Today we’d like to introduce you to Cristina Damis.
Hi Cristina, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
In a previous interview with CanvasRebel Meet Cristina Damis, I stated details on how my father shaped my thoughts on my path to real estate…it’s not only how I arrived here but through his stories, I grew my faith and inspiration. How did he accomplish what he achieved? One breath at a time, being filled by the spirit, he understood the assignment…you cannot live on yesterday’s bread. Yielding in spirit moment by moment, living in purpose with full intent of stewardship reinforced day after day for the opportunity in forming roots for stability and growth. Apples simply do not fall far. While not everything fell into plan, but because I was guided by a father who devotedly entrusted his task and the enthusiasm in giving things a shot…I know no other way than onward and making wins from mishaps. He loved creating his life and I certainly witnessed it with favor. I can’t say being human or working on my goals is a walk in the park all the time, but it becomes what we make of it and I can say with certainty we couldn’t possibly do it alone. It is why I yield in breath for his spirit to flow through me…otherwise love grows cold and who doesn’t need some warming up now.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Sure, there were bumps along the way and going months without a closing even though I spent time working everyday isn’t a walk in the park. Faith and fear both demand you believe in something you cannot see. I choose to perform with fluidity, with more joy and that brings me a sense of peace…it focuses my thoughts on inspiration and desire of reaching my goals and how this market and my future success most likely will require a different version of myself and I’m all in! With this trust in steadiness, I no longer rely on a path to be smooth in order to walk it.
Jim Rohn, a coach in the industry says, “Being in business is a personal development journey with money and time as the scorecard.” I strive on how I can be the strongest version of myself cultivating daily behaviors in alignment with the growth I want. I learned some hard love in this industry, you don’t have friends and a mentor even went as far to tell me you don’t have a mother in this industry. Nobody hands you the crown. You earn it by showing up, bleeding for it and refusing to back down. I still have skin in this game because I haven’t backed down, I keep changing the version of myself until things get better and make me better, setting up the most favorable scenarios for my clients. The healthiest habit I learned from friends and family not choosing to do business with me is to take none of it personally. It was not instant for me, but quickly afterwards I realized it wouldn’t help me to hold grudges and take it as a blow, instead I see it as their loss truly as I saw the outcomes from not having me as a guide which would have saved them a lot of frustration and money as details were not followed through. Struggles are only obstacles if you allow them to be. Through struggle and discomfort we can choose to be present and endure. We can choose to hold our feelings and still act. It’s our training ground to remain steady—it’s powerful and it’s what builds trust in ourselves and others. Early on in my commercial career forging through rehab and from-scratch-developments, rarely was there a smooth road beckoning me. I would approach national chains at a time when no mega chain even placed Pittsburgh on their radar. “You guys don’t even know what tandoori is,” a chain not even in business anymore once told me. These primary years shaped how I approached my endeavors and how I guide my clients through new concepts bringing first-hand knowledge of the situation allowing for prime decision making. Hard lessons were learned, yet hard is not a reason to stop, it’s merely time to reflect on what I can reduce, what more I can learn and what action can I take today instead.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My business is built on the philosophy that real estate is a rejuvenating act of creation, a connection not just a transaction. In an industry where speed often trumps quality, I have made a firm pledge: I won’t cut corners. I approach real estate with the same patience and precision I apply to lapidary—cutting and polishing a rough stone until its true worth is revealed. What sets me apart is a work ethic spawned from a deep background in commercial real estate, property management, and leasing. I understand how local business owners think and innovate; I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t within the last three decades of the real estate industry and I know what passes the test of time. I carry that spirit into my residential practice, backed by the global powerhouse that is Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, The Preferred Realty.
As a first-generation Greek American (fluent in Greek—ναι αμέ!), I bring a worldly perspective and a “compass” mentality of a fellow explorer. I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty or take a stand for my clients’ must-haves. When seeking their next oasis, I provide the map and guide them through every scenario so that they can confidently make decisions that will impact their lives favorably, enjoyably and find them financially more secure.
Brand-wise, I am most proud of my commitment to courageous transparency. In an industry that is often seduced by the quick win, I have built a brand that mirrors the patience of an artisan. Just as I take my time in lapidary—cutting and polishing a rough stone until it reveals its true value—I am proud that my brand represents a refusal to cut corners and arm my clients with all the details necessary to confidently act on one of their most critical decisions of their life.
I am also deeply proud of the demographic my brand serves: the creators, thinkers, and doers. I don’t just move property; I facilitate the expansion of legacies. It’s a Forever Brand that allows me to act as a grounded compass providing the stillness and clarity for my clients needed to make sound decisions ensuring that even in a high-speed and high-pressured market, we take necessary breaths and move with efficiency rather than reckless haste. Whether it’s a family home or a business workspace, a farm or an investment property, I treat my clients’ assets with the fervent advocacy it deserves.
What inspires me with clarity and momentum for my daily plan is “a simple rule that makes life easier, always strive to give value before you ask for value,” stated by James Clear. I strive for repeatable and impeccable service for my clients, it’s the fuel that provides not only how I grow but the quality of my growth, leaving an imprint in my community.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up was like the 1985 Goonies adventures, we biked everywhere in heat that hit inferno levels, actual pedaling motion with our legs, none of this hover board or electric motor ride stuff and we were out in the wild all day until dusk. We ran the hose from the top of our heads when the heat took the luster out of us or someone darted in like a bandit to swipe popsicles as we cooled off just enough to head back out to play under the rays of the fiery sun. We played every game possible on the streets and recalled a time or two when a ball shattered a window. We abandoned all our gear and dashed and hid, but in the end a confession was squeezed out and a window ordered and installed. We rarely saw our parents, only if we drew blood and sometimes not even then. Lunch was always on the go like ketchup on Wonderbread but when we finally barreled through the door as the sun slipped into the horizon, a simple dinner prepared by my grandmother, my aunt or my mother was on the table to greet us. Many times, there were leftovers but always fortunate enough to have meat trimmed with fat and at times still on the bone.
When it comes to keeping company with peers, elders and everyone in between from my neighborhood, I have been fortunate beyond measures especially when my miraculously agile grandmother led the pack. My grandmother would stroll the neighborhood for a soul to greet. She shot hoops with us, danced on the streets and spent time cultivating her garden or connecting with neighbors sharing stories of the villages they had fled. We walked a few blocks to school with neighbors joining in at various points, there was a squad of us and the older ones watched out for us younger and tender ones.
Not far from the front door of our home, there was a dirt field where I also walked to softball practice with just my hand-me down signed Ron Cey mitt. None of these over-sized bags weighted down with various bats and gear. Our coaches provided the bases, the balls and the bats…we only had to worry about showing up and even then, I would walk to my coach’s house for a ride to a game. There were no state-of-the-art fields covered in synthetic turf, fresh and orderly and impressive in their massiveness.
We had lead in our pipes and on our walls, lest not forget the feared particles of any exposed asbestos looming in the air. And on every lawn, a smattering of dandelions to lend flashes of yellow that my grandmother had missed. Mostly these misunderstood hardy perennials were on our table, boiled with copious amounts of freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil poured from gallon tins with handles. Every home had a garden, they were vibrant examples of biodiversity all about and symbiosis from within our yards…a whole marvel of life outdoors that we found adventures in.
Those were the dog days of summer and when we were back in school it was those afternoons and weekend days when we carried on outdoors or participated in sports that didn’t take us across state borders or intervene with any holidays. Friday nights were spent with our local church community with grandma along doing the things we loved there, singing, creating and crafting, her favorite was macramé plant holders that found their way in corners of our kitchen with pothos dangling cheerily from her proudly hand-made artifacts.
Play was just that, being in the present, guided by the wildest of our curiosities. As a result of these rhythmic patterns of childhood, my imagination wandered and I developed a penchant to always be creating and communing with nature and my peers. They are a funny kind of comfort, these bits and pieces of growing up, but in all of the ways that mostly count those days set my foundation for rejuvenating acts of creating, a training ground to slow under pressure and attend to the simplest things with stubborn commitment all while rejoicing in all the little wins of our day.
Those golden day experiences allowed for me to show up balanced, connected and integrated. Consequently, it remains my demeanor to remain grounded and steady and it’s how I treat my business, not merely as a transaction but as a connection with my clients, a rejuvenating act in establishing and expanding their legacy, therefore the experience comes out all the more encompassing and fulfilling for everyone involved. Every step of the process deservedly gets its attention and should anything arise, I find other ways to handle and if necessary steer us into other amicable options. My devotion throughout the process requires repetition, humility at times and the willingness to act in alignment rather than emotion, my client’s biggest assets rely upon this ethos and I do not take it lightly.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cristinadamis.tpragent.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cristinadamisrealtor/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cristinadamisrealtor/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CristinaDamisRealEstateAgent/shorts
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/thef0lia/
