In 2008, the fall of the market changed the lives of many. With a credit crisis, government bailouts, and banks collapsing, the housing market was flipped upside down, forcing major shifts in careers for those involved in real estate. For Jim Amen, his current income at the time as an appraiser, was cut by more than half. Not letting the mortgage crisis permanently stunt his success, Jim decided he needed to shift his focus in a new direction.
Amen says, “In 2008, the recession had destroyed the appraisal business model as I knew it and appraisers went from getting paid directly by lenders $400-$500 an appraisal, to being paid $150 an appraisal by an appraisal management company, literally overnight.” Realizing he needed to redirect his energy to start pursuing a different career, Jim started learning everything he could about selling foreclosures and shortsales. Despite starting his journey as a real estate agent during one of the worst housing crashes in history, Amen climbed to the top.
Jim was able to sell over three million dollars (reflecting the prices in 2008) in homes by his first year as a full time realtor. This didn’t come without extreme sacrifices from Amen, he says, “Real estate is hard and most people come into the industry thinking they can play golf every day and make $100,000 without doing any work. Being a real estate professional requires self-discipline, consistently educating yourself, and a strategic approach to each deal, all while your livelihood is dependent on the other agent being a professional.”
Today, Jim Amen is the CEO and Broker of Amen Real Estate. Amen Real Estate is a top producing real estate brokerage in California. With over two-hundred fifty million dollars worth of real estate sold and over 100 five star reviews, Amen has truly showcased his leadership skills as a business owner. Owning a real estate agency is more than just an income for Jim, but it’s also a space to lead others to success and wellness.
Amen is also the Founder and Trainer at Amen Bootcamp, Amen is also the Founder and Trainer at Amen Bootcamp, where coaching and training is taught to new and experienced real estate agents from all over the country with any brokerage. With 18 years in the industry, Jim has a deep compassion and desire for educating people new to the field. “If I hadn’t become a real estate broker, I would have gone into teaching. I love to nerd out on education, data and systems to drive agent results. So I’ve made it my mission to give back to the realtor community by providing agent training and coaching.”
Even in the face of a recession, Amen was determined to overcome the housing crash. Now running a thriving agency and helping others, Jim continues to work hard. His next project includes publishing his book, The Insider’s Guide for New Realtors… How to Get to the Top by Starting at the Bottom. Keep up with Amen to learn more about real estate by following his Instagram and Tiktok, @jimamen.