AAPI Heritage Month Spotlight: Jennifer Ho

What aspects of your identity are most meaningful for you? Are there cultural traditions or historic moments or other elements that are a particular source of pride?

Respecting and honoring my family and ancestors are very important to me, as are education and doing what is just. These values were instilled in me when I was growing up.

Celebrating holidays like Chinese New Year, Christmas, and the Moon Cake festival as a family is also very important. Every November 1st, all the family members, including extended family, get together at my grandmother’s gravesite to pay respect to her. It is an all-day celebration of food, burning incense, candles, and fake money for my grandmother’s afterlife. It is all about family, community, and respect.

How did you find your path to success in this field?

I worked in finance as a trader in the Philippines and Hong Kong before I relocated to Greenwich in 1997. My experience in relocating and being a first-time homebuyer has allowed me to help a lot of my clients relocate from/to Asia, Europe, and other parts of the United States. My background in finance allows me to help sellers, buyers, and investors in purchasing and selling their homes.

Moving to Greenwich from Asia with a baby was not easy. I did not know anyone. Luckily, I had a great realtor, Cynthia Ribak, who made my move an easy one. She became a friend and taught me everything I know about real estate. She is the reason I became a realtor. My other mentor was my former partner, Gloria Chin-Besthoff, and she taught me that race and gender are not what makes you a great agent. Being skilled at what you do and doing what is right for your clients are the qualities that make a great agent.

Are there values or elements of your identity that you draw strength from in your work as an agent?

Doing what is best for my clients is the phrase I live by in my business. In Asia, a handshake is like a contract. Our word is a promise. I was raised in a multicultural, Chinese-Filipino environment, which enables me to be open-minded and respectful of other people’s cultures and experiences. Valuing people’s beliefs and cultural practices is very important in any industry but is especially crucial in real estate. 

What impact, if any, has your identity had on your experience in the real estate industry? Are there specific moments or episodes from over the years that illustrate that experience?

Being an Asian woman who is not from Greenwich was challenging. I was not a “typical” realtor. It was difficult at first, but I realized that being different was an advantage.

One experience I will never forget is when I met a commercial agent in Milford. He totally dismissed me and my colleague because we were women. I remember him saying something along the lines of me being “just one of those agents who does not know anything and would be wasting his time.” He realized he was wrong when I started asking all the right questions and had a buyer for his commercial listing.

What would you like your industry colleagues to understand about your experience and what can they do to be better allies of the AAPI community?

Embrace who you are and use it to help your clients and fellow agents. I have been in business for 22 years. My clients know that having me as their agent means I will always have their best interests as the top priority—even if that means walking away from a deal.

How do you think brokerages like Elliman can help foster greater diversity and understanding in the industry?

I have been with Douglas Elliman for over six years. What I love most about DE is that they value and honor you as an agent regardless of your beliefs, race, or gender. They also value giving back to the community and helping others in need.