Daily Inspiration: Meet Joann Garcia

Today we’d like to introduce you to Joann Garcia.

Hi Joann, I’m so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I started in real estate over 17 years ago as a receptionist at a real estate firm in Clarksville. It looked easy enough and I loved the fact that I could create my schedule. With teenagers, that was important to me. 

Another factor was the money I saw coming across my desk. I was amazed and thought real estate agents made awesome money. I didn’t account for the expenses of being a business owner. I learned that after I became a realtor. When I first began my career, I didn’t know what I was doing. Real estate is multi-faceted and without guidance, it’s easy to mess up and that can cost money. 

I floated to different agencies and never really felt like I was where I needed to be and knew that eventually, I wanted my brokerage. In 2020, Covid reared its ugly head and fortunately, realtors were able to continue working which was a saving grace because I get bored easily. Memorial Day weekend, my family was here for the weekend, and we had our yearly BBQ but on a much smaller scale because of the pandemic and the restrictions. 

All weekend, I didn’t feel well, and everyone kept saying I didn’t look good. On May 25, 2020, at 3 am, I woke up on the floor of my bedroom floor. I had never fainted before and was surprised at being on the floor. Everyone went home that day, so I was lying on the couch feeling miserable. Just before 6 pm, I told my husband I felt like I was going to be sick and got up to run to the bathroom. Well, I woke up on the dining room floor in a puddle of blood. Everyone was screaming and crying, and I didn’t understand why. 

I felt my head because I thought I busted it open when I fell but there was nothing there. I threw up blood as I was falling. I tried to get up but that wasn’t a good idea. Someone had called the ambulance, and I could hear it coming so I lay there. EMTs came in and helped me sit up and I vomited blood 2 more times. Needless to say, I was taken to a local hospital and then life-flighted to Skyline and every test was run. I spent a few days in ICU and then was put into a regular room. I wanted my computer so I could work but that wasn’t going to happen. The ICU doctor came to my room and told me that people who are brought into the hospital in that condition don’t walk out. I looked at him and told him God wasn’t done with me yet. 

Around April 2021, I decided that I wanted to leave some sort of legacy to my children in the event something did happen to me. That’s when I got things rolling to open Front Porch Realty and Property Management. I think it was around May or June that we officially opened, and I was the only realtor. I had a 500-square-foot office for me and my assistant. Fast forward to now, I have a 1000-square-foot office space and 12 realtors. My brokerage offers property management services. I am President of the Clarksville Association of Realtors and was awarded Realtor of the Year in 2023. I am Tennessee Realtors Division Vice President for Region 2 and serve on the NAR Diversity Committee. 

I have served on numerous committees and in various leadership roles at my local association. I am a board member of Crisis 211 and am the VP of the Clarksville Hispanic American Family Foundation. I have taken care of my parents for the last 10 years or so. My dad just passed away on December 30, 2023. That was 3 weeks after my swearing-in as President. He was proud of me and all my accomplishments and I’m glad he was here for all of them. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Life is never easy. My husband retired from the military which was a huge adjustment. We separated, divorced, and remarried. We struggled a little financially at the beginning of his retirement. I had to adjust my mindset. I was an entrepreneur and didn’t have a clue about being an owner of my own company. 

Helping my adult children’s challenges as they figured out who they were and what they wanted out of life. Helping them with their children as they worked and struggled to make their way. Navigating my mom’s health issues then mine my dad’s all while juggling my business. There was so much that could have gone wrong. 

That went wrong. But also, things went right, and we were able to overcome all the challenges and struggles that life through our way. We still have struggles, but I have learned to overcome or change course when necessary. There is more than one way to achieve your goals. 

I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My brokerage is different from most. I love diversity and peace. I began the diversity committee at our local association 4 years ago and it is thriving. Our CEO put together a video showing me as someone who she admires for a contest put together at the National Association of Realtors and we won. 

The central theme was my commitment to making all supporting areas of real estate more diverse and we won $5000. We collaborated on how to use that money and created a grant called Creating Opportunities. It’s still a work in progress but we hope to be able to provide a grant for one person this year to help them begin a future as a bilingual home inspector and then create more opportunities for others moving forward. 

I think what sets me apart is how hard I work. I stretch myself pretty thin but it’s doing things that make me happy and that allow me to at least try to make a difference in my community, my profession, and in my life. 

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
I could not do what I do without the support of my children and my husband. 

One of my sons is a realtor and works with me but the others have found what makes them happy for the most part. My family is my WHY. They are why I work so hard and why I want to make a difference. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.frontporchrealtyclarksville.com
• Instagram: @joannmunozgarcia
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joannmunozgarcia