"Diversity is something I'm passionate about ... It’s really just treating your clients with kindness, with respect, and with understanding because they're coming to you as an expert."
Regine Nelson has dramatically grown her business by playing on her strengths, focusing on positivity, and committing herself to diversity by being an ally for minority groups. Learn why Regine is an ABoR Changemaker.
A Mindset for Growth
Regine Nelson believes in the power of positivity. As a mom of twin boys, co-manager of multiple property investments alongside her husband, and REALTOR® at Realty Austin, Regine knows that maintaining a positive mindset and an organized routine is key to her productivity and happiness.
Every day, Regine wakes up before 5:00 a.m. to practice her own version of Hal Elrod’s The Miracle Morning, a routine that includes meditating, journaling, working out, and taking the time to focus on how to improve her business.
“By eight-o-clock, when everyone is just having their breakfast, I’m ready to tackle anything else that may come my way,” Regine says. “Doing this has provided me an extra hour or two a week that I can actually think about the overall scope of my business and what needs to be optimized, and then create the system to optimize it.”
Regine has only been a REALTOR® since 2019, but she credits her rising success to her ability to adapt easily to change. When the COVID-19 pandemic began spreading across the nation, Regine knew she’d have to adjust her routine, and quickly. She refused to give into denial and grief and instead focused on her mindset. “I just said, “This year is probably going to be different.”’ And then I said, “Well, I can work with different.’”
Regine used her newfound time at home to expand her skillet through ABoR On-Air classes and began focusing on giving back to her network in a creative way. Since more people were hanging out online at the beginning of the pandemic, she put her marketing and communications skills to work by sharing self-produced videos on social media, reminding people to stay hopeful.
“One of my goals in life is to inspire and motivate people in whatever way that is. So, I started a Monday Morning Motivation series,” she says. “The purpose was to just be a light out there when other people were scared. And then I did 26 days straight, walking through the alphabet with one letter of encouragement or positivity. People responded really well to that and I just kept going.” The project kept Regine on the forefront of people’s minds, resulting in a 137 percent increase in production, despite a global pandemic.
Championing Diversity and Inclusion
Growing up in Miami as a daughter of Haitian parents and spending her summer vacations in Haiti, France, and Montreal, Regine is truly a citizen of the world. She is multilingual and is raising her boys, who attend Austin International School, to be trilingual.
Regine’s background and interest for working with international clients drew her to ABoR Global, where she serves as a leader on its Advisory Committee and as Global Ambassador to Spain. She credits the group as well as her Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation for helping her achieve a better cultural understanding of how to “attract, service, and provide excellence” for people who are looking to relocate.
“Last year I worked with two Spanish nationals on buying their investment properties, and they were thanking me and their lucky stars because they got in right before the madness that is post-COVID housing supply!”
Regine sees herself as a conduit for change when it comes to promoting diversity through her career. Knowing that aligning herself with changemakers in the industry is essential to both her professional development and her personal brand, she serves on ABoR’s Diversity Committee and is actively involved with Austin Association of Real Estate Brokers (AAREB; dba Black REALTISTS® of Central Texas), Women’s Council of REALTORS®, and the Asian Real Estate Association (AREAA), which are ABoR Strategic Partners.
“I am preparing and being intentional about how I'm moving within ABoR in order to create roles and opportunities for myself five years down the line to be a leader that people can look to. Glass ceilings are being shattered everywhere.”
On a day-to-day basis, Regine is passionate about being an ally. Having the opportunity to be an ally to the LGBTQ+ community and close on a home for a same-sex couple has been a meaningful and educational experience for her.
“I had to learn how to navigate the unique challenges and the fears of what it's like to buy a home in a state they saw as conservative, being a same-sex couple. Diversity is something I'm passionate about for that reason. I may not be a member of the LGBTQ+ community, but I understand the needs of that community and how to best serve them as an ally. It’s really just treating your clients with kindness, with respect, and with understanding because they're coming to you as an expert.”