Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea J. Gonzalez.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Andrea. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
My story began in South Texas as the daughter of a very strong, educated and independent woman with public service running through her veins, and an entrepreneurial father with his own construction company and the affinity for purchasing apartment buildings. The need for higher education and independence as a woman was instilled in me at a very young age as my mother was a trailblazer in the Texas educational community. Whether it be the first woman to be on the School Board or the first woman to become President of that same board, her success made her expectations implicit and it then became my goal to not only meet them but exceed them. It may have helped that my older sister became an Anesthesiologist and married a Neurosurgeon before I graduated from high school. But I always knew I was going to have to become a “Super Woman” to carry on her legacy.
In 2001, I moved to Boston from Texas to attend Northeastern University School of Law. Coupling the fact that South Texas was home for the majority of my family and that I had never been to Boston, convincing my parents that this was the best move for me was not easy. I actually had to tell my parents that I had friends from Texas also attending NU in order for them to eventually allow my move. Even at the young age of 21, I knew I wanted big things for myself and that the life I wanted was not going to be in Texas. I had a sister in Atlanta and my family would have preferred I go there; however, I have and had always loved fashion, so being in close proximity to New York City was secretly a motivating factor for me. And that is how my love affair with Boston began.
While in law school, I quickly determined that I was destined to be a litigation attorney. Arguing a case became second nature to me and so did the adrenaline rush I got when standing before a Judge and/or convincing a group of people to side with my position. Upon graduation, I began to work for a firm that specialized in two practice areas: Criminal Defense/Civil Litigation and Real Estate. While I was hired to join the litigation practice and thoroughly enjoyed the cases and being able to argue in the First Circuit District Court of Massachusetts at such an early stage in my career, I quickly found myself being drawn to the conversations within the firm that centered around real estate development and closing transactions. The opportunity to join that department was not available to me at this firm so I eventually decided to branch out and attempt to make the transition into real estate elsewhere.
After working in a few positions after my first job, I landed at a firm with a focus on real estate conveyancing. The position was for a closing attorney that was willing to travel to closings AND that could speak Spanish. I quickly became well-versed in purchase contracts, title reviews, and loan packages, and how to explain them in both English and Spanish. I was also handling workshops and working closely with a huge client that had predominantly Spanish speaking clients. It was so rewarding to be able to educate some home buyers and borrowers who would not otherwise understand the entire purchasing process by explaining everything in Spanish. I was thriving and quickly began to network and drive a significant amount of business to the firm. I loved it!
It wasn’t long, however, before I realized I was an integral part of the firm and the business that we were generating. After much thought and trepidation, I decided to speak to my boss about an increase in my salary. It is this conversation that is one of the single most important conversations and motivating factors for the business(es) I have created for myself over the years. In the conversation, I expressed that I deserved a “raise” or an increase in commission as I was not only working at the firm, but I was also bringing in a significant amount of business from one of our top leading producers in the mortgage industry, as well as working with another top producer that only wanted to use me as the closing attorney because her clients were predominantly Spanish speaking.
I was nervous about the conversation because I had only been at the firm six months, but I took a chance in the hopes that what I was going to relay was already being observed. Unfortunately, the response I got was not what I expected. My boss at the time said, “Andrea, although what you are saying might be true, I can find someone else to do exactly what you do for me here. She might not be as pretty as you, but I can find someone to do exactly what you do for less money so why would I pay you more?” I remember being overwhelmed with disappointment and frustration while feeling like I was going to explode all at the same time. His words were a punch in the stomach for so many reasons. So without hesitation, I gave him my two weeks’ notice. This was in July of 2007.
My father was a contractor with his own business growing up so I had both a love for real estate and new construction and an entrepreneurial spirit ingrained in me at an early age. I watched him make some decisions that ended well and also some that didn’t, which I truly believe has helped me persevere through a few difficult times in my real estate career. It also helped give me the courage to start my own law practice, The Law Office of Andrea J. Gonzalez, in August 2007. I became a sole practitioner and took my prior firm’s longest-standing paralegal with me.
My clients opted to continue working with me and so I began working in a basement office on Newbury Street that was owned and operated by one of Boston’s top producing real estate brokers. I worked with a lot of his agents and mortgage brokers and bankers in the city. I don’t remember ever being busier in my career. It was awesome (that really is the best word to describe it). I was 27 years old. I was scared of failing, but I also had a lot to prove… to myself, to my family, to my former boss, and to all women thinking of starting their own business(es). I had to succeed. And I did. The financial crisis in 2008 presented many challenges; however, I rode the wave and continued practicing solely as a real estate attorney until 2013.
In 2013, I decided I knew real estate transactions so well that it was time for me to get my broker’s license and start my own brokerage. I initially toyed with the idea of partnering with another agent and then eventually determined I needed to continue being my own boss, with my own company and my own name, and so I moved forward with my brokerage, AG Luxury Boston. I began working with developers in and around South Boston and continue to work predominantly in that market today. Although I have lived and worked with properties in Downtown Boston, Back Bay, Brookline, and South Boston, the market in South Boston is ever changing, new construction projects are always interesting and developing, and the challenge of it all keeps me in my favorite position, on my toes!
At this juncture in my life, I am working predominantly as a real estate broker and have hired another AG Luxury Boston agent, Andrea Perrotti. She brings so much to my business, but her energy, her willingness to learn and her marketing prowess are some of the qualities that impress me the most. I see a lot of my drive and passion in her and am excited to see her grow in her career. I am also extremely excited about starting another business that will focus more on my first and true love, fashion! I will always be an attorney and love being a real estate broker and, specifically working on new construction projects; however, I have always had my own unique style and know the importance of “diversifying” so my new business will add fashion to my portfolio.
I have become a fashion blogger and already translate my daily outfits into high fashion images that can be shopped on Shop Style Collective through my Instagram handle, @AndreaGLuxe or my blog, www.AndreaGLuxe.com. I love fashion, have a very distinct and edgy style and, in addition to blogging, Andrea and I have now started designing statement pieces for women of all ages that will aim to empower women. It is my hope that my style and drive will translate onto each of the pieces so that other women can see that being a “Boss”, in whatever sense the word pertains to them, whether at home or at work, is not only attainable but fun!
Anyone that knows me knows that I have always considered myself to be a well-rounded, nonconformist. My message with my new company is honest and one that should really resonate with all women. The sky is the limit! As a woman that moved to Boston from Texas many years ago, I never could have foreseen how and where my entrepreneurial spirit was going to take me, but I sure have enjoyed (and embraced) the ride here and look forward to the future. I am ever so grateful for the opportunities and love I have found in Boston, that this great city has become my home, and that it has seemingly embraced me right back. XO
Has it been a smooth road?
I was 29 when the financial crisis of 2008 created the biggest disruption to the U.S. housing market since the Great Depression. I started my real estate law practice at the end of 2007 so this definitely impacted my business and made me question my capability to sustain my practice through it all. I was a woman from Texas with no real connections in Boston besides those I had created, I had no family here, and was running a business amongst life-long Bostonians and a lot of more seasoned attorneys. It was scary!
Around the same time, I began a significant challenge in my personal life and it seemed like I was going to crash and burn in every area of my life. If I wasn’t a spiritual person with a strong will and drive to succeed, I never would have made it. I look back now and can’t imagine the strength it took me to push through. Thankfully, I had a great team of loyal real estate agents and mortgage professionals that worked with me and a supportive group of family and friends that wouldn’t let me give up.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with AG Luxury Boston/AndreaGLuxe – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I have multiple real estate businesses. I have my real estate brokerage that allows me to help buyers, sellers, tenants, and landlords realize their real estate dreams and I am a licensed Massachusetts attorney that helps buyers and sellers with the legal aspects of real estate transactions. My experience with new construction projects from start to finish sets me apart from other agents and companies.
I understand the building process, can anticipate issues and/or delays throughout the process, and therefore, have a competitive advantage with respect to new construction projects and handling the process of listing and selling them. I am proud to be a well-versed woman in this sector and to work with a group of both men and women that value and appreciate that as well. Walking through construction sites with my experience and design eye has helped me to envision the finished product early in the process (and also help potential buyers to envision the finished product), create marketing materials that capture the details, and thus, maximize gains for sellers.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Living in Boston is a dream. I love this city. The opportunities are endless. I am blessed to be surrounded by people that are driven and want to make it better. That buzz, their entrepreneurial spirit, and the importance everyone around me put in service to our community, effectually motivates me and helps me to be better. I couldn’t say anything that I like least besides the snow… and even then, there are days that I look at the snow for all its beauty and it is not a bother.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.agluxuryboston.com
- Phone: (617) 6992144
- Email: andrea@agluxuryboston.com
Image Credit:
Bryan Barth
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