Welcome And Meet Baya France

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My name is Baya France. I am with Compass. I'm a real estate agent, and I serve families, individuals, sellers, buyers, um, renters, tenants, landlords, all sorts of people. Awesome. I can't wait to hear a little bit more about what you do. Your journey is incredibly unique. You know, you moved to the United States from a small village in the Czech Republic when you were just 18 years old. Can you take us back through that journey and how that experience ultimately led you into real estate? Absolutely. So I did grow up in the smallest little village. There was about 500 people. I grew up watching American TV shows, American movies, so I always dreamt of more, if you wanna say it that way. Um, nothing wrong with Czech Republic,

Leaving A Czech Village For America

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I just had big dreams. So when I graduated from high school the next week I hop on a plane and I came to the United States as an au pair, which is a live-in nanny. And I got really lucky with the family that I worked for because they were both business people. The-- We called them host dad, host mom at the time. So the host dad was a developer in DC. He had a commercial construction company. And, um, the host mom was a business owner. She had her, uh, workout studio. And they were just incredible people, very smart. They were very kind to me, willing to share how they gained their wealth. They were-- they didn't mind sharing their wisdom, and I think that really made me lucky. So for the two years of me being an au pair, I really got the insight of people with that business-like mind. So when it was time to decide what I wanna do, real estate was kinda the only option for me, and that's c- how I got into real estate. That's awesome. I can't imagine how, you know, how scary it was coming to a new country by yourself fresh out of high school, so- Yep props to you. Thank you very much. Yeah. And you talked about reading Rich Dad Poor Dad at a young age, and later being surrounded by, you know, entrepreneurs and business people who helped kinda shape your mindset. How do you think those early influences impact the way that you approach business today? I love Rich Dad Poor Dad book, and I loved going back to the moment when I read it for the first time when I was 14 and my oldest sister gave it to me, because I always had that entrepreneur mind. And I remember reading it and being like, "This is nonsense." Like,

Rich Dad Poor Dad Mindset Shift

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"There's no way this can work." It was like a fantasy book to me at the time because uh, my parents, uh, my mom was a teacher and my dad worked at a construction job. So we never really had that mindset of you build anything on your own. So I remember I kinda dismissed that book. I finished it, but I put it aside. And then I was an au pair in America working for the lovely family, and I came across that book in the library and I read it again, and it all clicked. It all made sense. So I think fueling that from the young age, putting that in my mind that, like, truly anything is possible, um, the sky is the ceiling, was sky's the limit, sorry. Was just, it was just building the basics, yeah. And I think that also applies in real estate because there We do have some rules and everything, and there are some things that you are used to in real estate, but real estate is so unpredictable, yeah. And I think it's interesting how certain things come into our life at certain points, and they don't make sense, but then, you know, they come back to us later and you're like, "Oh, my gosh. This makes sense." I love that wow moment. Yeah. I love that. Yeah. And starting a career in real estate at such a young age in a new country must have come with a lot of challenges. What helped you push through those obstacles and build confidence in yourself? I was definitely the baby of the company that I started in. It was Weichert, uh, Weichert Realtors in Old Town Alexandria. And, uh, well, I always had the confidence, and it was always something I wanted to do, so, quitting wasn't an option and, and the answer no was also not an option. And I have a wonderful mantra

Confidence, Rejection, And Early Hustle

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in my mind that- Most of the time you're never gonna see the people again, so why not just go for it? Why not just, ask that question? And the worst case scenario that can happen is they're gonna say no. So I tried everything that I could think of. Um, what really worked for me in the beginning of my career was getting close with fellow realtors, helping them out for free, 'cause, knowledge is power, so I gained all of that. And learning from them, I mean, you can't That's not the actual experience and, and going through the transaction with someone that's been in real estate for 25 years, you can't read that in a book. And then when I got my first listing, I really made sure that I did everything I could. So I remember I was c- uh, I was mowing the lawn in front of the house in that little neighborhood, and the neighbors saw me, and they started talking to me, and then we started talking about real estate, and that's kind of how the ball started rolling. Just really me being like out there, not shying away from hard work and really putting myself out there, and it was very scary, and it was uncomfortable. But at the same time, again, I was like, "They're never gonna see me again if they don't want to." Yeah. So there was nothing to lose. Yeah. And it's awesome how, your hard work has paid off, right? Yeah, yeah. You know, you do the uncomfortable thing, and you take that big leap, and, you know, sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn't, but, you know, you just have to keep pushing, especially if that's your dream. Keep pushing, yeah. Yeah. And keep doing it. Plus, for me the o- only other option was go back home. Mm-hmm. So I had that stopper, and I had that motivation, so I had to make it happen. Right. There was no other way. Yeah. Over the years, what have been some of the biggest lessons that you've learned about people and relationships and success through real estate? The lesson number one, you always have to be honest, honest and upfront. Low expectations and communication. Every single person is different, and you do need to tailor to their needs and wants, of course, but you cannot just fake it till you make it. A lot of people say that, but

Honesty And Client Education First

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with real estate, with you working with people, with their biggest assets you have to be honest, and you have to educate them. I don't My biggest pet peeve is when people go through a transaction, and they don't even know what happened. Yeah. And so you're passionate about education and making sure your clients fully understand that process. Why is that such an important part of the experience you create for, you know, your clients and the people you work with? So I found confident in my knowledge. That's what makes me confident, and I like to relate that on people. And also in, in the end of every transaction, actually at the beginning of the transaction, I tell my clients, "In the end of transaction, you'll be so knowledgeable, you can go and take your real estate exam and you will pass. That's how much I wanna share with you." Because it's really important. It's really scary. You know, when you just order something on Amazon and then you wait for that period of like the two-day shipping, imagine like putting a lot of money for a house and then you have to wait 30 minutes, and, oh, sorry, you have to wait 30 days- to purchase it, to close it, and no one updates you. No one tells you what's going to happen. You're just in this like limbo. Yeah, that's not gonna happen with me. Yeah. And I love that you're able to educate your clients, 'cause I think it's one thing to, you know, have a lot of knowledge yourself, but it- it's really a skill when you're able to take that knowledge and teach it to other people so that they understand the process as well. I pride myself in it. I think it's really important to understand your client and how you can educate them. Mm-hmm. 'Cause every person understand things differently and you, again, you need to tailor to their needs and wants. Right. And like personalize their experience. Uh, one thing that also stood about, about One thing that also stands out about your approach was how many of your clients become lifelong friends. Why has building genuine relationships always been more important to you than, just simply closing a transaction? So it goes back to I had to make it happen, and this is going to be my career for a really long time. So I was never one transaction type of a agent. It's always been fo- I, I was always

Turning Transactions Into Real Friendships

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in it for the long run. So making genuine connection is what's going to make genuine clients that are going to come back to you. Plus I like to have fun when I work, right? So I do like to get Starbucks with my clients. I do like to go get lunch with them, and we do talk about the kids. We talk about their weekends. You just get close with people and you s- like start falling in love with people, and you don't want them to leave your life. The worst day is the day after the transaction finishes and you, you don't have your bestie to text. Mm-hmm. You know? So, it's just it's a beautiful bonus that real estate brings, just the genuine connections- with amazing people, very interesting people in the DMV area. You know, you have from FBI clients to l- business owners, you know, entrepreneurs. You have military people, and they all have wonderful stories that I just, I love to listen to it. Yeah. And it's amazing to be able to, you know, meet so many different people and build relationships with so many different people. Is there a client story or experience that perfectly captures why you love what you do and reminds you of the impact this work can have on their lives? Absolutely. Uh, without naming names. It ma- it makes me think of an ex-FBI client that we've been- Ah, this was a very strong man, you know, very alpha man. Almost like I remember being intimidated by him the first time I met him and we'd been looking for houses

The Ex FBI Client Breakthrough

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for a little bit for him and his family. Which again, he had an amazing family. They were just wonderful people and every single time we put an offer on a house, something happened, something was not right, and he was There was one night when he got very emotional and it was like 10:00 PM, and he called me and he cried. And I was like this is kinda incredible because this man that used to protect America- is now emotional and I am the rock for him to call and say, "Baya, I don't know why we keep like losing on these houses. Why this and that is happening." And that was just a beautiful moment of two people connecting and like me knowing I am more than a person that takes him through a transaction. And then, you know, we, we talked and literally the next week they found their dream house and now they have a house with a pool in Alexandria. That's amazing. And it's, it's wonderful. Yeah. And stor- I have stories like this for days. Yeah. It's, it's always when I connect on a deeper level with the clients, but I also love listening to successful stories of foreign people coming here- Mm and then just making it happen and now we're buying their first house. Yeah. You know? It's really cool. And I think it's amazing that, you know, your clients can be vulnerable- Yeah with you like that because it really shows that, you know, you've built up trust and you've built a connection with them that is genuine. Yeah, and that's why, you know, that's why I'm, I'm there. I'm not a real estate agent that's going to push you into a, into purchasing a property. I am here to guide you through the process and whatever you need, I am here for it. Like, if it's a 10:00 PM phone call, let Call me. Awesome. And in addition to helping people buy and sell homes, you've organized community initiatives like blood drives and client appreciation events. Why is giving back and creating community such an important part of who you are? That's a very nice question. I really appreciate that. Thank you. So I have a four-year-old daughter that was born with a blood disease. It's almost a, like a autoimmune disease that sometimes her body fights against her and it breaks down her red blood cells and we really struggled when

A Blood Drive That Saved Her Daughter

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she was born. The first nine months were very critical. And we got into COVID area, 'cause that was 2021, 2022. And she has a O negative, uh, blood type, which is very rare. Um, and during COVID there, there was a shortage of blood, and I didn't know what's going to happen with my baby. So through the community that I built through real estate, not... At that point, not my clients, but my friends I was able to reach out to them and ask for help. And I had a wonderful client that just put a blood drive, uh, blood donation together. And I think like 100 people came and gave blood, and we were able to give blood to my baby, and now my baby's thr- uh, thriving, sorry. And, uh, that's just so beautiful. And then, you know, it goes to this is my story, but there are people with their stories. There are people that need help in different aspect, and I just think if you can put these things together, it's going to make something even more beautiful. Mm-hmm. And it's amazing that, you know, people were able to come together and help you. Yeah. 'Cause I think it shows that when you put out genuine and kind and good energy, you know, it'll come back- Mm to you at some point. Yeah. I- Yeah I like to believe that. Yeah. And I sure did get that back. Mm-hmm. You've In a world that is becoming increasiv- increasingly driven by AI, automation, and social media, why do you think that human connection and personalized guidance still matter so much in real estate? The AI things are crazy. Mm-hmm. It's scary. Um, it's such a wonderful tool if you use it right. Mm-hmm. But it can be a slippery slope. Um, there's a lot of misinformation, so just asking one que- just

AI Misinformation And Real Negotiation

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asking ChatGPT one question doesn't give you the whole picture, right? And also, as mentioned before, real estate transaction, it's not just that you come up with a number and you put an offer. Uh, the offer is more complicated. The negotiating is more complicated. You really need to find out, if you're capable, what the seller If you're representing buyers, what the seller wants, so you can give it to them, but at the same time, get the best for your buyers, right? So, and this is something algor- algorithm cannot just do for you. Mm-hmm. And then also when you walk people through the house, you need to talk to them. You need to sit them down and be like, "You need to think about the way how you actually live, not how you want to live." Because I have a lot of clients that have this idea of, "We wanna be super organized. We wanna declutter. We don't want any items in our house." So they buy a house that has no storage, but that's not how they actually live, you know? So sometimes you need to give them the reality check. And again, it comes with the honesty and really, you really need to understand your clients to best serve them, and I don't think you can do that with AI. You get a lot of wonderful information, but I think there's just so many Uh, there's so much more that goes into it. Yeah. And it's so easy to, you know, fall into misinformation when you're just gathering, you know, your information from, you know, ChatGPT- Yeah TikTok, you know, just a random Google search. So I think it's great that you're able to provide that insight as a professional to your clients to guide them on the right- Yes path. What are you most excited about for the future and the relationships you'll continue building with your clients? I am excited about growing. Um, you know, it, it, real estate is a difficult business. You always have to stay on top of everything. Um, but if you do, it will reward you, so I'm, I'm very excited about my personal growth as a real estate agent, especially being a foreigner, um, starting young in it and, you know, keep going strong, supporting my family and doing really what I love. And then just meeting more people and hearing more stories because I'll be honest with you, there's no cooler story than when an FBI client talks to you about a mission that they did- Mm-hmm and that's public and they can talk about it now. But it's just, you just think, "Wow, I am surrounded by badasses." Right. And it's really cool. And also the industry itself, there's so many talented people and smart people, and just being part of the community makes me really proud. You know, it makes me proud to be a real estate agent. I believe it used to have a bad label, but it's changing a lot. With people realizing they need to educate over sale, it's changing a lot For anyone looking to buy, sell, invest, or simply learn more about the real estate market, where can they connect with you and follow your journey? So they can connect in, on Instagram, social media, um, like Facebook, TikTok. That's where they kind of see the behind the scenes. But the best thing is to send me an email or give me a call, and then

Future Goals And How To Reach Her

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we'll get coffee, and we'll talk about real estate for hours. Like, once I start, I don't stop. So they have to be like, "Okay, Vaya. Now we know too much." Awesome. Thank you so much, Vaya, for joining me on the podcast and sharing your knowledge, passion, and inspiring story with us. I wish you the very best in all that comes your way in the future. Thank you very much. I had a lovely time, and I appreciate this. Thank you.