Meet Evelyn Lopez | Mother, Wife and CEO

We had the good fortune of connecting with Evelyn Lopez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Evelyn, how has your background shaped the person you are today?

I am from Central America, from a small town called La Ceiba in the country of Honduras. I grew up in extreme poverty where food, water and electricity were not a daily guarantee. My sister (who is a year older) and I grew up without the presence of our mother and father. I was so young that I do not remember when they were gone, by family accounts it was around the age of 2 years old. I remember growing up at my grandmother’s house with my aunts and uncles, who were probably in their teens and twenties at the time. Even though the family always spoke about my parents it was never in a way to encourage us or to explain that our parents have left us behind in pursuit of a better life, my sister and I were always made to feel as if we were a burden on them. As I grew older, I knew that many things did not feel right and that I was missing the two most influential people in my life that could protect me from any harm.

Throughout the years my mom would visit and stay for periods of times, but chaos and uncertainty was a dominant factor in the house. Getting used to being without my parents felt normal somehow. At the age of 11, we were finally brought over to the US (California). I lived with my Mom until the age of 18, by this time my mom had already remarried and had given birth to my brother and we lived in Hollywood, Florida.

At the age of 18, my mom, infant brother and step dad moved back to California, This is when I decided that I had to take matters into my own hands. I was once again alone without my family, but this time it was different. I knew that if I wanted to amount to anything I needed to push through the emotional pain and break the generational curses in my family. I was determined to work hard to survive and I was not going to be a victim of my past.

I started working in the Real Estate Title industry at the age of 19, this was my first venture into real estate. I was quickly embraced by the industry. My hard work was being noticed and my hunger to learn and be above the rest earned me priceless relationships and mentorships throughout the years that gave me the opportunity to excel in the field. After almost 20 years, I knew that it was time to venture into entrepreneurship and open my own business. This is when I founded Paramount Coordinating Group in April of 2017. I now operate a Real Estate Transaction management company along with my husband and we help hundreds of Real Estate agents and families fulfill their dreams of buying or selling their homes. We are currently processing nearly 1,000 transactions a year and the company is thriving.

With all that said, my upbringing was not the one that I would wish on any child and I could just use to victimize myself. I chose to do the opposite, at a very early age I knew that I was going to one day have a family. I was going to be the mom to my children that I never had, I knew that I was going to marry and that my future husband would have to have the same goals, hunger and vision for the future personally and professionally. I knew that one day I wanted to tell my children my story so that they can use it as motivation and inspiration for their future. I knew that I wanted to tell my story to others going through similar situations to never give up. That as long as we have life, there is always hope and that God will never abandon us. I used all the negativity and turned that into a source of positive energy that I use to spread throughout the daily life that I have chosen to live.

My upbringing and my past have molded me into who I am today. I have a beautiful family, married to my best friend (Hector) for the last 15 years and have the most beautiful gift from God, my children! Isabelle (12) and Alexander (6).

For me that is real success, being able to balance your professional and personal life, but understanding that the personal life comes first and it is priceless! I am not done yet, there is so much more to do and accomplish, there are many people to help.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

We are Paramount Coordinating Group aka PCG Helps. We are a professional real estate transaction coordinating company, woman owned and family operated. Our business offers white glove customer service to real estate agents and their clients.

A transaction coordinator often handles the administrative work of the real estate transaction. This can include preparing and submitting purchase documentation, gathering information or documentation from you (the buyer or seller), communicating with other real estate agents, and more. We often coordinate with other members of the team, such as the inspector or appraiser, to schedule and follow up on appointments and so much more.

Having a transaction coordinator as part of the team is not required, but it does free up your real estate agent to spend his or her time working directly with you, the client. We free up most of the administrative tasks off their plate, they may be able to better meet their real estate needs overall.

What sets up apart at PCG is our team and company values. Our experience in the real estate industry and hospitality is second to none, we bring well over 80 years of combined experience in these fields. We have made a commitment from day one to add a personal touch to each transaction by answering and calling the clients. We see that many other companies only rely on automated and contactless services. We also make it a point not to outsource any part of the transaction to international VA’s.

Some of the challenges we face are staffing but we been able to overcome that challenge by offering remote positions with flexible schedules and practicing one of our strongest values that family is first.

We want everyone to know that we do not sell perfection, but we offer a service that is second to none tailored to the needs of your business and we will not be outworked. We believe in systems and we are fully integrated.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would make sure to take them to the following:

Any one of our beautiful beaches from Fort Lauderdale all the way to South Beach. A drive down to the Florida Keys all the was to Key West. The Everglades National Park. Central Florida to the natural mineral springs. Some of my favorite restaurants are El Bayu De Wela Sara in Hollywood (Puertorican cuisine), LaCosta in Davie (Honduran cuisine) , Boatyard in Fort Lauderdale, Conch republic down in Key West.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First I want to thank God for giving me the strength and protecting me along the way. I want to thank my sister Ericka Lopez, because she was there in the darkest moments of my childhood. I want to thank my best friend, my Husband for being my rock, for showing me that you can love unconditionally and that forgiveness heals the soul! My Children, wow! I never knew that I could love and be loved this way. They are the biggest joy of my life!

My favorite book that has given me so much motivation “No Excuses: The power of self discipline” by Brian Tracy

The Women’s Council of Realtors Broward for embracing me and giving me a platform to share my personal and professional story.

Website: www.paramountcoordinatinggroup.com

Instagram: pcghelps

Facebook: paramount coordinating group

Image Credits
Hector Rivas