5 minute read
Rising Star: Mylin Anandula
By Dr. Kasia Suarez Photography By TresPiña Photography HMUA By Hair & Make-Up By LuLu
Mylin Anandula, a Philippine native, knows what it takes to be a hard worker. She has built her life and business around a willingness to be diligent.
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Mylin’s parents came to the U.S. in search of work when Mylin was 6. She and her three sisters lived with their uncle and aunt in the Philippines. The reward for diligence was ingrained in her at a young age. In 1992, when Mylin was 17, she and her sisters made the move to the US with the rest of their family. Mylin said being in a new country, in college, and having no friends was tough.
She and her family lived in Tarpon Springs, FL. In 1992, Mylin began pursuing a career in physical therapy. She completed her prerequisites and was planning on attending the University of Florida. However, Mylin was blessed with her first child, and at age 20, she delayed her university goals.
Mylin’s family moved to Houston, Texas for work, and Mylin finished earning her degree as a physical therapy assistant (PTA). In 1999 she relocated to Corpus Christi to complete her internship. While working as a PTA, her second son was born.
Mylin realized she wanted more for herself and her family than she could accomplish with her associate degree. She enrolled in the University of Incarnate Word. She kept her job and took night school courses for two years to earn her degree. “I had a family and two kids and I worked full time. But I finished my training. I made it work! I always emphasize to my kids that there are no excuses in life,” said Mylin. “If you really want to do it, you will do it.”
Mylin experienced some life challenges and became a single mother. She continued to work in the field of physical therapy. In 2013, Mylin remarried and had her last child. She made the tough decision to continue working part-time so that she could support her family.
“I love my family and they are important to me,” Mylin shared. “I can shape them to be good people.”
Mylin worked diligently in the physical therapy field for the next eight years. Then she experienced more family challenges. During that time, Mylin knew deep down that she wanted something else in life, but she could not figure out what it was.
For six months she provided physical therapy for a patient who was
injured in a skiing accident. The patient was a real estate broker. One day the patient suggested that Mylin get a real estate license. Initially, Mylin brushed it o . Then she decided it wouldn’t hurt anything to get the training.
After thoughtful contemplating, Mylin decided she was all in. She registered for an online program and took classes at night while the children were asleep. Mylin passed all her exams and obtained her license in March 2019. She interviewed multiple brokerages, looking for one she could stick with. She felt that Coldwell Banker was the best fit for her.
Mylin heard that many newly licensed REALTORS® fail in their first year, but she was determined to be diligent so she could become successful in real estate. Mylin completed her first transaction in May of 2019. By that December, she had closed 11 transactions. Not afraid of hard work, Mylin continued to work part-time in physical therapy. Then when Covid hit in 2020, she made the tough decision to give up physical therapy and to focus solely on real estate. In her first year as a full-time REALTOR®, Mylin closed 45 transactions and did $8.6 million. She was number six in the brokerage and received the 2020 International President’s Circle Award.
“My success comes from immersing myself in real estate,” shared Mylin. “I was a therapy professional, and I wanted to be known as a real estate professional. I know many professionals in town, and felt that in order for them to trust me, I needed to be known as a professional in my new field.”
When Mylin attended her first Kevin Ward conference in Los Angeles, she initially felt intimidated. She saw REALTORS® that were making $200,000 or more a year. She knew she had to shift her mindset and reminded herself that if they could do it, so could she.
“I thought, ‘how can I be di erent?’ I decided to be ‘all in’ and immersed myself in real estate. I read a ton of books about real estate and business. I listened to podcasts every day and learned what I could,” said Mylin.
In the beginning, Mylin obtained her leads through Zillow and by holding open houses. She also attended other agents’ open houses, to learn from them. Mylin worked diligently to build a reputation as a REALTOR® instead of a physical therapist. She also enrolled in the Leadership Corpus Christi program so she could become a better REALTOR® and leader. She graduated from class number 49.
“I love Corpus!” said Mylin. “I learned so much from that program, and I gained more friendships. I was able to connect with a lot of people through Leadership Corpus Christi.”
Mylin is a board member of the Leadership Corpus Christi Alumni. She supports the mission of the program with new members. Mylin is also a member of Paws & Claws, a local non-profit organization that supports animals.
Mylin encourages fellow REALTORS® to answer their phones, and be approachable and friendly. She also challenges them to become problem-solvers.
“I’m a very positive person. I find solutions to problems, Mylin said. “I’m very calm and tackle problems with an open mind. I’ve had numerous colleagues and agents come up to me, freaking out about a problem. I have helped them stay calm and figure out how to solve the problem.”
Mylin loves that there are no limits for REALTORS®. As a physical therapist, Mylin enjoyed helping people, but there was a limit to how much she could earn. She went into physical therapy so she could help others, but her diligence didn’t always lead to reward. In real estate, Mylin is able to help people, and there is no limit to what she can achieve.
“I never thought I would be successful,” Mylin reflected, “and I never thought I would be where I am today. But I had goals, and I believed I could succeed no matter what. I was persistent.”
“Real estate is the one job where, if you really focus and put everything into it, there is no limitation. Real estate is my life,” said Mylin. “I can do this forever, and I’m so happy here!”
