I am Marjorie Gilda Bastidas Dejesus, and I was born in Guayaquil Ecuador, and I came to the United States when I was twenty-five years old about twenty years ago. My profession is a Real Estate Agent. When I married my Puerto Rican husband in 2002, we suffered discrimination when looking for a house to rent and that is why we decided to buy a house so as not to go through something like that again.
To complicate matters more, the person who sold us the house did not walk us through the process and we did not know about special programs for first time buyers, or inspections, what a title company was, that there were classes for buyers, nothing! It was a frustrating experience, after three months we had to replace the entire roof, and eighteen windows. I told my husband how is it possible that things like this still happen? Sadly, I had bought the house from an investor who fixed and sold houses and I did not use a realtor.
So that’s when I decided to get into real estate, in order to help people who long to have a house and make sure that the process be comforting and not a nightmare like mine. In 2009 I got my license and worked as a realtor until 2011. But I wanted to learn the other side of the coin. In other words, the financial part and that is where I started working for NHS, a non-profit foundation helping people with credit repair and teaching them what credit is. I also taught homebuyer classes; actually, I still teach them today. I am a believer that “knowledge is power.” I also have my Loan Officer license.
In 2017, after having my second daughter, I decided to resume my career as a realtor, and I affiliated myself with Coldwell Banker. I am very passionate about my work, I love what I do, my profession is my passion. I feel this is not a job, but a favorite hobby. It is very versatile and helps first time buyers achieve the American dream. I am always up to date with assistance programs, so much so that I am the first Realtor to earn recognition from PHFA (Pennsylvania Housing Financing).
I also work with investors in helping them to increase their portfolio or finding them properties to buy, fix and put back on the market known as FLIPS. I also help them buy commercial properties to start their business, I help sellers with advice, and also how to stage or prepare a property to make it more attractive.
In 2020 I was third in Coldwell Banker out of more than five hundred agents throughout central Pennsylvania. Also, in 2020 among the top three agents in the Northeast, and forty-seven nationally in the top two hundred and fifty NAREHP Latino agents. This year I was also chosen as the State of Hispanic Homeownership Report Ambassador. In 2021 I decided to create a team so I can serve more people and we are one of the best teams in Central Pennsylvania within my company.
To touch a bit on the topic of flips I have done several flips, but it’s difficult as I’m a full-time mom, I have two daughters, seven and fifteen, and I’m married. My husband supports me in everything, but I try to have a balance. For the record, it is more complicated for women since we still have many responsibilities at home as well.
I help my investors to get ahead with advice and guide them in what I can with the experience I’ve had with my own flips. To be successful in flips you need a trustworthy team, you also have to earn the respect of the people you work with. The main thing is to maintain your values and your integrity in order to be successful in this business.
Contact me with any questions-I’m ready to assist you and help you not experience the same thing that happened to me.
Margie Dejesus, Realtor
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
margiedejesusrealtor@gmail.com
