Hamid Ali is living the American dream.
He moved to the United States from Islamabad, Pakistan in 2003 to attend the University of Maryland, where he received a master’s degree in marketing in 2005 and a master’s in business administration in 2007. He got married and moved to Redmond with his wife in January 2009 when she was offered a software engineer position with Microsoft Corp. Upon their arrival, Ali applied for marketing positions with several companies but nothing came from them.
“I was so pissed and so worried about my future,” he said.
Feeling discouraged, Ali called an uncle living on the East Coast who suggested he try real estate. Ali received his real estate license in May 2009 and after interviewing with a number of companies in the area, started working at the John L. Scott Real Estate office in downtown Redmond.
Despite now being employed, things weren’t looking up for Ali initially. He only made one sale that year and was upset and disappointed with himself. Things began improving for him in 2010, in which he made 15-17 sales, putting him in the top 15 percent of sales in the company, which has about 3,100 agents. Ali received the John L. Scott President’s Award for this achievement. The next year told the same story and Ali received his second President’s Award.
For 2012, the 33-year-old received the company’s President’s Elite Award for being in the top 2 percent in sales. Ali made almost 30 sales last year, bringing in $11 million to $12 million. He said his goal is to make the company’s top 1 percent within two or three years.
“People really supported me and I’m really thankful to my community,” he said.
Ali said the thing about real estate is that it “is all about connections” and getting your name out there. Once he realized this, he began building those connections and getting his name out there by getting involved in the community.
He joined the Pakistan Association of Greater Seattle (PAGS) in late summer of 2009 and was later named the youngest board member for the organization. Ali is also an active member of the Muslim Association of Puget Sound (MAPS) in Redmond and became involved in The Citizens Foundation and was part of a team that raised money to build nine schools in Pakistan.
Through his involvement in these various organizations, Ali has helped bring well-known politicians, entertainers, athletes and religious leaders from Pakistan to the Seattle area to meet with the local community. Some of those names include former Pakistani president Pervez Musharraf, who served from 2001 to 2008, and Imran Khan, a current Pakistani politician and former cricketer.
By being part of these high-profile visits, Ali was able to get his name out in the community, creating more visibility for his professional life.
“Every single event, I got involved somehow,” Ali said. “I didn’t want to miss any opportunity.”
