2019 Convention Advisory Group chair describes how her life – and mindset –have evolved to influence her Realtor® identity
The Nguyen family has nine children. Ava Nguyen is the third youngest and the last one to enter the real estate business.
“I used to take care of my clients’ number one asset: their health,” she said. “Now I take care of their number two asset: their wealth-builder – home.”
In many ways, the history of her family has shaped who Nguyen is today, both as a person and as a professional. Her experiences growing up and the skills she acquired in her first and second career are all pieces of the puzzle that make Ava, Ava – and help her easily adapt to change in her life and change in the real estate industry.
In 1976, after immigrating to the United States as refugees from Vietnam just six months prior, Nguyen’s parents opened a Vietnamese grocery store called Mekong Center in Arlington, Virginia – across from where the Clarendon Metro is today. Nguyen’s father named the store after the Mekong River, which is commonly known as the “River of Nine Dragons” and Vietnam’s “food basket.” The name represented his zodiac sign, the dragon, and his family because the river has nine deltas – just as his family has nine children.
“Everything we do has meaning and purpose,” she said. “It’s what we do.”
Her parents, who were successful owners of several businesses and a hospital in Da Nang Vietnam, had to leave everything behind after the Fall of Saigon – sneaking gold and condensed milk in their clothing to withstand the journey to the U.S. Just three years old at the time, Nguyen doesn’t remember much, but she says the memories, photos, and experiences are ingrained into each sibling in different ways.
The busy Mekong Center in the late 1970s.
“By surviving those experiences, we learned to be agile and adjust and can empathize better with others going through change,” she said.
Nguyen said she leads her business with the same principles her parents did, by finding opportunity where people need a service and making it a win-win for the community. Mekong Center, which Nguyen’s parents opened in order to provide affordable Asian food to immigrants, was the fourth Vietnamese store to open in Clarendon, which was then commonly known as Little Saigon.
The store became a staple in the community, as well as a meet-up place for immigrants across the country. Customers would leave messages on a bulletin board to try and find lost loved ones, using the store as a home base to reconnect. Nguyen and her siblings spent a lot of time at the store, and those experiences taught her how to interact with people from a young age.
Today, she looks for areas of opportunity to build her own business, whether staging properties at no cost for colleagues and clients to help them better market their properties, working with immigrants and international clients to help them achieve the American Dream, or continuing to practice as a part-time pharmacist.
Nguyen’s leadership and care for others evolved from her relationship with her siblings. She described herself as the rule-follower and helped manage the house by taking care of her younger siblings while her parents worked. It’s that care for others that has guided her through her career as a pharmacist and as a Realtor®.
Nguyen in 2002 as a pharmacist with Longs Drugs - now part of CVS Pharmacy.
“I used to take care of my clients’ number one asset: their health,” she said. “Now I take care of their number two asset: their wealth-builder – home.”
Nguyen was a corporate manager for CVS Pharmacy where she oversaw 20 to 30 stores and recruited and trained pharmacists and future leaders.
“When my siblings suggested that I do real estate because of the corporate management business I was in, I realized it wasn’t so different,” she said. “In both fields, we are committed to superior service and care of our clients.”
Nguyen’s brother, Vinh, is the owner of Westgate Realty Group, where five of Nguyen’s family members also work. While they all fall under the umbrella of Westgate Realty, they’ve each created their own niche.
“Our family loves and celebrates entrepreneurship, and we all have our own style of running a business,” Nguyen said. “We still associate with Westgate, but at the same time, we’re allowed to develop our own look and brand.”
When Nguyen entered the real estate business in 2013, she did everything she could to learn the industry. A “rug rat of NVAR,” she called herself, as she spent most of her time attending association classes and events. She later became more involved by vice-chairing the Vietnamese Realtor® Forum. Today, she sits on the Board of Directors and is chair of the Convention Advisory Group.
By attending meetings and conferences and reading articles about trends she predicts will impact the industry, such as iBuying and Artificial Intelligence, Nguyen prepares herself for the future. She also takes classes to ensure she stands out against competitors, such as social media training, the Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®) course, and the Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) course.
“We have to commit to learning and a willingness to change, so that we know what it entails for us personally to survive and continue our own brand,” she said.
It can be challenging to learn new skills, and you may fail a couple times before you succeed – but remember that practice makes perfect, Nguyen advised.
“It goes back to my theory I live by, which is ‘different folks, different strokes,’” she said. “It’s okay to be yourself, and there is a place for everyone’s skill and talent. I’ve learned that there can be several ways to attack a problem.”
Nguyen has evolved by using her own brand, her care for others and her passion for leadership to provide a service to her clients and the community – just as her parents did at the Mekong Center years ago.
How have YOU Evolved? Visit NVARconvention.com to share your #RealtorsEvolve story!