Melissa Zavala

Melissa Zavala works with real estate agents throughout the nation providing coaching, mentoring, training, and administrative services. Prior to developing her nationally recognized real estate administration programs and opening her own brokerage, Melissa was a broker associate for a national franchise and demonstrated excellence by working “outside of the box:" closing hundreds of short sale transactions and developing what is now known as the Short Sale Expeditor® program.

Melissa did not begin her career in the field of real estate. In fact, she began as a high school teacher, and then as a college professor. Later, she transitioned into the field of educational publishing. Most recently, she has been able to use her teaching and organizational skills while traveling the world over—dispelling myths about the distressed property market, engaging and motivating real estate agents, and sharing her passions as a short sale and technology aficionado.

Melissa and her short sale program have been featured in various national publications, including The Washington Post, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and the San Diego Union Tribune. She is a weekly columnist for The American Genius and was nominated for the 2011 Inman Award for Real Estate’s Most Influential Leaders.

Melissa’s superpower is tenacity and she’s known for pushing to the limits. She is a voracious reader and loves to learn new things. When Melissa isn’t doing all things real estate, she enjoys hot yoga, downhill skiing, and a rousing game of Scrabble®. Melissa lives in Encinitas, California, with her husband and two children.