I was only 11 the day I learned that my mother had passed away from asthma. This was a pivotal moment for me, and my entire family. At this point in my life, our family, who had been depending on her, was devastated. My mother had been the foundation of our family and even though my family mourned her loss, my father, a laborer and eventually the grocery store owner of M & S Market in Salida, continued to provide for our family.
Although M & S Market continued to be successful, my father fell ill and I found myself with the responsibility of taking over the family grocery business in my early 20s. It wasn’t exactly what I had mapped out for my life. I knew my mother’s desire for me to be successful—she wanted me to go to college. While working in the grocery store, I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing from California State University, Stanislaus. My dedicated wife, Saba, worked alongside me through this point in my life and was critical to my getting a degree and growing the store.
When I took over M & S Market, we started with very few employees and minimal sales. Fifteen years later, using what I learned in my business and marketing courses I focused on customer service and we expanded the business to over 12 employees and sales surpassed over $4 million/year.
My first investment opportunity came when a friend asked me to buy his home. At first I was skeptical, but then I saw this as a great business opportunity, and my chance with an investment property. Once again, thinking of my mother’s desire of success for me, I took the challenge of this fixer-upper to make the necessary repairs needed to get this property back on the market. The experience excited me so much that I began to purchase more homes for investments, from flipping properties to building a 24 unit apartment complex, I loved it. I knew I wanted to become a real estate agent to help others with property investments.
The impact of my mother’s death at an early age and the hard laborer work my father did for our family urged me to use my education and experience to work just as hard as they had. After spending 10-15 years doing real estate investments, I decided in 2013 to be a licensed real estate agent. My mother’s aspiration for me to be successful and my father’s work ethic has made me the person I am today—real estate agent that goes to extensive lengths to find the perfect home for my clients.
If you were to hire me as your real estate agent, you will find that I go the extra mile to ensure you are satisfied with your purchase. I have special skills in helping people who are out of the country, as far as the Middle East to as close as Canada, to purchase their new property. Using technologies such as videos, emailing and photos, I have provided opportunities for families to find their dream home here in the Central Valley.
My philosophy in life is that if you take care of people, they will take care of you. If you work with me, it is important that you know me as a person and that I will take care of you during your purchase or sale. If you work with me you need to know that I am the type of agent that is always working to find the best solution for YOU. I won’t give up and I’ll keep searching until we find exactly what you want.
I want you to pick a real estate agent that’s the right fit for you and I would never be upset if you choose someone else. Even it that’s not me, it won’t risk our friendship. When you or someone you know is in need of an agent, I ask that you give me the opportunity to demonstrate my services and interview for the job. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about me. I greatly appreciate it and hope that I can earn your business should you ever need a real estate agent.
With sincere gratitude,
Walid Ali
