about me

THRIVING NO MATTER THE ODDS

This piece was originally published in 2023.

Marking her twentieth year in real estate this year, Kim Yee looks back on a career that has shaped much of who she is today – a woman of incredible perseverance, integrity, and authenticity. Having navigated many personal and professional adversities over the years, from starting out on her own as a young entrepreneur to balancing kids and career to having to face cancer on two separate occasions, her story is one of adaptability, strength, and thriving against all odds. And it starts almost by accident.

Kim didn’t intend to become a REALTOR®. Her goal was to follow her dad’s footsteps into law. He was an attorney who ran his own practice as well as owned a restaurant, together with his wife, Kim’s mom. Kim recalls the early mornings at 5 a.m. as a child, begging to go with her mom to the restaurant. By watching her parents, she learned much of what it means to run your own business – the hard work and sacrifice it requires.

“It was hard to find time with my dad during my elementary school years because he was often with clients. So, part of the reason I woke up early to spend time at the restaurant was to be with him and my mom,” she explains. “But through their dedication, I learned how to build something from the ground up and how to treat people, seeing how well they interacted with clients and patrons. Dad has always been and still is my idol.”

Inspired by her dad, Kim attended Cal Poly Pomona, where she majored in Finance, Real Estate, and Law. She then moved to Sacramento to attend Pacific McGeorge School of Law, which was the same law school her dad attended. In her first year there, and since she already had the prerequisite, she decided to take the real estate licensing exam on a whim and passed.

“I didn’t think I’d do anything with it, but I jokingly asked my law school class if anyone wanted to buy or sell a home, and someone said yes,” exclaims Kim. “I didn’t even have my license hung at a brokerage yet, so I scrambled to do that and found myself at Coldwell Banker Sierra Oaks.”

After that first sale, Kim thought to herself, “Oh my gosh, I should really pursue this.” So, while finishing up her first year of law school, she started selling part-time. Discovering a hidden passion and talent for real estate, she dove in full-time the following year.

While Kim loved real estate and was good at it, getting started wasn’t easy. Everyone she knew still lived in southern California, so she had to build a client base from scratch. That first tax season as a young agent was a wakeup call as well. “I had to ask my parents for help because, being young and naive, I’d spent my commission without saving. Living off my parents, in an apartment while selling real estate, was humbling and embarrassing,” expresses Kim.

Although Kim’s parents were supportive, she was determined to succeed independently. Despite the initial struggles of paying for real estate signs, business cards and newspaper advertising, she resolved to buy her first home that first year as well.

As she became more established, Kim started making new friendships and worked two part-time jobs. She did transaction coordinating for a few agents and helped a few older agents in her office with social media marketing. Committing to open houses, floor time, and cold calling, she slowly began to build her business. While she worked hard for independence, Kim emphasizes how integral her family was to her success.

“My mom used to write me typewritten letters every day, and my parents, along with my brother, visited often, providing not just financial but also tremendous emotional support. So, when my mom was diagnosed with cancer in the fall of 2005, it was devastating,” recalls Kim. “I had just gotten engaged and wasn’t sure if she would be around for the wedding. She was going through chemotherapy when I was shopping for dresses.”

Fortunately, after surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, Kim’s mom overcame her diagnosis. She fully participated in Kim’s wedding and is now a 19-year survivor. As fate would have it, however, in 2018, Kim was diagnosed with the same type of breast cancer, both women at stage one, luckily.

“It was purely coincidental,” Kim notes. “I remember when I found out. I spent three days crying and then decided that moping wasn’t going to fix anything. So, I did research on cancer, treatments, etc., and decided to work throughout the whole process. My treatment started that fall with a lumpectomy, followed by chemotherapy in the new year of 2019. Then I took about a month off between March and April, and then 21 rounds of radiation after that from April to May.”

Kim has been in remission ever since. She emphasizes how working in real estate gave her something to focus on rather than feeling sorry for herself, and how the love she received from her clients gave her the support she needed. She recalls wearing a wig for 2-3 months after losing her hair because she felt naked without it, but when she decided not to wear it anymore, her clients embraced her new look.

“They loved that I was still working and putting everything into it,” she says. “My database has always been amazing. I remember when my kids were little and having to take them with me to home inspections, to showings, babies in car seats crying, and my clients never flinched. They supported me through cancer and have stuck around for it all, the good, the bad, and the ugly.” Kim’s career has been marked by constant change, and even today she is in the midst of a rebrand. After years of working as a solo agent and then forming a team with a business partner, she is stepping back out on her own again as Kim Yee Real Estate with Keller Williams. She plans to grow her business by potentially adding an administrative assistant and another agent who can act as her right-hand person.

“My plan involves having individuals who can help carry my business forward,” she says. “Ideally, I’d love to build a small team capable of sustaining my business in the future, allowing me to travel, enjoy time with my family, and eventually retire.”

With two teenagers, Ashley and Connor, Kim’s life outside of real estate revolves around club soccer. She is the team manager for Connor’s team and is heavily involved with fundraising for Ashley’s team. Outside of soccer, Kim loves to ski, travel and engage in activities like rope courses and escape rooms.

Having built a life around real estate, Kim could not be more grateful for all the relationships she has developed throughout the years. She even met her husband, Adriel, through real estate. He was a client and they have been married now for 17 years (ask Adriel what his version of their story is, he’s sure to amuse you). Adriel is a P.E. teacher, and together, they share a little home in Elk Grove with their two kids and yellow lab, Biscuit, and are known for throwing the most amazing 4th of July block parties.

As Kim continues building her life and business in real estate, she looks to the past and how far she has come with pride, is filled with gratitude for the present, and hope and excitement for the future. No matter what happens next, one thing is certain, she will have the grace, strength, and resolve to thrive no matter the odds.