another in Michigan.

So, you know, this is just a part of normal family conversation.

And so I decided to get into real estate part-time, just as a way to make more money and it turned into a full career, it did.

- Now, so since you've been a realtor, what is the process if somebody wants to become a realtor, what is the process that they have to go through?

- So the process is relatively simple in order to get your real estate license.

There are several real estate schools that you can attend within the state of Ohio.

But the preferred school of real estate is Hondros.

At Hondros, you know, they offer the package to get your real estate license.

I always suggest that agents inquiring go through there, because they provide you with everything you need to help pass the exam.

And I also went through Hondros to get my real estate degree and to get my broker's license.

So I'm very partial to them.

- Okay, okay, so that's a good tip to know.

Because sometimes there's so many places to choose from that you're not sure.

So to have a good recommendation is really good.

So you said your father or your uncle inspired you.

- [Candice] My grandfather.

- Your grandfather, now did other people in your family also do realty?

- Yes, yes.

I had cousins that sold real estate in Columbus.

Again, my grandfather's two brothers.

They had real estate companies in Michigan and in Philadelphia.

So it's just, I guess it's in the bloodline.

- So working in the community, that helped you to become active in your organization.

So tell me about the organization and your path to leadership in that organization.

- So I actually started my journey in leadership in 2013.

I opened my company in 2012 and I had always wanted to become more involved, but I wasn't able to, because I was working to build my business.

As you know, when you're starting out, it isn't as easy.

And so after I opened my company and agents began to join, that gave me the leverage to become more involved in the community.

I always wanted to give back because so much has been given to me.

So by becoming involved with different volunteering organizations and just becoming more involved as far as real estate is concerned, that kind of put me on the path to the position at ACAR.

In 2016, I was nominated as Tomorrow's Leader Today by ACAR, which is the acronym for Akron Cleveland Association Of Realtors.

And from that point on, it was just one opportunity after another that opened.

And I said yes to each one, at times it was... - Yeah, you do.

- At times it was a lot, you know, but I have no regrets, and you know, it just goes to show you, you have to be so careful because people are watching and paying attention and just went through the ladder of succession.

In order to become president, it's about a six year process.

- It is.

- So the path was mapped out way before, and it just kind of progressed over the years and this is where I am now.

- So we see the good side of it, right?

So what is the not so pretty side of being a owner in the real estate industry, as well as working with clients?

Like what can be some of the challenges that somebody going into real estate is gonna face?

- So starting out, I always tell my agents and others that are getting into the business to stay encouraged, because what has come about here, this is 22 years of being in the business.

But when I first started out, it was not that easy.

I started when I was 20 and not many people wanted to work with me because I was so young.

And I had people say that, you know, well, you know, no offense, but I prefer to work with somebody with more experience, which is hurtful, but it's okay.

- But you understand.

- Right.

And then as with any business building your clientele, that's really, really, rough as well.

I got licensed in January of 2000 and I did not sell my first home until September.

So that was nine months of being in the business.

Luckily I had another job, I worked third shift at Roadway then FedEx for the first 10 years of my career.

And you know, in real estate you only get paid when you sell a home.

So until you build up your business, you need something to supplement your income because there are fees, there are expenses associated with getting your real estate license.

Then you have to be patient, you do.

Because as you know, it doesn't happen overnight.

You always have to work on growing your business, it's about building relationships, it's about operating with integrity.

And like I tell my new agents coming in, take your time, continue to work on your business, be honest, whatever your foundation is built on.

That's how it's gonna turn out.

So if you have a good honest foundation, people trust you, they will send you more business.

And at this point I don't even advertise.

The relationships I've built over the last 20 years is what has moved my business going forward.

I sold people homes 20 years ago and they send their kids and they send their grandkids and they have a relative relocating from out of town, so they contact you because they trust you.

So yeah.

- So you mentioned that you have people that you bring in under you, what is a realistic timeframe that somebody can expect to enter in and actually feel comfortable being a realtor?

I know, of course, it probably just depends on like the houses and everything that you're selling.

But if you were to give them like a game plan of this is what you can realistically expect for growth.

- So as far as, from start to finish, depending on how you set your classes up, you can get your real estate license relatively quickly, I know for myself, I worked third shift from 11 at night to eight in the morning.

And that was Monday through Friday.

I got off work at eight o'clock on Saturday morning.

And I was in class from 8:30 to six, Saturday and Sunday.

And I did that for two and a half months, which was the classes.

Those were the classes that were needed to get my license.

And so it just depends, they have different classes that you can take, they have different setups as far as the classes are concerned.

And as of 2017, they started the classes online.

They didn't have that when I joined.

So you can go at your own pace.

And after you take the exam, you have to be affiliated with the, no, I'm sorry, after you take the classes, you have to be affiliated with a broker before you can take the exam.

- Oh, okay.

- And so then once you take the exam, depending on how serious you are, you can hit the ground running.

All of my agents, myself and my office manager, we train them personally, you know, just to kind of develop them.

So you have some agents who hit the ground running, you have others who, you know, it's a progression, they go at their own pace, so whichever works best for you.

- And are you looking for agents to join?

- I am always taking agents.

- Okay, okay.

- I am always taking agents.

This year, I was kind of hesitant about it because of the presidency.

But just since January, I've accepted a couple of new ones.

So we're waiting for them to pass the exam and you know, we'll get 'em set up for success.

- Are there anything like regulations with government, any of those types of things that affect you in your industry?

- No, not really, that I can think of.

For me, I follow the rules to the book.

I mean, I follow everything by the book.

So I've just adopted that mindset.

There are some things that come down the pipeline that can affect people getting into the business.

For instance, as of 2019, before you get your real estate license, you now have to pass a background, a fingerprint and background check through BCI, I'm sorry.

So, yeah, so that's something that's new and that kind of- - You said now they have to pass a fingerprint and a background- - Background check.

- Whereas before they didn't have to do either one?

- No, they didn't have to do that before.

Ohio was one of the few states where you did not have to pass a background check to get licensed, but now you do.

And so that kind of puts some people at a disadvantage, because you had people who, you know.

- Their background of what- - Yeah, and before they're like, I can get into real estate and you know, and I can start fresh and build the career.

There are several people who have.

but now you have to go through the background check.

And if there is something wrong, you're allowed to go before The Real Estate Commission, it's like five judges on a panel and you get to present your case and they can determine whether or not you're allowed to move forward.

So that's really about the only thing I've seen.

- I always like to ask that question because sometimes we're so excited to see the glitz and the glam and you know, I've got this marked out, this is what I'm gonna do, but you don't necessarily think about the threats to the industry of what could cause you any type of issues that you need to be looking out for.

So that's good that if it's just that part, that can kind of be a little bit of a minimal thing versus like something that could shift your whole business, if the leader or the president of the United States changes and all these government things that change outside of that.

- So that's really the only one that I've seen come down that, you know, really had an impact on some people getting licensed.

- Well, good, good to know.

And if you are just tuning in, we are talking to Candice Eberhardt about leadership, about females in leadership in real estate.

So let's get into some juicy stuff.

So as far as home ownership and generating wealth, let's talk about from that perspective, why is that important?

- I think it's very important because you know, the majority of people outside of the African American population, when they're done with school, when they hit a certain age, they have things that are passed down to them.

They have generational wealth, whether it's from insurance policies or real estate passed down, or they're set up so that they can purchase their own home young without a accruing a lot of debt.

And so as far as the African American community's concerned, I made it a point to do to do what I could to change the statistics because our rates for home ownership are lower than any other racial group.

So as far as white people are concerned, the home ownership in the United States is at 72%, followed by Asians, followed by Hispanics, and African Americans are at 42%.

- You said 72 to 42?

- Yes.

- Okay.

- And so I'm very passionate about changing the numbers.

The reason I feel the numbers are so low is because we're not as educated.

So I pride myself on leaving my doors open for people who want to obtain real estate or become homeowners, but they're scared and don't have the information to do so.

So there are a lot of people I've converted over the last 22 years who never thought they'd become homeowners for whatever reason.

So I just think it's very important to get the information out there.

- All right, so let's walk through that process.

They find a realtor, what are they looking for in a realtor?

- So I always recommend that any client coming in interview at least three different ones.

Because you know, you wanna make sure you have the perfect fit for you and your family.

- [Leia'] Are there any specific questions they should be asking?

- Availability is really the most important right now because the market's so crazy.

And you have a lot of realtors that only sell homes part-time.

So if they're part-time and you're actively looking, that may be a conflict of interest for you.

So I recommend that you work with someone who not only comes highly recommended, but their availability works with your current schedule.

The market's kind of crazy.

So the days are over where on Monday you would request to see a house on Wednesday.

In this market, it may be gone on Wednesday, it may be gone on Tuesday.

So you're gonna wanna work with someone who can get you in immediately.

It's also good to talk to other people and see who comes highly recommended.

That's very important, you wanna work with someone who has a good reputation, who's honest and who sincerely has your best interests at heart, who's open to answering all your questions.

I have clients they're like, I'm sorry, because I have so many questions.

I'll wake up at like five, six in the morning.

And you know, because I just tell them, text me, and then I'll see them in the morning.

But you wanna work with someone who's patient with you and who won't get upset by you asking questions.

Because there's a lot that has to be taken in.

So you just wanna make sure you're compatible with whoever you choose.

- Okay, so what is the process, if somebody is getting ready to go into home ownership, what's that process from finding the realtor to signing day?

What can they expect?

- Okay, so once you secure a realtor, again, do your research and make sure you have someone who you feel you work well with.

And then if you're not pre-approved by a bank, whenever someone comes to me, the conversation is have you spoken with a loan officer?

If they have, that's good.

If they haven't, I have several within my network that I've built relationships over the last 20 years, that I work with.

And sometimes you'll send them to a loan officer and they may not be credit ready.

So there are government sponsored programs that can assist people as far as helping them get credit ready, and as far as preparing them for home ownership, from a savings, from a financial standpoint, from a credit standpoint, and then a lot of times, once you're ready to go, they have grant monies that are available.

And the program that I use the most is EANDC.

- [Leia'] What is it?

- EANDC, East Akron Neighborhood Development Corporation.

And I've sent hundreds of clients to them over the last 20 years, they prepare 'em for home ownership.

And then when they're ready to find a house, they send them back to me.

- Okay, and so you said they have grant opportunities?

Yes, they do, they do.

- Okay, that's good to know.

So they secure their funding, their grant, and then what happens?

- And so once they secure their funding, then we start the process to purchase them a home.

So I set them up to receive emails that contain the houses that fit whatever they're looking for.

And I have them contact me so that we can go schedule those when they're available.

So once we find a home, we write the contract, we negotiate the terms, they give their deposit, we negotiate inspections.

The appraiser goes out to make sure the house is worth what the bank is lending.

And then we move forward with closing.

So it's normally, it can take time to find a home, but once you find one, it takes about 30 to 45 days for it to close.

- To close, okay.

Now, during the negotiations, is there anything that me who's looking for a house, is there anything that I need to make sure I'm looking for or to ask because maybe they don't have you as a realtor, who's really good, but they wanna make sure that they're still asking the right questions during those times.

- So.. - And I know some people will, like they had the options to waive their inspections, you know, how do you feel about waving an inspection or is that something that they should make sure that they get?

- So this is a really crazy market.

In all of my years of selling real estate, I've never seen a market like this.

This is not a market where there's a lot of room for negotiation.

So the days are basically over, if you find something priced right in a nice area, you're gonna have probably 5, 10, 15 people bidding on it.

So in order to have a good shot, you have to be extremely competitive with your bid.

Which means if the house is 150,000, you don't wanna go in at 120, you don't.

Because in this market- - [Leia'] They're just gonna be like.

- In this market, you put yourself at a disadvantage because someone comes in who understands, and you really only have one shot, you know?

And someone comes in who understands how the market is and they'll bid one 160, 10,000 over to get it.

Whereas you bid 120, you're not gonna- - So let's say you do bid 120 and they do not accept it.

So you're saying you probably really can't go back in and bid again and like raise it.

Like if somebody else hasn't come in.

- You can't do that, you only have one chance in this market.

If you have a lot of bids, they're gonna go with the best bid.

So if you bid 120 and the other bids are higher, you don't have a chance.

I've seen a lot of strange things.

I've had clients waive inspections and every time that happens, it makes me extremely nervous.

- [Leia'] Why?

- Because anything could go wrong.

When you get a home inspection done, they're going through to let you know what's wrong with the home.

And if you forgo that, I'm not an inspector, you know?

So I can't tell you what's going on as far as the operating condition of the home.

And if you waive inspections and you get the home and close on it, and something major's wrong, you've waived the opportunity for the seller to address it.

It may be something costly that you may have to carry the burden as far as repair costs are concerned.

Whereas if you would've had the inspection, that could have been negotiated with the owners.

- I remember someone telling me that they had waived it on a new property actually, 'cause they were like, oh, you know the builders did it, I probably don't need it.

I wouldn't even think that you need an inspection on a new, brand new house.

- Absolutely, yes you do.

- But those are very, very important to make sure you do.

- They are.

- And that's the responsibility, the person, who has to pay for that, is the buyer correct?

- The buyer pays for the inspections.

- So once you're ready, once you're committed to the house, go ahead and pay for the inspection.

- [Candice] Yes please.

- Because that probably definitely outweighs the cost of the house if something goes wrong.

- It makes me extremely nervous, and you know, and I've had people waive inspections and win.

But it's not something that we recommend.

- But it can definitely be a bargaining chip as well?

- [Candice] Absolutely.

- That's good to know.

When does bargaining stop during the process?

- It does not stop.

There's two different bargaining sessions when you purchase a home.

There's the initial price, you know, and you negotiate that upfront, and then after you get your inspections done, you negotiate the repairs.

So there's two different bargaining processes.

Once the inspections are completed and the repairs are agreed upon, then you move forward with closing, and there's more bargaining at that point.

- Okay, okay, well that's good to know.

So tell me what's the legacy you wanna leave behind?

- The legacy I would like to leave behind, when I started this journey in real estate, I had no idea it would grow the way that it would and that I would be provided with so many opportunities.

So I just want, because myself, 20 years ago, I never saw this, you know?

And so- - Isn't that exciting to see like in 20 years, this is what's happened.

- I know, I know, I can't believe it.

I mean my little company has been blessed beyond my wildest dreams.

- You're a big company.

- Confession of faith.

So yeah, I just want people to feel inspired.

It feels good to me when other realtors come up to me and they're like, wow, you're inspiring.

And it's just like, well, I didn't set out to be inspiring, I just did the work and people are paying attention.

But you know, I just want people to have a sense of faith and believe in themselves and you know, let them know that the sky is honestly the limit.

If you put the work in and stay consistent, you can have your hearts and desires, you can.

- I was gonna ask you, what's your tips for success, but I think that sounds like it sums it up.

And also recently you made a little bit of history, in our last minute, tell us about your little history that you've made.

no, your history, your big history that you've made, in the real estate realm - Well, the Akron Cleveland Association of Realtors, that's the governing body for the 7,000 realtors between Summit, Portage and Cuyahoga Counties, and in 2013, Akron and Cleveland, they merged, but they were their own separate entities for more than 100 years before.

And in the entire history from then until now, I am the first African American woman to hold the position as president.

And I can't believe it.

- Congratulations.

- Thank you so much.

Thank you.

- So what does that mean to you to now fulfill that role?

- What does it mean?

Actually that's like the highest I could, that was like a personal goal several years ago.

To me, that's like the highest that I can go in my career, real estate wise.

When you earned the respect of your colleagues, across the board, especially because there were no other African Americans before the fact, that I've earned the respect and they've welcomed me with open arms and they've assisted me on my journey, that means the most to me, it does.

- So not only African American, but African American and female.

- Yes.

- There has been no one, prior to you.

Congratulations.

- Thank you, thank you.

- Because to gain the respect of people in your field and be recognized by that is not something that a lot of people are able to achieve.

And I think it speaks volume to your character and your integrity that you've had to have over the past 20 years in order to get to that level.

So congratulations, I'm proud of you, I'm excited for you.

- I'm proud of you too.

- I know you will do well in that position.

And for those of you who are also aspiring to hold this position, to be in the real estate realm, with persistence and discipline, you can achieve whatever goal that it is that you are striving to achieve.

So thank you for being a role model and an example, just a gorgeous ray of light.

So I appreciate that.

And I thank you all for tuning in today.

Again, we had Miss Candice Eberhardt of Eberhardt Realty Management.

And we were talking about leadership in real estate.

Thank you so much for joining us for Forum 360, where we have a global outlook from a local view.

I'm your host, Leia' love, and have a wonderful week.

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