Industry Expert / Executive Interview Exploring Career Paths and Industry Trends

For this interview, I spoke with Kenny Campos, a licensed real estate agent with Haus of Real Estate located in Rancho Cucamonga, California. I chose to interview Kenny because real estate has become increasingly tech driven especially with AI. I was interested in understanding how digital platforms have reshaped real estate in today's world. Kenny has nearly 3 years of experience in residential investment, property marketing, and real estate investment guidance. Though fairly new to the industry his insights provided a unique perspective on how industries outside of traditional tech are integrating tech/AI to stay on top of the real estate industry.

Kenny began by explaining his career path, which started in customer service at Just In Time Rebar Fabricators and Voyage Consultant before transitioning into real estate full time. He emphasized that success in his role came from building client relationships, maintaining adaptability, and his ability to negotiate in the client's favor. He also noted that real estate has changed dramatically in the past, due to the rise of AI assisted tools like Zillow Premier Agent and Ylopo.

One of the most significant challenges Kenny described was learning how to gain his clients trust, especially since they are making such a major transaction. Earning and maintaining that trust is a crucial responsibility in his role. He also noted that the constant evolution of digital marketing now requires realtors to be at least proficient in online branding, social media outreach, and data interpretation. He continued on explaining how he tracks housing trends, pricing patterns, and buyer demographics through digital dashboards.

I then asked him about any emerging trends in the industry, and he stated that social media has become a popular trend. Now in days realtors can post videos, which may go viral on social media platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Which then gives them another tool in expanding their business and gaining more clients due to them getting more exposure. He then highlighted the growing use of AI, noting that it can now handle tasks like that cold calling and messaging leads, reducing the amount of manual work required.

Some valuable skills/attributes that Kenny expressed in the real estate field included effective communication with the people around you and not being intimidated as well. Another is not being afraid of asking the difficult questions that others avoid because without them, it's difficult to understand the true motives and needs of the clients.

Kenny's advice to students entering the real estate industry was to not be afraid of failing. When one starts in the industry you will most likely have more failures than success. But once you adapt to the industry and begin to utilize all your resources that are available to you, you will then begin to see more success than failure. He then emphasized on learning how to communicate effectively, networking, and being able to adapt quickly. He said to not get too comfortable because there is always something new to work or improve on each day.

The interview with Kenny gave me a broader understanding of how technology is transforming even traditional, relationship-based careers since I only see and hear about how AI is changing only the tech industry. Although real estate and computer science may appear very different, I realized that they both share universal skills like communication and adaptability. A personal takeaway I took from the interview as well was his mindset about lifelong learning and not getting comfortable in your profession because the moment you stop learning, you will then fall behind. It reminded me of how important it is to keep growing beyond this program. 

After reflecting on the insights gathered during this interview it made me view my academic and professional goals from a broader perspective. I realized that effective communication is essential in any industry. I plan to keep up to date with new tech tools and adapt to them quickly and efficiently. As a student, I recognize the importance of practicing clear explanations and supporting others around me which will help build my collaborative muscle. Moving forward, I plan to network more actively and seek mentorship from those whose careers inspire me. By embracing these principles such as continuous learning, staying flexible, and sharing knowledge with others will help me grow both academically/professionally.