Whether buying or selling...

Realtor makes future homeowners' dreams come true

By Marisse G. Abelgas

In 1984, Reeza Dimacali-Gervacio staked her claim on the world that beckoned outside the walls of the convent school in Metro Manila she was graduating from.

“Tonight is not the end. It is the beginning,” she said in a speech delivered before a crowd of about two thousand people that included the members of her graduating class.

Today, 15 years later, and far away in another country she now calls home, the former convent schoolgirl who romped away with the most number of academic awards during her college graduation, is reaping the accolades of her peers in the real estate business.

Choosing the real estate profession was a logical step for Gervacio, who, armed with a degree in Business Management, started her career as a money market trader at Far East Bank and Trust Company and Citibank,N.A. in the Philippines. When she settled in California, Gervacio went to work for Wells Fargo Bank as a business banking officer, managing and developing portfolios through the sale of business products that included real estate loans and lines of credit. In 1991, she landed a job as mortgage broker for Wilshire International in Los Angeles, before moving on to a company called Statewide Financial Services in Artesia, California.

Last year, she finally joined Century 21 Astro, a real estate company based in Cerritos where as a realtor, she “values best her feeling of being free to create, strategize and improvise in order to overcome challenges and meet objectives.”

Her free and independent spirit has served her and her company well. In the relatively short time she has been with Century 21 Astro, Gervacio’s star has shone remarkably bright, bringing in sales that has earned for her the “Rookie of the Year” award.

But then again, achievements like these are nothing new to Gervacio. Her outstanding performance in banking and finance for her former employer,Citibank, did not go unnoticed as well. In 1988, Rotary International selected her as one of four “professionally-gifted” Filipino women to represent the Philippines during a group study exchange program that took them on a business and cultural tour of the American Midwest. Gervacio relates they were treated like celebrities, interviewed and featured in all major newspapers, television and radio programs. The experience, she says, was one of the “biggest highlights” of her young life, occuring as it did only four years after graduating from college.

In her speech before various Rotary chapters, Gercavio extolled the Filipino woman, describing her as “being basically religious and family-oriented, but who has since stepped up to become more assertive and competitive in the traditionally macho world of politics and commerce.”

Candidly, Gervacio reveals she has always admired former Senator and now Philippine Vice-president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for her achievements. She met Arroyo recently and that meeting with one of the Philippines’ most popular politicians and economists has only bolstered her confidence in the ability of Filipino women to achieve greatness. “It’s women like her who I look up to,” she says.

Also recently, she was invited to speak before the members of the Toastmasters Club where she received an award for Best Speaker, and before the members of the Rotary Club of Cerritos who gave her a rousing ovation.

The speeches that she delivers before such prestigious groups normally focus on the importance of family, a sense of purpose in life and civic orientation.

These, Gervacio emphasizes, are the values she brings with her to her chosen profession. As realtor for Century 21 Astro, Gervacio says she “takes pride in delivering a high level of quality service to those with real estate needs.”

Carol Rayburn, one of Century 21 Astro’s national trainors and one of its top-producing agents, says Gervacio “shows an energy and commitment to this profession that is refreshing at a time when doing it right even if it takes extra effort is a philosophy shared by few newcomers to the business.”

Rayburn also lauds Gervacio’s diligence “in her efforts to provide quality service and guidance to her clients.” “I feel confident she will be one of the future top real estate professionals in the coming years. I am excited to be part of the development of this your superstar,” Rayburn said.

Her affiliation with Century 21 Astro is also something she is proud of: “ I’m proud of the company’s excellence and commitment in building clients for life by providing the highest quality service, leadership skills and great training provided by my brokers. It is ethnically diversified, there is great positive energy and friendly competition among peers, and the brokers are very talented and dynamic.” Century 21 Astro, she adds, is an American-owned company and is currently one of the top 20 real estate companies in the region.

She says now is the best time to buy a house. “ Current trends show that homes are again a judicious, solid investment. Sale of existing homes in California in November 1998 posted an 11 percent increase and the median home price in the state was up 5.1 percent, compared to the same period in 1997. Unemployment remains stable at below five percent, with income improving by seven percent. Even more enticing is the fact that 30-year fixed mortgage rates averaged 6.87 percent in 1998, down from 7.21 percent in November 1997. Even though prices are rising, buyers are able to enter the market without stretching their finances too much. We are currently experiencing a sellers’ market wherein there is huge demand for housing and very limited supply of inventory. So for buyers, time is running out on them because each day that they procrastinate about buying, actually costs them money as home prices increase.” Gervacio explains.

She continues: “ You could now buy the home of your dreams. And aside from fulfilling your dreams, your home is an investment and a tax shelter. Now is the time to take advantage because prices of homes and interest rates are reasonably low. If you want to sell your home in the future, you can feel secure that you have a viable market out there.”

Whether her clients are buyers or sellers, Gervacio takes pride in offering friendly, professional service. “Clients, both buyers and sellers, have different needs and expectations. Some clients need an entry level home, some may want upgrades, others may be looking for vacation homes,” Gervacio says, adding that she makes sure clients get the results they expect by using her extensive knowledge of the market and strong negotiating skills.

Her ability to loosen up a jumble of statistics to come up with a market trend that laymen understand is one reason why clients warm up to her easily. Another reason is that Gervacio understands the fact that when people buy homes, more often than not, it is for them the attainment of a lifelong dream. It is this empathy with her clients that makes her put her heart and soul into the job, regardless of the long hours and nerve-wracking pressure, just to be able to find the right home for the right person or family.

Invariably, people come up to her and ask her the secret to success. “No secret,” she says. “ Just a combination of common sense, hard work and a quest to live life with a purpose.”

She qualifies however, that family comes first, and that includes spending as much time as possible with husband, Jessie. She counts her husband as one of her blessings, because “he’s very supportive and understands that sometimes I need to keep long hours on the job.” The couple love to travel together when their schedules allow it. She also needlepoints, paints (with the help of a professional painter), reads novels with a passion, listens to classical music and plays the piano. Yes, she sings too, and when the occasion calls for it, is not wont to turn down the opportunity to sing during socials. In fact, she has directed several musical groups for song festivals and is a member of the local church choir.

In an effort to give more of herself to her community, she volunteers as a mentor for La Mirada’s literary program, teaching students how to read.

“If I could have half of my mother’s indefatigable drive for hard work and her diligence, and if I could have just half of my father’s affection and compassion, I would be very happy with that. My parents put a lot of premium in our education and have inculcated in us the desire to have purpose in life. They taught us the value of sacrifice, struggle and hard work, the loving and sharing among family members, and the caring for and giving to the less privileged. I’ve learned from them that the real meaning of success does not lie in material possessions, but in riches of the head and heart,” she says.

Gervacio values most the lessons she has learned from the past even as she values the promise and potential that the future holds, not just for her, but for other people as well.

Helping people attain their dreams through the purchase of their own home gives vent to her need to live life with a sense of purpose.

“I get a sense of fulfillment knowing that families are now living their dreams with my help,” she says.