The Total Real Estate Experience:
It Starts with Vision and Ends with Legacy.
A Conversation between Claudia Rucker and Monica Lenches
Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets planning.
-Thomas Edison
Welcome to A Kinder World of Commerce where we delve into the inspiring world of businesses that go beyond profit-making and prioritize making a positive impact on our local communities. We believe that these legacy brands are the true changemakers, demonstrating the power of purpose-driven entrepreneurship. This month I’m excited to interview Monica Lenches, a visionary real estate professional and my partner in this educational campaign. She has intertwined life coaching with real estate to craft an experience that goes beyond transactions, focusing on clients’ broader life visions and goals. If you are looking to experience the home buying or selling experience differently, then Monica Lenches is your portal to something unique and transformative. Get ready to discover the Total Real Estate Experience – a values-driven journey that empowers, inspires, and supports clients and where each step begins with a clear vision and culminates in a lasting legacy.
CR: I know that you approach your life and business in a very intentional way and that you have a specific purpose, vision, and mission for yourself and your team. Would you be willing to share those with our readers?
ML: Thank you, Claudia, for that question. We believe that buying and selling a home is too big and important a choice to make impulsively or in a vacuum. Instead, it should be considered in the context of a client’s larger life vision and goals. The most responsible way we know to do this is by slowing down the process and approaching it with the thoughtful deliberation it deserves. This is our purpose, the driver behind why we’ve chosen to do real estate differently.
Our vision is to transform the traditional real estate transaction into a values-driven experience that empowers, inspires and supports our clients in realizing their vision, goals and objectives…every step of the way.
As for our mission, in addition to delivering the traditional real estate services everyone has come to expect, we provide comprehensive, holistic real estate planning to individuals who are passionate about making the world a better place. Whether they’re leading a company or a team within a company, shepherding a foundation, or organizing a fundraising initiative, we want to be the wind beneath the wings of these committed, caring individuals. Because when they feel truly cared for and confident that their affairs are in order, they can relax and keep their focus on making their greatest contribution.
CR: What values do you and your team embrace?
ML: We value kindness, integrity, relationships, environmental and social justice, collaboration, and gratitude.
CR: What are some examples of how you apply those values in your day-to-day business?
ML: Creating quality relationships and experiences for our clients is the hallmark of our work. When we’re working with clients who are passionate about making the world a better place, we feel inspired to do everything we can to seek out additional opportunities to be of service and bring more ease, peace of mind and satisfaction to their experience.
In order to be fully present with our clients and not feel the pressure of having to quickly move on to the next one, we have chosen to concentrate on working with a select number of clients at any given time.
Part of delivering a comprehensive, holistic experience involves another one of our key values: collaboration. By stewarding our clients through the process of planning and preparing for their sale and/or purchase, we often find ourselves collaborating with their team of trusted advisors. Proper collaboration involves a commitment from each advisor to protect and advocate for the client’s vision and goals while reducing risks. High-level collaboration should foster transparency, innovation and creativity which, in turn, should result in responsible and thoughtful planning.
CR: I know that you’ve curated a very unique experience for your clients. Can you walk us through your process?
ML: We have been shepherding clients through our unique process, the Total Real Estate Experience (TREE), for over twenty years now. While the experience is very intentional and robust, it is also highly customizable and flexible. There are six steps to our process:
Step 1 starts with taking our clients through a Visioning process. During our time together clients identify their purpose for making a change and create their vision for both their new home and the quality of the experience they want to have as they move through the sale and/or purchase process.
With a clear vision, we proceed to Step 2, Planning, and create a comprehensive plan that specifies who will be doing what and by when and what financial resources will be needed to accomplish their goals and objectives.
In Step 3, Collaborating, we loop back around to the client’s financial advisor and vet the plan to ensure it aligns with their financial and estate plans.
Steps 4 & 5, Launching and Unfolding, are where it all comes together. Because our planning and preparation are in place, this phase – the actual buying and or selling of a home - tends to unfold with relative ease and efficiency. Clients experience the peace of mind that comes with responsibly addressing major considerations upfront before launching into a sale or purchase.
As we approach the finish line in Step 6, Legacy, we’re reminded that this process Starts with Vision and Ends with Legacy. My vision is for our clients to find joy and fulfillment in a home that supports their life vision. Contributing to their lives in a meaningful way is my legacy. And the Total Real Estate Experience is part of how I do that. Creating a supportive working environment allows clients to relax and focus on making their greatest contribution to the world in their own unique way – which is their legacy.
CR: I’ve had the good fortune of experiencing life coaching with you. Let’s talk about how coaching contributes to creating quality relationships and empowering experiences for your clients.
ML: I discovered life coaching over twenty-three years ago when I became certified as a life coach by Dr. Cherie Carter-Scott, the mother of life coaching. What drew me to her particular approach were the underlying beliefs that people have their own answers and that they are endowed with the personal power to make their visions, dreams and goals a reality. I also resonated deeply with the requirement to bring respect, empathy and non-judgement to the coaching table.
With every client interaction, we strive to create a safe, trusting and supportive environment where they feel genuinely cared for. When all is said and done, the result is not just the manifestation of their vision and goals but a meaningful and empowering experience. For me, it’s something I never expected when I first wove life coaching into the real estate experience: lasting friendships and the fulfillment of one of my personal values: building community. At the end of the day, life coaching is not just a way of doing business but a way of living life.
CR: When you’re not supporting your clients, how do you spend your free time?
ML: From a very young age, I’ve always enjoyed traveling. Last year I visited my mentor in Thailand and spent an entire week exploring the temples at Angkor Watt, Cambodia – unforgettable and highly recommended! Here, you’ll likely run into me on a hiking trail or walking on the beach. I also enjoy reading, photography and documentary filmmaking, and spending time with my young adult nieces.
To learn more about Monica and the Total Real Estate Experience, visit: www.monicalenches.com or call her at 805.689.1300.