Rodriguez seeks real estate career

By Mallory Stiles
Associate Editor

Forbes.com describes a real estate agent’s full-time job as “acting as a liaison between buyers and sellers;” meaning the perfect real estate agent must have strong communication skills, the ability to read people, and a bit of charm.

LCC student Sergio Rodriguez is a business management major who definitely has what it takes.

He is chasing his associate degree, but is also communicating with brokerages in his spare time to secure a position to start generating the type of revenue he can eventually start funneling back into his community.

“Exit Reality really liked me,” Rodriguez said. “They were willing to help me out with everything I needed to do to get me where I need to be. I have a mentor there and I met the owner. Hopefully, by this summer, I will be licensed and certified.

“Eventually, I want to own my own organization. I want to branch out into a few different things. Eventually I did want to break off into fishing charters … like owning my own boats and what not, and being able to help with navigation to find where the fish are. Not for commercial fishing but just for people who want to have fun, catch a couple fish and just enjoy the day.”

Rodriguez is currently taking Economics, Environmental Science and Accounting for a total of 12 credits. He said it is his heart that keeps him working so hard because he wants to have something to contribute.

“A big thing for me is just giving back,” Rodriguez said. “I am really soft when it comes to homeless people or people’s suffering. Whenever I see it, I feel obligated to give back. Eventually I want to, but you need a lot of money.”

Though his attitude makes it seem he has had a lot of options his whole life, nothing could be further from the truth.

“I grew up in a very bad neighborhood,” he said. “It was one of those things where you had to be real cautious when you went outside. I lost one of my closest friends to all that. He was in the wrong place at the time. I was 16. His name was Marshawn. He was just there. It was a terrible situation. That was probably the first time I ever felt something in my heart just change.

“I think about it a lot. It’s one of the reasons why I never got involved in that type of lifestyle. Growing up around it, it’s easy to fall in. People in it promote it, like it’s cool … but it’s just not.”

He said his parents were a big part of strengthening his will to walk the other way. His father was a semi-pro basketball player for the International Basketball League. His mother has been employed by the State of Michigan since he was young.

Rodriguez also confessed that much of his drive comes from being a good role model for his younger family members, referring specifically to a “gremlin” of a little cousin and his baby sister, who he said makes him want to have a daughter someday.

In addition to his sister, he has three other brothers and a pet snake.

“Owning a snake was owning up to my fear,” he said. “I almost got a tarantula because I am afraid of spiders. Get one to face the fear.

“I named (the snake) Sookie off the anime show, ‘Naruto.’ I gravitated to how ‘Naruto’ grew up. I felt that. When it didn’t even seem possible, he made it. That type of stuff gives me motivation.”

Rodriguez was an athlete in high school, playing both basketball and football. His favorite color is red and his favorite book is “The One and Only Ivan” by Katherine Applegate.

He is from Lansing and his main desire is to head up north for a good lake view and place to cast a line. His current favorite song is “Jungle” by Drake.

Rodriguez is obviously a model student, great friend and role model, but admits he still struggles to see that in himself.

“Sometimes, I am just not confident in myself,” he said. “It started around seventh grade; it’s getting better. Growing up, I just realized nobody cares. The things that I do in my daily life are so insignificant to everybody else and what they are doing. Understanding that helped.”

Marley Hayslette, 19, has known Rodriguez since they were both in fifth grade. She wasn’t afraid to share the many perks of knowing him.

“He is a very deep person,” Hayslette said. “Very connected to himself. I have always had respect for people who are genuine and pure-intentioned.

“It’s very easy to have a conversation with him. You can talk to him about anything and he never comes from a place of judgement.”