How did you get into the short sale business?
Arlena: I was in the banking industry as a VP and underwriter for many years and knew the short sale process very well from that side of things, versus the consumer’s side. I did very well in banking and moved up in the ranks fast because I am action-oriented and see opportunities, however I was looking for a change from the politics of corporate America. My family has always been very enterprising, having had their own businesses, so I decided to start my own business helping people using my banking knowledge. This was in 2012. Because I had worked with short sales in banking, I decided to look up businesses that could pair with my skill set. I found out that there were licenses for becoming a short sale negotiator in Oregon, where we lived at the time, so I became a short sale negotiator. I was determined to succeed, as my husband had been laid off and we had just bought a house. My husband and I started calling a few agencies. We had a call with a really nice broker who wanted to meet. and we met. He could tell I knew about short sales and wanted to help people, but that I was not experienced helping from the consumer side. He decided to give me a chance. I received two files from this broker. I quickly figured it out, and submitted it to the bank where I had a contact. I closed those files quickly and my broker friend continued to send me files. Word got out and buyer’s agents started seeing my work. I pride myself on having excellent communication and fast turnaround times. If someone sends me an email, they will hear from me within less than 4 hours. This is very important to me, and one thing that sets me apart. This, coupled with my banking contacts and knowledge, is what got clients to refer to other clients to me. I have now closed hundreds of smooth transactions and do workshops all over the country for real estate brokerages on the short sale process.
What does success mean to you?
Arlena: Success is when you love what you do. It’s not about the money. If you love what you do you will be successful. I love what I do. I don’t get tired of it because it always presents me with new situations and challenges. I love problem solving. I love to find different ways and think outside the box. I don’t just go by the rules. I try to find different sources. I won’t give up. I have even had properties that went to foreclosure and I got it back.
What wisdom would you give to someone to find what they love?
Arlena: Try everything possible and see what makes you happy. If you try something and don’t love it, move on to the next thing. Don’t hang on to the same thing. There’s so many things you could do. Don’t think about it as a job. Think about it as your hobby. Look at the skills you have, can you start a business using them?
All my life I have been a witness to the small business industry. My family has always had their own businesses. In corporate America I could not deal with the politics. I did not like the environment. So I thought why shouldn’t I do what I am doing at the bank but create my own niche?
Family is key
Arlena: My family means the world to me, and I know it does to my clients. I work with my brother Arno Isaian, owner of Home Foreclosure Advocates, in business every day. We have a saying that goes, we are not just brother and sister, we are “brothers” and we are “sisters.” We treat each other with fierce loyalty like brothers, and can talk to each other about anything, like sisters. His wife is more of a daughter to my mom than I am. We are originally from Armenia, and our families have always stayed together. When we moved from LA to Portland several years ago, Arno said whenever my sister moves I am going to move. So then our parents also moved to Oregon. I decided I wanted to move to Florida, so now we all live in Florida.
Every day I get to work with families, ederly, or people with kids. The bank doesn’t even want to listen to them. That fires me up. So I am going to do whatever I can to help their family. I treat my clients as family. Some of my client’s become my best friends whom I consider family. Serving and helping people is what matters most to me.
What’s next for you?
Arlena: My brother and I want to continue to serve families by specializing in the foreclosure and short sale industry. We have become experts and have saved many homes and people from this difficult process. We already serve people nationwide, but we want to grow our businesses to have an office in every state. We want to be the place to go when your home becomes a distressed property. We are considered the “Short Sale Secret Weapon” now, but we will soon become the “Short Sale Super Heroes” as we keep saving homes and adding more people to our team. We love what we do and can’t wait to see what happens next!