Finalists Espinosa & Taylor Battler For Grand Prize

ALISO VIEJO, CA, August 15, 2006 – Pauline Espinosa and Linda Taylor have much in common. Both are MBA’s, both have strong business backgrounds, both are rookie real estate agents and both are among the top 10 contestants for the Real Estate Apprentice® Season IV Grant Program. Today, they were announced as the latest recipients of at least $7,000 worth of real estate educational products and services grants, and they are now candidates for the Grand Prize offering of $70,000. Nguyen Lam and Maida Besic were also selected as Semi-Finalists and awarded grants at the $2,500 level; each displaying outstanding individual contributions.

What’s The Real Estate Apprentice Foundation?
Not familiar with Real Estate Apprentice Grant Foundation? It is a rising star California Public Benefits Corporation that specializes in helping rookie agents. On a biannual basis the Foundation allows rookie agents to compete via essays for $500,000 in real estate educational products and services. Essays are judged on the basis of salesmanship and communication skills, entrepreneurial spirit, integrity, creativity and uniqueness. From January 1, 2006 through June 30, 2006 2,128 applicants expressed interest in receiving the powerful tools designed to put rookie on a fast track to career stardom. Grants consist of products and/or services provided by visionary real estate industry companies who desire to showcase “best-practice” tools and eliminate new agent failure. They are offered to worthy applicants and require no subsequent reimbursement.

Pauline Espinosa Assured of Minimum $7,000 Grant
Pauline Espinosa studied real estate with Anthony Schools, a Kaplan Real Estate School, and is currently an agent at Century 21 Beachside in Chino Hills, California. She graduated from Chapman University, located in California, with a Master’s degree in Educational Administration and obtained her undergraduate degree from the American College in Business Administration, along with a secondary teaching credential. Espinosa taught grades 9-12 as a Business Teacher for 6 years and then advanced to a position as a Mentor Support Provider for new teachers, eventually becoming a high school Assistant Principal for a large school with over 3,000 students.

Best-Suited for Real Estate?
During the grueling candidate pruning process Pauline was asked, “What life experiences do you believe made you especially well-suited for a career in real estate?” She responded by explaining that she and her husband were once Hispanic first-time homebuyers, making one of the most important decisions of their lives. After attempting to collaborate with an agent who did not listen nor understand their needs, they discovered a spectacular agent who made all the difference in the world and closed the deal. The agent’s integrity, attention to their unique needs, and extra effort led to their repeat business, a lifelong friendship, and ultimately laid the foundation for Pauline’s career change into real estate.

No Mentors – No Problem!
Espinosa was also asked to describe how she overcame various adversities during her life. Her response indicates tremendous initiative, courage and determination, “From a very young age I had no parents to nurture or support me and ended up living with many different relatives. I did all I could to surround myself with people who I knew would influence me in a positive way. I looked to friends, church members, teachers, and athletics to mentor and educate me. I took control of my future and did my best to prepare for life’s challenges, putting myself through college while working full-time. I saved money, bought my own home, and now run my own business.”

Linda Taylor Secures Minimum $7,000 in Prizes
Linda Taylor was trained at the Long & Foster Real Estate Training Center and works at Fairfax Realty in Elkridge, Maryland. Born in New York, she attended Long Beach High School, and progressed onto college where she received her B.S. degree. In the late 80’s, Linda began her sales career selling life and health insurance, then revisited her education in 1989 on a full graduate scholarship to The College of Insurance to obtain her MBA degree. In 1995 she received a full graduate scholarship to Howard University and relocated to Washington, DC with her 2-year-old son. In 2000 she received her mortgage lenders license; in late 2005 her real estate license, and in January of 2006 she became a member of The Luxury Institute.

When asked what top qualities she possessed that would enable her to achieve real estate industry success, Taylor answered, “I would first say integrity, which represents who we are as individuals and our core values. Communication skills would rank very high – an agent must possess outstanding verbal and written skills essential for marketing and contract negotiation. Organizational skills are vital; a system must be in place to manage leads and follow-up with clients in a timely manner. Lastly, basic computer skills are fundamental to the growth of any fledgling business. Also, having fun is vital because it can generate and grow a business. I possess these qualities and I make a conscience effort to practice them daily.” As for adversities, Taylor admits that she faces several on a daily basis: as a new agent with no experience she is battling some veteran Top Producers who already dominate her market. Rather than going head-to-head with these incumbents, Taylor chose a different strategy: getting vital training by holding open house for those agents. Since they control the market, and the housing market cycle has changed, Taylor targets Expireds and FSBO’s to build her business.

Nguyen Lam – A $2,500 Prize Awardee
Nguyen Lam was educated by Career Education Systems, a RealtyU® Affiliate, and is currently an agent with Realty Executives Center in Wichita, Kansas. At 19 years old, with little money and almost no business knowledge, Nguyen decided to open his own business by investing his life savings in a wireless phone retail store. After five years of owning and operating his store, Mr. Lam is one of the top three T-mobile dealers in Wichita. He explains, “As I migrate my career into real estate, I bring my past experiences and challenges that I have overcome in the wireless industry to make myself standout in the real estate world.”

Maida Besic – Thankful for $2,500 Grant
Maida Besic studied with The Real Estate Education Center, a RealtyU® Affiliate, and is an agent with Real Estate One, in Shelby Twp, Michigan. Born in Bosnia, at a very young age Maida endured the horrors of war. She and her family were forced to live in a concentration camp and witnessed many terrible tragedies. Fortunately, Besic and her family escape Bosnia and settled in Michigan, where Maida worked as a cashier in a restaurant. During her retail tenure, she learned how to prioritize, multitask, serve customers, and manage her time effectively. Considered a very social individual, Maida speaks two languages and is working on a third while enjoying her second year of college and seeking a business degree.