Jose A Perez

My maternal grandmother was a force—a person for whom nothing seemed impossible! She served as a nurse in the military before attending one of the first fashion design schools in Mexico. After completing her education, she started her own seamstress business which she grew to include more than a dozen employees. The business was a main income source for my grandmother and her many children. As a mom and entrepreneur, my grandmother was always calm and positive—two traits I admire and aspire to emulate every day. Her incredible personality contributed to her success in life and directly influenced me. When her daughter (my mother) came to America, she brought my grandmother along. And I’m so glad that she did. Grandma was such an important part of my upbringing. In her honor and memory, I have a special sink in my home crafted out of a classic Singer sewing machine table.

While my grandfather and his brothers were working in the coal mine, my dad was studying to become an electrician in an American school in Mexico. His original plan was to join the coal mining company. Instead, he decided to migrate to America to build his own legacy. I firmly believe that living close to the American community as a boy—learning baseball, golf and other aspects of American life—inspired him to want the same. Upon arrival to California, my father took odd jobs where he could, but found he loved (and was good at) roofing. After many years working and learning from others in the industry, he started his own business, Tony’s Roofing. To over-deliver became his trademark! I watched my dad’s company flourish thanks to referrals and never forgot the lesson: the very best advertisement for any business is a satisfied customer. As a real estate agent, this couldn’t be more accurate. And I’m grateful every time I’m contacted by a friend or family member of a someone I’ve helped.

So, now I get to tell you about my mom who I owe all of my hustle to! Always willing to work hard to get the job done, she helped give her children the very best life possible. While I was in grade school, my family took their life savings and moved back to Mexico for a few years where they invested in a business and some rental properties. It soon became clear that America was really home—the place where us children would have more opportunities. Because our family’s money was tied up in Mexican real estate, moving back to the United States would prove challenging. And so, finding great side hustles became the norm for my mom. She sold clothing, cooked and became a top-selling representative for a Korean cosmetics company that eventually flew her to South Korea to tour the company’s headquarters. She earned multiple vacations to Hawaii for her outstanding performance. As the oldest of 4, I was right next to her in all of her endeavors—watching her learn and continually improve. Her never-give-up attitude stuck with me and benefits me and my clients during particularly challenging transactions. I know that for every seller, there is a perfect buyer and vice-versa. It’s my job to keep working until I find the right match!

Believe it or not, my very first job was in Mexico during those few years my family went back. I worked for a shoe repair business removing broken heels. I earned a few cents, or pesos, per heel. Later in High School, I went to work for a company planting trees that paid over minimum wage. I remember thinking I was the luckiest guy ever! That was the first time I was recognized for my work performance. Becoming a father at 17 meant I would need to begin working full time at Jiffy Lube—where I eventually advanced to manager—while completing high school. In 1999, I entered the real estate industry as a lender. As a top producer, I was able to open my own Downey-based branch in early 2005, which I grew to include 19 loan officers working under my supervision. Amid the great recession, I transitioned to real estate sales and immediately became a top producing realtor. In 2012, I was among the Top 10 Agents at the #1 Century 21 in the world.

Today, I am happily married to my high school sweetheart. Our incredible first-born son is 24 and training to be a firefighter. We recently expanded our family to include our beautiful 2-year old, Abigail (Hebrew name means father’s joy). And due in mid 2020, we’re expecting Samuel. We share our home with an English Bull Dog named Tyson and a rescued Chihuahua Mix named Mona. My family is my heart. Everything that I do, I do for them.

I take much pride in my roots and pay homage to the struggles my family overcame to achieve success. Grateful for the lessons I’ve learned, I can’t wait to pay them forward working in real estate. And so, each day I adhere to a proven system that gets results for my clients—a method I know my Grandpa would smile upon. I think of my Grandma when complex transactions present themselves and do my best to stay calm, friendly and always persevere! Thanks to my dad, I never rest on my laurels. I appreciate every 5-star review but realize that each new opportunity is a chance to deliver incredible service and inspire someone to tell a friend or relative. And like my mom, I’m not afraid to hustle! I spend each morning on the phone reaching out to buyers and sellers in need of solutions. Now that you know about me, I can’t wait to learn about you and do my part to help you achieve your goals.