SAWN Monthly Spotlight: Cheryllyne Vaz

We are rounding out November with a fabulous #SAWNspotlight. Meet Cheryllyne Vaz , CEO of Vaz+Harwood Team and realtor extraordinaire. Cheryllyne stumbled into the real estate business seeing an opportunity to tackle debt, but has used her marketing skills, leadership and compassion to build a thriving business - one that does not focus on closing deals but instead on building a community through social and racial equity.

Cheryllyne was kind enough to give South Asian Womens Network (MN) a glimpse into how she started in the field and built her business from the ground up.

Tell us about your venture and what drew you to this field?

 The Vaz+Harwood Team grew out of a need for change - in business, in our family finances, and in seeing the way real estate had so often been handled. I had a series of health complications that led to debt piling up. My husband Andy and I needed to find a way to tackle the debt, and protect our home and family. Also, we realized how much we missed our family and how we had no community around to look after us. We looked at real estate and thought we could bring a fresh approach to a new field, consisting of strong and dynamic marketing, social and racial equity and service for all clients, regardless of price point, and a strong adherence of fiduciary duties like my family always advocated for. AND, above all, help our clients find and build a community where they lived.

What do you consider your biggest accomplishment so far?

I have 3 I am so very proud of! First, being a mum to 3 incredible kids - Leo, Indigo, and Rex. Second, becoming a citizen of the United States. Having lived in the US for over 20 years, I’m proud of the work I put in to become a citizen and everyday I’m grateful to have the opportunity to be involved in my community, to vote for who I believe in, and to represent a diverse America. Last, I’m proud to be an inaugural member of the first Social Equity Task Force with Keller Williams International. I consider it a deep honor to be able to advocate for and support the efforts of my BIPOC brothers and sisters in real estate and establish recognition and opportunity at a corporate level.��

Did you always want to be a realtor when you were growing up?

Certainly not! I have Bachelors, Masters, and PHD in English Literature, and an MBA. I later attended the Miami Ad school when I moved to the United States. I became a copywriter and got to work with some incredible corporate brands — some even based in the Twin Cities like 3M, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Best Buy and Target. I come from a family of lawyers and doctors though, and as such, am familiar with fiduciary duties, which is a huge part of being a realtor.

What advice would you give someone who is interested in starting their own realtor business?

To protect your mental health! Real estate is a tough business, and it’s not for the faint of heart. Long hours, tricky negotiations, dealing with big emotions from clients, and often the biggest financial decisions of your clients’ lives all intermix and can take a toll on your health. It’s easy to feel defeated when you have a challenging deal or you are feeling worn out. You HAVE TO have grit. When we started in real estate, we had no other choice. Our bills were piling up, and we couldn’t sit and wait for business to come to us slowly. We went out and did MULTIPLE (5!) open houses a week, and that’s how we built out business from the ground up.

Which celebrity would you like to sell a house to and what style would you pick for them?

It’s always up to the client what style of house they would like! Though I love to imagine helping Kangana Ranaut and how she would find the loveliest Goan Portuguese-style home with a terracotta roof, and a FABULOUS garden to relax in after filming. We would be total besties because that’s my dream house too!