Growing up in Brighton, Erika Daube has fond memories of her childhood on 15 acres. She realized how lucky she was as a carefree child, caring for two litters of puppies. “Watching dogs give birth to puppies is one of my core memories,” she reminisces. “It’s really cool, and it doesn’t happen every day.” Her love for dogs was evident at a young age, which explains why she is a proud pet parent of two rescue dogs. 

 

Her childhood wasn’t necessarily easy, but was formative in making her who she is today, especially with the strength that she developed.

 

“I was the youngest of three kids and always was picked on and pushed around. I had to really stick up for myself and hold my own and that gave me the backbone that I have today. Being a younger agent in the real estate industry, you have to stick up for yourself,” comments Erika.

 

A go-getter, Erika played volleyball in high school, where she excelled. “My hips now hate me for it,” she laughs. She was also on the yearbook committee and started the Pep Club at Southwestern High School. A high honor roll student, Erika was committed to her academics and her extracurricular activities. “I graduated with college credits and was involved in lots of things,” she comments.

 

She attended Lewis and Clark Community College in their paralegal program and went to work in a law firm to gain experience. “It just wasn’t my cup of tea,” she explains. “The office environment wasn’t for me and I started waitressing and bartending.” At a crossroads, she wasn’t sure what to do for her career.

 

When her dad unexpectedly passed away in April 2017, it was a trying time. “It happened during my last semester of college, which gave me the opportunity to buy my small house and get a headstart fixing it up and owning it outright,” she comments. “I fixed it up and it is near and dear to my heart.”

 

She got into real estate at the suggestion of her boyfriend, Derek, over 3 years ago. Erika had always liked watching HGTV and seeing the transformation process. Seeing the different styles of houses and how people live and function in homes has always intrigued her. “I like to see what people do differently and see how I can pass that along to my clients, or even myself, to spark a design or solve a problem.”  Launching into real estate wasn’t for the faint of heart.

Refusing to be deterred by her young age as a real estate professional at eXp Realty, Erika didn’t let the naysayers get to her. She comments, “I had to overcome people looking at me as some young girl who didn’t know anything. I had to get people to trust me.” Although it was a struggle, Erika had the strength, courage and confidence not to give up. One client soon led to another.

 

Erika also started her business in the middle of a pandemic. As she says, “Everyone is locked in their houses and I’m supposed to go show them. It was kind of scary.” Soon she had more business than she expected. “It was great to be busy. I had to learn as fast as I could because the demand was so high. I took every seminar, asked other agents for help, and bought a really nice calendar.” The business started rolling in and Erika found her future in real estate.

 

Her entrepreneurial skills paid off. As a first-time homebuyer, Erika was able to relate to her clients and show how real estate could benefit them. She learned from the example of her late father, who worked tirelessly as an electrician, and her mother, a hairdresser, who worked 12-14 hours a day. “Watching my mom, Paula, who owns her own salon, start from scratch showed me how to be self-employed and how to serve others.” To date, Erika has over 65 transactions in real estate and is licensed in Illinois as well as Missouri. 

When Erika isn’t working, it’s all about family for her. She jokes, “Lately, my mom has been obsessed with Bingo so we’ve been going to Bingo a lot.” Although she hasn’t won yet, she keeps trying and is optimistic it will happen. Recently, they attended a Hawaiian-themed Bingo event and won prizes for being the best dressed. “I dressed like a crab, Derek was a palm tree, and my mom was a jellyfish,” says Erika. It paid off!

 

Derek and Erika also enjoy bowling and recently started playing disc golf together. They also like playing golf, which suits them to a tee. She learned how to make time for hobbies, commenting, “Do not let making a living prevent you from making a life. Live in the now versus later.

 

“I also started taking up reading over the past couple years,” adds Erika. She loves good murder mysteries and thrillers. A self-described craftsy person, Erika also loves art, drawing, and painting.

 

A “movie guru,” Erika also likes watching movies and has fond memories of going to Blockbuster as a child. They collected over 2000 movies for their viewing enjoyment. Now they watch multiple streaming services. Other pastimes include thrifting. “I love secondhand stuff,” smiles Erika. 

 

“Reusing, reducing and recycling – all of that.” She jokes that her entire wardrobe is basically from Goodwill. “I love it,” she says. “I love vintage pieces, couponing, and finding a deal.” 

An animal lover, Erika loves the constant companionship of her two rescue dogs, Kronk (a 125-pound Pitbull) and Remy. She also enjoys the very conditional love of her two cats, Tobi and Nygel.

Erika Daube is a rising star in the real estate industry. She is passionate about helping her clients achieve their real estate goals. With her determination, hard work, and willingness to learn, she is sure to have a bright future ahead of her. If she can start her business during a pandemic, anything is possible for this driven real estate agent.