Hard working, educated, and focused are some of the words that come to mind when you sit down to speak to Nashville, Tennessee native, Jae Christian, of WE tv’s newest reality show, Selling it: In the ATL. However, as you tune into the show, that features some of Atlanta’s premiere and elite real estate agents, you do not see this side of Jae. “I am more than what you see of me on TV,” she said.
After graduating from The University of Chattanooga, Jae set her sights on what her next accomplishment would be. “I went home for a year and really tried to figure it out. I thought I wanted to be a teacher and one day I was having a conversation with a friend and we were talking about different careers and he brought up real estate. And I was like, I might do that,” she said.
Jae then went to real estate school, moved to Atlanta, and received her real estate license in 2013. She has been selling ever since. While her road to success has not been smooth, her work ethic, drive, and capitalizing on opportunities has definitely worked in her favor. Being able to be a cast member on Selling it serves as an example.
“I never thought in a million years that I’d be a business woman with my own business,” she says with confidence and a sprinkle of disbelief. And while the show has proven to be a great opportunity, Jae wishes that it would have showcased her talents and acumen as a successful, yet budding real estate agent.
“Because of how I am portrayed this season you didn’t get to see me in my business, my personality. Every time you saw me I was getting into an argument. You didn’t really see me as a real estate agent or me being the new rookie to real estate,” she explained. “That is part of the reason I wanted to do the show, you know a lot of times when you see these shows you see people in their businesses being successful. But you don’t see that struggle or that journey as they get too that success,” she states.
Although the show did not show the many facets of Jae, she has still been able to maintain and attract clients, and be active in her community and profession while pursuing other endeavors to expand her reach and influence within real estate and the community in general. “I work with a lot of first time home buyers so I’m going to start a first time home buyer seminar to educate them on how to invest in their future,” she mentions.
Of course, she doesn’t want to stop there. “I’m about to start a nonprofit with young girls, middle school and high school girls, I’m really big into affirmations, for me affirmations definitely changed my life,” she said. “And I feel like a lot of these young girls, if they had the confidence and motivation in themselves they can be very successful, we can have more successful black women in this world and I feel like you have to start young. I’m passionate about being a mentor and helping these girls work and set goals,” she states.
While the show did not show the more serious and driven side of Jae, the work that she continues to do after the show definitely showcases this side. Her foundation is to serve as a positive, but real example for others. “If you have a goal or a dream, just do it,” she said. “For me getting into this business, I was scared, that is why it took me two years to take the test, but if you just do it I’d rather do something than not do something and fail, than not do something and not know the outcome. Just believe in yourself.”
Written by Venus A.
