Chris Venegas always had full-circle success in the cards—that is one thing he made sure of. 

Growing up in Rio Rancho, Chris’ parents created a foundation of support that helped him thrive from a young age. “They were always there for everything I did,” he said. Chris participated in football and was the president of the DECA program for Rio Rancho high school. “I learned discipline and how efficient processes work through football,” he said. 

Always seeking the freedom that being financially stable can provide, Chris developed an entrepreneurial spirit that springboarded him into an action plan he would stick to for years. “I knew I didn’t want to go to college, so I would make money buying things and selling them on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist,” he said. “I would flip things—mostly car parts and collectibles.” Though he successfully found business through resale, he wanted to delve into something new. For Chris, real estate was that calling. 

Because the cost of real estate schooling wasn’t something Chris could afford then, being fresh out of high school, he sold everything he had accumulated, like Lego sets and transformer collectibles. He promised himself he would buy back everything when he had the means. To stick to this goal, Chris developed a five-year plan. “My goal with real estate has always been to invest in rental properties,” he said. “But, to do that, I learned you have to be qualified, and there are a lot of steps to take before you get to that point.” 

With his end goal in mind, in January 2018, Chris’ plan began with a jolt. “I had never studied harder for anything in my life—I was extremely determined to pass,” he said, referring to the real estate exam. After passing his exam and entering his first year as a REALTOR, Chris sustained his momentum and developed a routine where he worked seven days a week building his business. “After my first year, I won the Rookie of the Year award for GAAR,” Chris said. He was only 20 when he was honored with the award, which helped kickstart his reputation and network. 

Chris approached his work diligently, ensuring he knew who the top-performing agents were in the area, and he met with them to learn their methods of success. “I saw what they were doing and knew I had to do that five times more to be on par with them,” he said. Chris is now competing against or working with those same agents. He even mentors new agents, through which he has found REALTORS to join his team, The Venegas Group. 

Today, Chris has built a top-producing team and is proud to advertise that he is the oldest member of The Vegenas Group at only 25 years old. “It’s a full team of younger people,” he said. “We want to show how capable the younger generation is, and the train we are on is full-speed ahead.” Chris defines success in several ways, but reaching his original goal is one of the biggest. “I just completed my five-year plan—I checked everything off,” he said. “To me, success is staying consistent with your business plan and the timeline you create.” Now, Chris has a new goal, but this time around, it’s a three-year plan.

“The first five years were about building a fundamental basis, and these next three years will be more of the exciting work,” he said. “It feels full circle—the whole point has been to buy rental properties, and now I own five residential homes and a warehouse in Los Ranchos.” When he can, Chris dedicates just as much effort toward his life outside of work as he does within it. 

“I love to travel to bigger metros and have a fun night out on the weekend with friends,” Chris said. His love for cars still stands, which was instilled by his family early on. “I have a Corvette that I get a thrill out of driving,” he said. In describing his perfect day, Chris says it would include driving with the top down, listening to music, and spending the evening on the town.