Jonathan Yu is the innovative leader behind INITIA Real Estate, where he serves as both founder and dedicated Broker. Introduced to real estate at a young age, Jonathan became a Realtor in 2010 and quickly achieved success, while also recognizing the challenges many agents face. That insight motivated him to launch INITIA in 2016 to remove hidden fees, streamline the agent experience, and provide exceptional support at every stage of a real estate career. Known for his hands-on mentorship and genuine concern for agent success, Jonathan is passionate about helping realtors expand their businesses with confidence. In this Q&A, he shares the mindset shifts, lessons, and strategies that have helped him and the agents around him achieve sustainable growth.
What’s one mindset shift that helped you grow your real estate business faster?
Invest in yourself! In real estate, referrals are important, but it’s also crucial to invest in strategies to grow your business. Whether that’s through social media marketing, mailers, or other marketing and advertising means, make sure you develop a strategy to develop your business.
How do you decide when it’s time to scale your business or build a team?
Most agents will start solo, and when they start seeing a high number of leads come through, they determine that the time is right to start a team. By doing this, team members can more effectively manage and nurture leads. At a certain point, developing a team is also a way to ensure that client expectations are being met.
If you had to start over today, what would you do differently?
If I were to start over, I would invest in marketing and advertising methods as quickly as possible. I now recognize the importance of investing in strategies for business development, through seeing success in agents at Initia who have done exactly this. Those who are highest-performing are those who have invested heavily in marketing and advertising from an early point in their careers.
What are your top tips for building trust quickly with new clients?
It’s important to develop a strong level of communication with your client. Communicating openly with your client helps develop trust. It’s also important to recognize that you should in most cases tell clients what they NEED to hear, rather than what they WANT to hear. Providing your client with realistic information and expectations will go a long way in developing a good rapport with your clients, by showing them that you are providing them with real information.
How do you protect your energy and mental health in a high-pressure career like real estate?
Make sure to take time to do things that help with mental health, whether through things like exercise, meditation, relaxing at home, travelling, or the link. While it’s important to be available for clients and colleagues, they wouldn’t fault you for taking a couple of hours periodically for yourself. If there’s an urgent matter, you can always ask a colleague whether they can cover for you, if you know you will be unavailable for an extended time.
Also, don’t get discouraged if you come across agents in the industry who may be unsupportive or who might not have the best attitude. Maintaining your own professional standards will go a long way in excelling and elevating your career, and those without such standards will not similarly excel in this industry.
