Seven years ago, Tamara Burch was committed to her career working as a C-suite Executive with a local non-profit organization, but things changed when she felt compelled to reach for a higher purpose and to begin her adventure as an entrepreneur.
“I got to the place where I knew that I needed more from the work I was doing, both professionally and personally, but also in terms of being able to connect with people on a whole different level,” Tamara said. “In terms of self development, I knew that it was important to me to be a community advocate, and real estate emerged as something that was a natural progression of that goal.”
After getting her license, Tamara joined a brokerage, got trained, and ended up moving to Real, where she says she couldn’t be happier. Now she’s able to work while fulfilling her true passion: improving the lives of others.
“‘What can you do to help people? What can you do to advocate for people? What can you do to make things more inclusive?’ That’s what’s important,” she said.
When it comes to inclusion, Tamara focuses on breaking down barriers for the LGBTQ+ community in her area. Tamara is a Founding Member of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, a Minnesota-based organization which was formed in 2020 and focuses on improving the path to homeownership through advocacy and helping to break down systemic barriers.
According to the Alliance, awareness is an essential first step in the fight against injustice. The organization holds discussions with local government agencies as well as with their local chapter of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), to educate individual agents on ensuring fair housing for all.
“I just think the more we become aware as real estate agents, and the more we can get out there in our communities and advocate for an inclusive process, the better for everyone,” Tamara said. “If I can do my part in terms of being an advocate on behalf of the community and the housing issues that we face, that's truly important to me,” she said.
In addition to her community involvement, Tamara faces the same challenges that many of today’s agents face: changing real estate climates and new technologies and communication techniques for reaching today’s buyers and sellers. Tamara describes the past few years as a “wild ride” – something other agents are likely to understand.
“It's been very fast moving, with lots of challenges, but lots of celebrations for clients as well. I am able to focus on solutions to those challenges. That's why I love the business, and why I wouldn't have it any other way.”
Tamara says she focuses on serving as a matchmaker for her clients, someone who can provide solutions and help them to understand the process end-to-end. She also says that the more knowledge she can provide them, the better equipped they are to select the perfect home for them.
Collaboration and partnership are key to her relationships—not just with clients, but with agents as well. Through Real, Tamara has been inspired working along 20-year industry veterans who she now counts as friends. “It's about elevating one another. We can leverage one another’s strengths, but we can also provide sound guidance. I always try to surround myself with the best people that I can so that we can all focus on honing our business principles.”
When Tamara first considered moving to Real, she was initially drawn to the tech-forward mindset, but what she has come to appreciate most is the mindset that everyone can succeed together.
“At Real, I am inspired by people who align with my mindset of the value of giving, having a positive life experience, the law of attraction, and a relentless commitment to personal growth,” she said. “I am invigorated by people who are building unconventional teams and unique coaching programs, sales funnel strategies, tech, and platforms.”
It all boils down to this, she said:
“Every day is something new in real estate. And if we can continue to move forward, collectively, and create this world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination, a world where differences are valued and celebrated, I think that's where we leave our mark as individual real estate agents. It’s our legacy from a personal perspective, but it’s also a legacy that we’re creating with our brokerage.”
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