Shay Hata may be quiet, but she is a force when it comes to real estate and being Supermom. Frankly, when seeing her posts with her son Oliver, I frequently think, “damn, this kid has a truly magical childhood.” But it is exactly that kind of magic that makes Shay so successful in business as well. Shay goes above and beyond - whether that is for her son or her clients. She is committed to truly magical and memorable customer service experiences and we absolutely love that. Get to know Shay a little better below - you’ll see what makes her so special!
1. Who has had the greatest impact on your life?
My mother. She was a single mom who quit her full time salaried job after my parents got a divorce so she could open a bakery and both work and take care of me at the same time. As a 4 year old I went into the bakery with her every day at 6am. I learned basic math skills working the cash register, that I could sell anything to anyone and that the customer is always right. She taught me the value of hard work, that no one is too good for any job as well as how to structure and grow a business; lessons which have been the foundation of my life.
2. With a new “smart” something coming out almost every day, what products amaze and astound you?
None really. At the end of the day, this is a belly to belly business and technology can't replace that; in my opinion its best use is to enhance your personal relationship with your clients; not replace it. At the end of the day what works best is getting face to face with people, sending hand written notes, sending gifts and showing clients you care.
3. What did you want to be when you were a kid?
A ballerina when I was a little kid then eventually a business owner once I was in high school. I've always known I wasn't cut out to work for other people. I'm not a team player.
4. What is something you’re really proud of? Why?
In my personal life, I'm most proud of my son. He's kind and at the end of the day, that's what's most important. I'm also proud to still be married. Real estate is my third business; the other 2 businesses I sold to investors. Starting and growing a business is hard on a marriage. I'm glad we survived as there were some tough days along the way. In my business life, I'm most proud of starting a real estate business in a brand new city where I didn't know a single person and within 4 years hitting $30M in annual production. That wasn't luck; that was hard work and strategic business planning.
5. What has been your biggest a-ha moment in business or in life?
Every time I screw up is an a-ha moment. I make a lot of mistakes, but I'm good at correcting them immediately and putting plans into place so I don't make them again.
6. What’s the best piece of advice you ever got?
Listen before you speak and ask three questions deep.
7. What gets you fired up/energized?
Helping a coaching client get a big win. I recently had a coaching client who had been working with a buyer for over a year and hadn't been able to get her under contract and had lost out on 5 multiple offers. Both the buyer and my student were getting frustrated. Within 3 weeks of us working together, we had put in a place a multiple offer strategy and got her client under contract in another multiple offer situation. I was thrilled!
8. What’s the best and worst thing about getting older? I love getting older. I'm more even tempered, more comfortable in my own skin, and more aware of what's truly important in life. Life just gets better as I get older. The only thing I don't like about getting older is that I am terrified about something happening to me and not being there for my kid. And it's way harder to lose weight the older you get!
9. What have you created that you’re most proud of? Systems. I like to think of myself as the queen of systems. I have a 10 year post transaction follow up program for clients, a 98 step process for under contract clients; most of which is automated, etc. I have systems and how tos for everything.
10. If life is a game, like some people say, what are the rules?
Be kind and treat others the way you want to be treated. Other than that, there are no rules. I'm more of a rule breaker than a rule follower. It's one of my greatest strengths as well as an occasional problem. I tend to do what I want and think is right in any given situation then ask for forgiveness afterwards (or usually just not care that I broke the rule).