Texas-based Realtor Jordan Schilleci with her clients at Chicago Title for closing.
While selling homes as a real estate agent in Spring, Texas, which is located in the Houston metro area, Jordan Schilleci felt something was missing — a place for people to gather and spend time together, like a recreation or community center. Such a place could be popular, especially following the lockdowns seen throughout the state as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,
Rather than wait for someone else to take charge of the project, she put her head down and decided to take on the task of building such a center herself.
Schilleci said she’s currently in the process of buying more than 10 acres off a street in Spring — a city of around 60,000 people north of Houston — which she will put a “community space” on, complete with an outdoor food court, a barn for gathering in, outdoor space for children to play in, and an area for horses. She’s also toying with the idea of purchasing five acres of lakeside property and building a family park on it.
“There isn’t anywhere big or cool for people to gather in Spring, and I want to provide that,” she said. “My goal in life isn’t to make a ton of money — it really is to give back.” It’s her connection to Spring, along with the example she wants to set for her family, that’s driving her.
Schilleci’s family has been in the Spring area for more than 50 years, she said, giving her an almost protective feeling of the region. It is also important, she said, that her children grow up knowing that their mother made a difference in the community.
“I know it will sound cliche, but I want to leave a legacy,” she said. “I am proud of who I am. I really want to contribute to the community in a lasting way, and I want my children to be proud of me as well. I want to be remembered as being generous.”
Technologically savvy
A quick check of her YouTube page shows her impact and influence in the community in full. Her company, Jo and Co., has thousands of subscribers, all privy to videos that do more than just show home tours or a talking head of Schilleci herself. There are hundreds of videos doubling as regional information guides, with titles such as “Learn about the suburbs of Greater Houston,” “Best Schools in the Houston suburbs,” and “Driving Around,” where she focuses on a specific region to put in video blog format.
Schilleci also made videos to help homebuyers decide where to look, with ones such as “Best new construction neighborhoods in Montgomery County,” “Neighborhoods with the Largest Lots in north Houston” and “Why you should move to the Houston suburbs in 2021.”
The videos showcase Schilleci’s willingness to dive head-first into the technology and social media side of real estate. It was her first passion, in fact — Schilleci spent three years at the Art Institute of Houston, earning her bachelor’s degree in web design and interactive media before getting her real estate license at The University of Texas at Austin.
“I love going above and beyond, and I love providing the best service, but I really fear a client making a mistake, so I try to provide them with unparalleled area expertise and insight, along with exceptional customer service,” she said.
Dealing with the pandemic
Schilleci focuses on clients in the Houston area, including suburbs like The Woodlands, Tomball, Katy, Cypress, Conroe, and, of course, Spring.
The last 15 months, she said, have so far been the busiest of her professional life, with the COVID-19 pandemic and low mortgage rates combining to create the most competitive housing market in more than 10 years.
“Winter is normally my slowest season, and it was in 2020, but this past winter and spring blew my previous ones out of the water,” she said. “I have had to develop and perfect my systems to make it all work. I handle 100 to 200 prospective buyers at a time. I have had to learn a lot, and fast.”
One prospective homebuyer offered $30,000 over asking price, she said. That’s not surprising in a market that has seen historically low inventory in both existing homes and new builds; the cost of lumber and building materials has skyrocketed, leaving construction companies handcuffed and delaying — or often, refusing — new projects.
A recent study from Realtor.com saw home asking prices in Houston averaging around $320,000, or $169 per square foot — prices trending upwards of 14%, year over year. Homes in the city are staying on the market less than two months.
Similar price increases can be found in the other suburbs Schilleci serves, with Spring home prices up 12.8% year over year, The Woodlands home prices up 16.7% year over year, and Cypress home prices up 10% year over year, to name a few.
“My clients haven’t been too extreme, but we are doing whatever it takes to secure the home,” she said.
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