REMAX People: The first dojo to bloom after breaking a 13-year hiatus

Returning to Seoul after ending her long 13-year life in the United States, Seoul felt like a strange foreign land despite being her homeland. News, advertisements, and even dialogue in dramas sounded awkward, and caught between the tangled English and Korean in her head, she felt bitter, calling herself an "inadequate fool." However, the moment she decided to step back out into the world after a long 25-year hiatus, Agent Jo Geum-hee's true second act of life began.

Awakening a 25-Year Standstill Through Intense Immersion

She pushed herself to the brink as she took on the challenge of the real estate agent exam, which is said to have a success rate of less than 50%. She sat at her desk for 15 hours a day, begrudging even the time spent eating. She did not take her earphones out of her ears even when falling asleep, and at the end of that grueling repetition, she finally achieved the miracle of passing both parts of the exam at once. It was the proudest moment of her life.

However, the certification was just the beginning. To fill in the gaps, she took a startup academy course and honed her practical skills by mastering AI creative training and even auction classes. Thus, in September 2025, her new business card was created at Remax Daon in Bangi-dong, Songpa-gu, overlooking the lush greenery of Olympic Park.

A 6-month record written with sweat, the first stamp

The world of real estate brokerage was unforgiving. Her delicate, Triple A personality would waver every time she faced a meeting with a stranger. Sweating profusely, she jotted down conversation topics in advance and refined her unraveling language by reading the newspaper aloud every morning. A firm principle sustained her: “If I speak vaguely or gloss over a situation, I will ultimately be the one responsible.”

After a long wait, on February 7th, the opportunity for my first contract arrived, just six months after starting my brokerage business. To a female tenant looking for an office with good natural light, I presented a list I had personally farmed out, rather than listings that were already secured. To win over a female client in her 40s who had come with her child, I mediated the couple's conflicting opinions and persuaded the landlord to adjust the monthly rent, staying on-site until late at night.

The thoughtfulness of offering a warm drink and her neat attire, which instilled trust, finally bore fruit in the form of a stamp on the contract. Even after the final payment was made, she continued to act as a bridge, communicating with the landlord over minute details such as painting and cleaning. Her sincere dedication paid off, and the tenant has now become a precious friend who looks up to her like a younger sister.

Even if it takes a little longer, I'll go at my own pace

Sometimes, a crisis strikes when her physical and mental strength hit rock bottom. At such times, she gifts herself a rest with a short overnight trip. Back at her desk, she finally finds peace of mind when the listings she personally secured fill the portal after grueling farming that involved walking 20,000 steps every day.

You are different, Agent. I’ve been looking for this place for over four months, but other agents gave up and didn't come.

This single remark from a customer to her, who did not give up and found a way to the very end, became an energy drink sweeter than any reward.

A life lived admirably does not age.

Agent Jo Geum-hee's voice now carries a solid strength, with not a single word being muffled. That voice fully embodies 13 years in the United States, 25 years of career interruption, and the tearful efforts poured into rising again.

The saying that age is just a number is no longer a cliché in front of her. A life lived with a sense of mission, maintaining her own boundaries, and proving fulfillment through her abilities. Agent Jo Geum-hee of REMAX Daon is walking confidently at her own pace today as well. 

She is showing with her whole being just how wonderful it is to be someone who carves out their own path in the long journey called life.