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Top Women in Real Estate

o matter how great you are It was apparent that Erica clients were realtors, brokerages,
Nat what you do, if no one knew what direction she wanted lenders, contractors and other
knows you do it, you will not be to take her career, but it wasn’t just home related businesses. Nearly
successful. Erica Vautier and her this knowledge that led her to the 15 years later, Erica’s company is
company Sparkling Marketing, path she would traverse. She was serving the same clientele, now
Inc. exist to assure this doesn’t also determined and somewhat representing some of the top
happen. In the highly competitive fearless, even in the early days. Realtors and Loan Originators in
Southern Californian real estate Erica wanted to start working in California.
market, she helps clients outshine marketing right away, before she “Once I was in the real
the competition. had even graduated. estate industry, I was hooked.
Erica is probably one of the “In my senior year in college, I can’t imagine ever going into
most astute women I have ever I decided I wanted a regular job. another industry. Our work has
met. Erica knows her mind and I was tired of bartending, so I a major impact on people during
especially knows her business. started applying for marketing life-changing moments. We get to
Raised in Montgomery Township positions. I figured it would be be a part of that excitement.”
in New Jersey to a hard working good practice for when I gradu- Erica did not jump from her
and loving family set the stage for ated. So, I created a resume and first job into owning her company,
who she would become. began looking for a full-time job. there were a few key steps along
After High School, Erica One of the positions I interviewed the way. She has spent her entire
attended James Madison Univer- for was an advertising company career honing her marketing
sity in Harrisonburg, Virginia. that specialized in real estate. I skills and becoming an expert in
"Growing up in New Jersey, life went through the first round of California real estate.
was fast paced, filled with a lot interviews, and I was amazed at For five years she was the
of big personalities and assertive how easy it was. I was thrilled Marketing Director for Wind-
people. It’s where I got my strong when they called me back for a ermere in San Diego. “Growing
work ethic and confidence. Virgin- second interview. I rushed out and Windermere was an exciting
Erica ia, on the other hand, had a very bought a suit. It was almost like experience. We were ‘the little
playing dress up, pretending to be
relaxed pace. Everything was slow
company that could’ and proved
and casual. I'm really glad I got to
student. You can’t beat real world
offices and more than 300 agents
experience life in a small town, be- a professional when I was still a our strength by growing to eight
Vautier cause it's slowed me down (a little experience.” in just a few years. We were the
first real estate brokerage in the
When she was called back
bit) and helped me listen to people
better. Ultimately, I wanted a more for a third interview to meet the nation to start a company blog
energetic lifestyle, so I transferred owners, Erica knew she was going and were among the first to jump
Making the World of to San Diego State University in to be offered the job and had on board with social media sites.”
Real Estate Sparkle 2005 to finish my degree.” to come clean. “I wanted them In 2012 Erica branched out
Erica knew from an early to know what they could really and added a new layer of market-
age that she loved marketing and expect from me. I said something ing experience to her repertoire.
By Judith A. Habert wanted to work in a creative pro- like ‘the resume you see in front Erica was hired as the Marketing
fession. San Diego State University of you is a future truth. I will have Director for Samuel Scott Finan-
did not offer the exact program that degree. I will have that GPA. cial Group and quickly was able
she hoped for, so she combined I will have that experience. But to increase their loan production.
a few majors and minors to get a right now, I'm still a senior in col- She leveraged her real estate
more comprehensive education in lege. I still have another semester experience to create new business
marketing and public relations. of classes, and I'm only available opportunities for the loan origina-
"I studied marketing and three days a week.’ I told them that tors and grow their offices. All the
advertising for my major and they should still hire me because while gaining insight into a differ-
added minors in public relations I would do better work in those ent part of the real estate industry
and journalism. Today a lot of three days than anyone else would to understand the complete path
universities offer programs that do in a full week." to homeownership.
integrate these areas of marketing, The company was impressed “I think one of my firm’s big-
but when I was in school, they with her confidence and they gest strengths comes from the fact
were separate. As technology has offered her the job. This would be that I understand the industry so
advanced and the world has be- the start of an immensely success- well. I worked with real estate pro-
come more and more connected, ful career in real estate marketing. fessionals all the time, I woke up
we see the lines blurring between Powerhouse Plus specialized every day, and I drove into a real
these fields.” in real estate advertising. Their estate office, and I sat there with

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