After 13 years at KW Southwest, Serena Chu has chartered her own path to success. Born and raised in Taiwan, Serena eventually travelled to New York to teach Chinese. She returned for a short time to Taiwan then went back to New York to stay for a summer job, but decided to stay in the U.S. this time. She made her way to Sugar Land in 1997.
Her entry into real estate began when she was house hunting in Sugar Land. Her agent piqued her interest in real estate and offered her a position in property management. Serena still manages her own property management company and obtained her real estate license during that time. Serena encountered KW agents during her early years practicing real estate, and they invited her to explore what KW Southwest had to offer.
“I love the culture at KW Southwest: God first, then family, then your business. That’s the order to go with.” That was 13 years ago, and she’s been going strong with KW Southwest ever since.
“I learned from an individual broker. Basically, my learning process was learning by making mistakes.” It was not only the culture at KW Southwest that grabbed her, but the amount of training and support they offer to their team members. “I love the training at KW. They constantly have classes, you can consult with colleagues, people listen and they help you. Helping and reaching out to each other is big at KW Southwest.”
“Real estate takes a lot of focus. It takes time to build your business. KW has the system that you can plug into, learn and go from there. For new agents, I’d say, if they’re looking for training, KW is the way to go. The more you learn the more you want to learn. If you look at the data, KW is positioned as a top training company for a reason”.
At KW Southwest, her production has increased significantly. “I can see the growth from the training. KW Southwest helped me see things from a different view, a different horizon, and it brought out the business side of me.” It has helped her approach her business in a more comprehensive way, rather than the fragmented way she was used to. “I still have a lot to learn. As an agent, satisfaction or staying comfortable is your biggest enemy, so for me, continuing to learn and get training is important.”
Serena has served on the Agent Leadership Council (ALC) and has worked with KWCares, KW’s national and locally-based employee aid organization. Serena believes that “any time at any moment is your opportunity to help. When someone needs help, I will do my best.”
Outside of her real-estate career, Serena donates her time and energy to several charity organizations and makes time for her three children, ages 30, 26 and 25. She is a single mom, widowed 16 years ago. When asked if she considered returning to her homeland of Taiwan after her husband’s passing, Serena explains that she knew staying here was the better option, as her son is autistic and would have more opportunities to learn and grow here in Sugar Land. And while her family is in Taiwan, Serena has made her friends here her family. She lives her life grateful and always striving to learn more and be more. For Serena, the path really is about reaching your full potential and striving to help others. “Be kind, and whenever people need help, then you help.“
