Meet Julie Neira, a very purposeful driven REALTOR® who has successfully embodied compassion in the real estate industry. She has a wonderful personality and is a skilled communicator. Most homeowners who have purchased or sold a property have told her over the years that they did not receive enough communication from the agents that represented them. Julie strives to go above and beyond updating her clients throughout the entire process. Her goal, is to provide a stress-free experience to all of the parties involved in each and every transaction. She is driven with the purpose that ‘Every House Sold Helps a Local Veteran.’ She states that with every sale, a donation is made to a veteran-focused non-profit. Her husband founded Warriors Haven last year, which assists and aids veterans and their families facing difficult times. The end goal of the non-profit organization is to establish a tiny home community for homeless veterans and their families.
Julie Helps Veterans is a company built on faith, honesty, and integrity. Julie’s entire purpose is to serve and guide others in the largest financial decision they may ever make in a lifetime. Her faith has guided and molded her into the compassionate woman she is today. Whether they are listing a property or putting in an offer, she prays over every potential deal. Her strong, steadfast faith has allowed her to approach the real estate industry differently than others. She adores being a part of one of the biggest financial decisions one may ever make in a lifetime. In addition to that, she finds great pleasure in having the opportunity to help veterans facing difficult times through her real estate business. Elaine Brabham was Julie’s first broker-in-charge, whom she admires and appreciates for her involvement in her life. She gave her the confidence that she needed to get through her licensing and first year in real estate. But over the years, she has hung her license with a few different brokerages, and they have all had an impact on her.
Amidst the pandemic, Julie has been working on building her YouTube channel ‘Veteran Businesses of the Lowcountry (VBOL)’ along with her co-host Chase Mason, a veteran marine and lender, and the videographer Steven, the owner of Graph It Up. Her VBOL interviewees are veteran and veteran spouse business owners in the Tri-County Charleston area. The purpose of VBOL is to introduce to every community those who have made great sacrifices for the country, and the mission is to support them in their business endeavors.
A Theatrical Entrance
Julie’s venture into real estate was a complete leap of faith! She worked as a sales associate at a franchise furniture store, making a decent living. On one of her days off, she had a doctor’s appointment, in which she was notified she’d need surgery. Julie was fortunate enough to be able to take time off for the surgery, but during her downtime she had a lot of time to reflect. Conversations with a coworker Tara kept coming into her mind. Tara worked for Elaine Brabham and asked if she’d arrange a meeting. The only reason Julie had for the meeting was to gain knowledge and insight on obtaining a real estate license.
There, Julie and Elaine had a wonderful meeting. She left feeling confident and excited for the future. She called her husband, Bill, has always supported her. They both were very excited about the possibilities, and during the conversation with Elaine, she decided she would stop by the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors’ (CTAR) to get together a timeline of when she could start classes.
When she walked in the door, no one was at the front desk, so she decided to peek around the corner. She saw a woman with a stack of binders up to her eyeballs, rushing from one office to the next. She asked Elaine if she could assist and followed her into the office. When she settled in, she asked whether Julie needed help. There she posed her question about licensing, on which she narrates, “Elaine was quick to reply, ‘classes are starting in 2 hours’ and I have one available seat left if you are interested, and the next licensing course will not start for another 6 months, putting you at another year.” She restrains herself from making such a rash decision and decides to make a call to her husband and discuss the presented opportunity. They were aware that Julie was meant to be there and thus decided to enroll and take time during the day to recuperate as needed. She called Elaine after enrolling, and she became her biggest cheerleader, encouraging her from day one! Although the timing was ideal, the classes were very demanding. Although the timing was ideal, the classes were very demanding. In the end, she passed the licensing test the first time around. Her faith was strengthened by this incredible experience and has gotten stronger every day.
"When an opportunity comes out of nowhere, take the initiative because FEAR IS A LIAR!"
Promoting gender equality
Julie has always strived to stand out in the ocean of REALTOR®s. Julie Helps Veterans is solely built on referrals. She agrees that women predominate in the real estate sector and that there aren’t many of them at the top. And adds, there is a lack of leadership classes and seminars for advancement. The preconceived notion that women are caregivers and men are the heads of the household is simply not true. “Women, in general, have a stigma attached to them as being emotional and therefore not able to make unemotional decisions,” she adds. However, to reverse the gender imbalance, Julie believes in providing education stating it is the best way to nurture the next generation of women leaders as it encourages growth from education. It is important to be aware of the culture as well as any changes in the workplace culture and overcome the traditional beliefs that women should be at home and men should be the providers.
Julie expresses her concern that the increasing number of agents entering the business to make a paycheck is killing the passion for real estate. She states that success is not based on the amount of money one makes but being surrounded by people who support and love you while living a life of purpose. She firmly believes that real estate is all about people; serving and catering to them should be the ultimate goal. She advises all agents to adjust their approach to hospitality and provide the best possible service to customers. Lastly, she recommends they seize the moment. “When an opportunity comes out of nowhere, take the initiative because FEAR IS A LIAR!” concludes Julie.
