NextGen Founder Julia Wang Has Launched a Real Estate Revolution

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At a time when the real estate market couldn’t be crazier, NextGen Real Estate’s founder and broker Julia Wang is just getting started. The Houston-based brokerage — based on creativity, authenticity and innovation — is focused on anticipating the real estate needs of tomorrow by utilizing all aspects of technology, especially online and social media platforms. This is how they’re poised for the #nexgentakeover.

Let’s get to know the dynamite founder and broker behind the leading firm — Julia Wang.

A Dallas native, Wang attended the University of Texas at Austin. After graduation, she pursued a career in corporate America and worked in digital marketing for Dell and LifeSize. Wang attributes her online marketing savviness — something she claims has helped her tremendously with her company and given her a huge competitive edge — to these roles and the first-hand experience they provided. 

Plus, real estate and entrepreneurship run in the family. Her husband is a tech entrepreneur who has started four different successful businesses. Her father was a real estate broker. He always dreamed of his daughter joining the business. 

“My father passed away when I was in my mid twenties, but I would like to think I’m fulfilling one of the dreams he had for me,” Wang says.

Julia Wang initially entered the real estate scene because she and her husband would both buy and sell properties for personal/investment purposes. Wang decided to cut out the middleman and get her license. She hung her license with the broker who helped Wang and her husband find their first Houston apartment. The rest, as they say, is history. She closed 28 leases in her first month and it was off to the races.

“When I discovered real estate was my passion, I was tired of the big corporate real estate brokerages that had so many rules and red tape,” Wang says. “These brokerages forget that Realtors are 1099 contractors and not W2 employees. And, I was fed up with getting so much of my commission — my hard earned money — taken from these brokerages when I was the one doing all the work and getting the leads myself.

“In 2020, I started feeling a little disillusioned with real estate and realized that I needed to either quit or start my own brokerage.”

And thus, NextGen was born.

“I refuse to live life being unhappy and settling,” Wang says. “I promised myself a long time ago that I would never be like the 99 percent that do.”

In the pursuit of happiness, Wang founded a brokerage that has become rapidly successful. Despite having an initial goal of having just 20 to 30 agents, the company has grown to include 150 agents across three cities in just over a year and a half. 

“The biggest lesson I’ve learned through this journey is that you need to really trust and delegate to grow,” Wang says. “I’ve always been very obsessive and a control freak when it comes to my work. But, I’ve really learned how to let go and hire the right people because I can’t do everything and be everywhere.”

While the firm may have had its growing pains because of its fast and furious success, Wang is continuing her #nextgentakeover. This year, Wang ranked as the No. 1 Houston and Texas realtor on social media and No. 5 in all of the United States.

Refusing to stay static or stick to the status quo for too long, NextGen has also launched its ‘LUXE’ division, which is attracting a variety of luxury buyers, sellers and developers.

“The luxury demographic isn’t what it used to be and NextGen is a true representation of it,” Wang says. “I actually grew the LUXE division completely organically via social media. I’ve never cold called an agent or sent out a mass email like other brokerages. I think that alone shows the power of the online world and social media marketing.”

For those looking to follow in her footsteps, Wang has some sage advice:

“The most successful people are those who go against the grain,” she says. “There are times when you feel like you’re crazy or that you’re making a mistake and doing the wrong thing, but never underestimate your intuition and where it leads you.”

With advice like that, it’s no doubt that NextGen will help lead the future of real estate. As for what’s next for NextGen, Wang says it’s a secret — but expect the company to “take over.” 

We’ll certainly be keeping our eyes peeled and our Zillow searches refreshed.