From Tax Collector to Top Producer
When Elizabeth Velasco decided to pursue real estate full time, she took a leap of faith. She left the security of her 9-to-5 career as a tax collector for the State of California and chose to build something of her own.
Looking back, she knows it was the right decision.
“I never looked back,” Elizabeth said.
Real estate started as a side business, but it quickly became clear that Elizabeth had found the right path. She enjoyed the work, loved helping people, and eventually her real estate income surpassed what she was earning with the state.
That was when she knew it was time to go all in.
When REMAX Gold first approached Elizabeth about joining the company, she wasn’t immediately sure. It took several conversations, and surprisingly, a trip to Europe helped make the decision for her.
While traveling through 10 different countries, she kept seeing the same name: REMAX.
That global presence stayed with her.
Today, Elizabeth is celebrating 15 years with REMAX Gold.
The REMAX name may have been what first caught her attention, but what has kept Elizabeth with REMAX Gold is the people, the relationships, the referrals, the education, and the support she has received throughout the years.
That support has extended beyond her day-to-day real estate business. REMAX Gold has supported Elizabeth in her leadership role with FAREPA Sacramento and the work she does to serve the real estate community.
For Elizabeth, the relationship with her brokerage has also been personal. When her father passed away, REMAX Gold sent flowers to her family, a thoughtful gesture she has never forgotten.
“It’s not just about the business. I’ve always felt supported both professionally and personally.” — Elizabeth Velasco
“At my first brokerage, I was a big fish in a small pond. At REMAX, I’m a small fish in the sea, with more opportunity and a much bigger network,” Elizabeth said.
Real estate is always changing, and Elizabeth knows that staying educated is one of the best ways to continue growing. She attends a REMAX leadership mastermind three times a year, participates in real estate conferences and industry events, and takes part in REMAX Gold’s MEC Wins-Day and Coffee with the Co-Broker sessions.
She also collaborates with a REMAX team leader from Connecticut who helps train her team and includes them in his real estate boot camp. “Because of REMAX, I was able to get that support and make that connection,” Elizabeth said.
Her commitment to real estate goes beyond her own business. Elizabeth is also the Founding President of FAREPA Sacramento, where she helps bring Filipino American real estate professionals together through education, networking, leadership, and community involvement.
Giving back to the real estate community is something Elizabeth values deeply. She believes in sharing what she has learned, creating opportunities for others, and building relationships that make the industry stronger.
Over the years, Elizabeth has personally helped more than 1,000 families, not including the sales completed by members of her team. Now she is helping her clients children as they are ready to find their home.
For Elizabeth, those second-generation clients are a reminder that real estate is about much more than one transaction. It is about relationships that can last for generations.
Real estate has also become a family legacy. Both of Elizabeth’s adult sons are now in the real estate industry, making them third-generation Realtors. She is especially proud to see the next generation continue a profession that has played such an important role in their family.
For Elizabeth, success is not measured by business alone. Her personal life and family are just as important.
She has been married to her husband for 34 years, and together they have built a life and family she is deeply proud of. Now, they are entering another exciting chapter as they look forward to welcoming their first grandchild next year.
Staying connected with clients has always been at the heart of Elizabeth’s business. She and her team keep in touch through social media, mailers, birthday and anniversary greetings, client appreciation events, and educational workshops on topics such as trusts and tax changes.
Many of her clients have become friends over the years. “I’m a very relational Realtor, not a transactional Realtor,” Elizabeth said. “That’s how I grew my business.” That approach has shaped both the way she serves her clients and the way she leads her team.
For agents who are just starting in real estate, Elizabeth’s advice is simple: join a good team with a leader who will mentor and train you. There is plenty of information available online, but she believes real growth comes from hands-on experience, learning how to earn a client’s trust, convert a lead, negotiate, and successfully guide a transaction all the way to closing.
She also believes in accountability and continued growth within her own team. Team members are expected to participate, attend team meetings, hold open houses, and continue investing in their education.
After many years in real estate and 15 years with REMAX Gold, Elizabeth continues to grow, learn, and adapt while staying true to what has always mattered most to her: family, relationships, service, education, community, and taking care of her clients.
For Elizabeth, true success is having a career she loves while also building a meaningful life with the people she loves.
Congratulations, Elizabeth, on 15 years with REMAX Gold! Get in touch with Elizabeth at 916.730.8053
Gold Nation, comprised of REMAX Gold, REMAX One, REMAX Alliance, REMAX Capitol Properties, REMAX Elite, REMAX Premier, REMAX Associates, REMAX Integrity, REMAX Northwest, and REMAX Equity Group, is represented by over 2,900 of the industry’s most productive agents at over 130 Offices in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.