Meet Ashley Lee

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley Lee and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I’m originally from Northridge, so born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. I attended Balboa Elementary and Nobel Middle. Just after a few weeks of starting at Cleveland High, my family and I relocated to Orange County for my dad’s new job. For college, I attended UC Santa Barbara and graduated with a BA in English, with a Professional Writing Minor in Business Communication. My family is still in the OC and now I live in Sherman Oaks, so I feel like I’ve come full-circle back to the Valley. However, having bounced around Southern California, I’m familiar with the region and love calling it home. I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else, especially with the beautiful weather, the world-class beaches, the green spaces, and of course my family being close by.

When my family was house hunting in OC, I went with my parents to every single open house and learned so many interesting facts, such as that a room can only be considered a true bedroom if there is a closet. I also knew from looking at home prices 10, 20, and 30 years ago that owning a home is truly the best hedge against inflation. Along with learning how to do taxes and personal finance, I think learning how to buy and sell a home should be required subjects in school. There are so many aspects to a transaction from the contracts to the escrow process that it can be overwhelming. I want to serve as an educator for clients, especially first time home buyers, so that they can make empowered decisions, and help turn their homeownership dreams into reality.

As a real estate agent, I also want to help those who are relocating, since I’ve learned firsthand it can be a difficult transition. Moving is already stressful and trying to integrate into a new community is not easy. Moving to the OC and being the new kid at a much smaller school than I was used to where it felt like everyone had grown up together since kindergarten, I felt like an outsider. Ultimately, my goal as a real estate agent is to serve as a resource for the community I love and to serve as an insider for my clients.

What should our readers know about your business?
I’m a real estate agent based out of the Keller Williams Encino/Sherman Oaks office and marketing professional with over a decade of experience. I also run a bachelorette and bridal shower event planning business, Bach Planning Bestie, based in Santa Barbara and LA. In my spare time, I tutor students in graphic design, volunteer my graphic design skills for nonprofits, and just hosted my first free community yoga class at Van Nuys Sherman Oaks Park. I recently picked up running (shout out to my run club RAMP in Studio City) and it’s true what they say, once you run a 5K, next thing you know, you’re running a half marathon.

The skills I’ve picked up in my career, including being versatile and thinking quick on your feet, translate well into real estate, where you constantly have to problem solve. I also carry over time management, the ability to juggle multiple simultaneous deadlines, and knowing how to prioritize responsibilities.

I think I always had the idea to get my real estate license in the back of my mind. I took one of the pre-licensing courses (Real Estate Principles) through a local community college in 2017 with the hope that it would help me when it was time to buy my first home. Last year, I thought, why not just take the other two courses and actually get licensed? I had nothing to lose. The courses were entirely online, and the exam was offered multiple times a week every month. So, I finished what I started. Then came the fun part–choosing which brokerage firm to “hang my license at.”

As a real estate agent, you have to operate under a broker (e.g. Keller Williams Encino/Sherman Oaks, Compass, The Agency, etc.) unless you take the separate broker exam. I met with a couple of virtual brokerages and some other firms near by, but eventually settled on Keller Williams Encino/Sherman Oaks because I liked the welcoming vibes I got from the leadership and agents, the quality of mentorship and training, and close by location.

The first month was extremely overwhelming. I received so many emails from my brokerage, the California Association of Realtors, the CRMLS, all asking me to sign up for something and make an account. Thankfully, I have my mentor, Cyrene, as well as the Director of Agent Services, Andrew, to ask questions and wrap my head around everything. After a couple of months, I found my rhythm, figuring out my weekly schedule. Now, after every real estate activity, whether that’s an open house or a community event, I document all the lessons learned from the experience so I can improve every time. I’m constantly learning and trying to absorb everything like a sponge.

I’m most proud of myself for taking the leap to educating myself through the pre-licensing courses, passing the licensing exam on the first try, and signing on to my brokerage, all while working my full-time marketing job. I thought, why not try real estate? Trying something new, and learning something new, can be difficult but should be encouraged. It is important to be challenged, so we can continue to grow. Ultimately, I am so happy that I got my real estate license and am so excited to see where the rest of year goes!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Every friend who visits me goes on a hike or walk with me to Fryman Canyon or Runyon Canyon! I think movement is medicine and sets you up for a great day. Depending on their interest level, I’d also probably take them to a fitness class during the week, such as pilates at Natural Pilates or Pilates Plus or yoga at Corepower Yoga.

Everyone who visits LA always wants to check out Erewhon for their famous smoothies, so that would also be on the agenda. I’d also have to take my friend to get street tacos–either on the literal street anywhere or Tacos 1986. If they wanted pizza I’d suggest Slice & Pint in El Segundo or Slice House. If we were celebrating something or wanted to treat ourselves, I’d take my friend to Bacari or Firefly.

For caffeine, I would take my friend to Alfred or Blue Bottle Coffee. If we’re feeling like wine, I’d take my friend to Vintage Wine + Eats in Studio City or their sister location in Sherman Oaks, Buvette. Both are super cozy wine bars with different wines to try every time.

If we’re in LA during the summer time, we have to go to the beach. My favorite is Dockweiler in El Segundo because it’s easy parking and you can watch the planes taking off from LAX. For people watching, Santa Monica Pier and Venice are top-tier.

If my friend wanted an indoor activity, I’d take them to the Getty Museum. I love the exhibitions and beautiful grounds. If they were up for the adventure, I’d also take them horseback riding at Sunset Ranch.

There’s also incredible vintage shopping in LA. If my friend were interested, I’d take them to Melrose Trading Post or Silver Lake Flea Market. For thrifting, Santa Monica has Goodwill, Crossroads, The Closet Trading Company, and 2nd Street.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to shout out to my family, for showing me the meaning of hard work. My parents both worked full-time, yet growing up, we sat down as a family together for a home-cooked dinner almost every night. My mom always made time to take me to the local library and eventually midnight book releases, and my dad never hesitated to take me to the latest “Lord of the Rings” movie and show me new strategies for the board game Othello.

Like many others, my parents immigrated to the US with dreams of creating a better life. Barely speaking English, they left their homes to New York for their higher education degrees, and moved to the LA area after graduation to start their careers. They raised my sister and I, supporting us in our academic and extracurricular pursuits (mine were piano and art). My parents devoted all of their time to their children and deserve all the credit and recognition in my story, because without them, I would not have my strong work ethic, moral compass, and values.

Despite our 10-year age gap, my sister let me hang out with her and her friends at CPK when she was in high school. She wrote me letters and sent care packages while she was away at college, and eventually, when it was my turn to go to college. My sister also worked hard her entire academic life and career; she attended UC Berkeley for undergrad, U Penn for dental school, and UCLA for her residency. She now owns her own pediatric dentist practice (Yorba Linda Pediatric Dentistry), for which I am so proud. Watching my sister grow her business at the same time as I am building mine has been incredibly inspiring.

Website: www.aslee.kw.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ashleyslee.realestate/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeashley02/

Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ashleyslee.realestate

Email: aslee@kw.com

Bach Planning Bestie Website: https://www.bachplanningbestie.com

Bach Planning Bestie IG: https://www.instagram.com/bach_planning_bestie/

Image Credits
Lorenzo Basilio, Arianna Tinoosh