As a current college student studying English, I couldn’t tell you the first thing about loans, homeownership or real estate. The lack of information provided by schools for necessary things like these is an ever-growing concern in our society. Margot Ettedgui, a 25-year-old General Manager for the successful mortgage brokerage Triangle Companies, is taking contemporary education to the next level. Through the use of various social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, Margot is showing Gen Z that it’s possible to be a first-time homeowner in your 20’s, minus the confusion and stress that normally comes with it.
Her Campus (HC): Why did you decide to pursue a career in Business and Entrepreneurship?
Margot Ettedgui (ME): I personally was pursuing a lifestyle that I wanted, and I knew it could only be attained by becoming an entrepreneur. After working as an employee from every level of position in the fashion industry, I realized what I liked about sales and customer service, and I knew I was capable of more for my life. I feel like I was genuinely meant to be a businesswoman, so I joined forces with my father to learned from the ground up at his brokerage when I was 21, and the rest is history.
HC: What do you enjoy most about your career?
ME: The financial freedom that I have been able to create for myself. I get to travel the world and live and work on my time. I have been able to create the kind of lifestyle that I want, which is all dependent on how hard I work and how well organized I am. I also find that what I do is so fulfilling, Seeing other people being able to call themselves homeowners because I was able to help them obtain the financing to do so is the best feeling in the world! The goal is not the money; the goal is the lifestyle.
HC: As a young woman in your field of work, do you have any advice for other women out there who might be looking to pursue goals similar to your own?
ME: In an industry dominated mostly by older men, I would simply say to younger women be a young, ambitious, fun, caring woman who only sees the advantages that you have in being a woman. Don’t ever think that you have any disadvantages because you’re a woman. Use everything that you have as an asset! It can start with working with other top women in the field and learning from them and building enough courage to realize that it’s not about being a man or woman. It’s about how knowledgeable you are and how hard you work compared to other people.
HC: When did you decide to use social media as an outreach tool to educate younger users?
ME: I honestly just started using social media as a serious outreach tool three months ago. I had always used Instagram to connect with other professionals and exchange messages and schedule calls or meetings with them. However, three months ago (June 2020) was when I decided to hop on TikTok and try out short-form video. I came across a few educational content creators and tried to find a medium between entertaining and educating content to reach out to a new audience that maybe did not know about the possibilities of buying a home! From there, my TikTok has grown to over 210,000 followers and over 21,000 Instagram followers of amazing people that want to be motivated to be in the mortgage or real estate industry or simply want to be a homeowner like so many!
HC: What are some of the hardest things you’ve had to overcome as a GM of a successful mortgage brokerage?
ME: I believe a good general manager is someone who acts as a glue to the company to make sure everyone is sticking together and working as a team. I believe that sometimes it’s been difficult (but a blessing) to have to learn how to work with so many kinds of people in so many different places, and yet making sure we are still operating as a family. I think the key is to put yourself in the other person’s shoes and to approach every situation calmly and level-headed because the execution of one’s delivery can make or break the situation.
HC: What are the most important things that younger people can do right now to gain financial security for future home-buying endeavors?
ME: Work on establishing your credit! Having good credit is like having a financial superpower! It will allow you to qualify for the best financing options for anything you need in life. When you turn 18, you can open a few credit cards to start to use them wisely and build credit. The key is to never use more than 10-30% of your credit limit and paying the total off every month in full and on time. Things such as car payments and student loans will also be reported on your credit report, so always make sure to set up your credit or financing accounts on auto-pay to make sure you’re always on time and can appropriately build your credit!
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