A licensed Realtor for a little over 11 years, Laura Catrina has spent more than 10 of those years with PMZ, and is based at the PMZ office at 1410 California St., Escalon.

“Pretty much my entire career,” she said of being part of PMZ and working up and down the Central Valley in real estate.

Catrina said PMZ is the brokerage where she ‘hangs her license’ and she said they offer wonderful services and management to help their agents – and in turn, clients – succeed.

“I have always been in customer service-related fields, since I was in college,” Catrina added.

But what she found was that she wasn’t fulfilled; she enjoyed the relationship-building with customers, but felt that she was working more for the companies she was employed by than for the customers.

Real estate, she said, was a way to “help fulfill that need for helping people … helping people achieve their goals.”

Born and raised in Escalon, Catrina attended Van Allen Elementary School, El Portal Middle School and graduated from Escalon High School. She attended Delta College in Stockton and then CSU Stanislaus in Turlock, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing.

“I’m really happy I took a lot of business law classes and learned how marketing works,” Catrina shared, noting that it has all helped through her years in the real estate business.

Things have changed since she started in the business, primarily driven by technology, but Catrina said she is always eager to grow and adapt.

“I try not to look at anything as a challenge but more like a learning opportunity,” she explained. “Definitely the biggest thing is the rapid pace of the ever-changing technology. We used to just use basic social media, not a lot of graphics.”

The pandemic also had an impact.

“COVID happened and then we really had to ramp it up, learn different marketing programs for digital marketing, and now we’re getting into AI,” said Catrina. “I like to stay ahead of the eight-ball and I like to learn something new every day.”

Part of that routine is spending about a half hour each morning reviewing the latest trends and staying in touch with new developments.

Her nickname is the “209 Real Estate Lady” and though her office is in Escalon, Catrina covers the entire Central Valley, basically the 209 area, from Escalon and Riverbank, Oakdale and Modesto, Turlock and Stockton, and every area in between.

She said while there are still houses going in, the pace of building isn’t quite as fast as it has been in the recent past. She is also seeing a trend of people moving from the area, relocating out of state for job opportunities or due to financial reasons.

But, she added, there is a flip side to that as well.

“I am also seeing people coming back, some that left during the 2020-21 exodus,” she shared. “Some are coming back because they missed California, the weather, and they missed the sense of community since we have such a tight knit community here in the Central Valley, especially the Oakdale and Escalon areas.”

And whether it’s helping a young couple find a home or assisting a family that is selling off a generational property, Catrina’s work covers a wide range of situations.

“It is the relationships, definitely the nurturing,” Catrina explained of what she enjoys most about being a Realtor. “I would say 99 percent of my clients, even from Day One, I am still in contact with, a lot of these people have become my friends.”

She did offer some advice for someone interested in getting into the real estate field.

“I would advise them to get a mentor, someone who has been in the business for a long time,” she pointed out. “Also, have a great tax preparer because you are self-employed. And understand that this is a people business, not a sales job. Be your genuine, authentic self, people appreciate that. You’re human, you need to show that, show that you’re not a machine.”

The mantra she adheres to is: “Relationships matter, make them count” and it is something that she follows in her work and in her community.

Catrina is an active member and a sponsor of many Escalon Chamber of Commerce events, has sponsored a number of city recreation sports teams, contributed to a number of high school activities and currently serves as a board member for the Escalon Consolidated Fire Protection District.

“I just enjoy contributing to the community; it has done so much for me and everyone has been so supportive,” Catrina said. “I never would have dreamed my real estate business would be where it’s at; I have such support from my family, friends, community, past schoolmates.”

She also enjoys the flexibility that working in real estate offers her, as it does allow time for her to invest in the community through service on the fire board and working with the Chamber.

“And I enjoy cooking, spending time with loved ones,” she said, along with getting a chance occasionally to travel a bit. “Tahoe is my happy place.”

To get in touch with Laura Catrina, visit https://lcatrina.pmz.com or call 209-604-1799.