Navjot Singh ('15 BS, University Studies)

Tell us about yourself.
I am a proud Arlington native! My family immigrated from Punjab to Texas in 1984, and I was born and raised in Arlington, Texas. I attended Ditto Elementary, Young Junior High, and graduated from Martin High School. I still live in Arlington and married my amazing wife, Harlin, in December 2022. My dad and uncle own a local car dealership here that they have been operating since 1989. I used to work there during college and continue to help them out!

Why did you choose to attend UTA?
I chose to attend UTA because it was close to home, and my family is very important to me. I also saw UTA as an amazing school because of the diversity. I knew I would be successful in an environment where there were people from all walks of life and all around the world. UTA was just on the rise. Everyone told me it was a "commuter school," but I knew my college experience totally depended on my outlook and mindset. If I went in with a positive mindset, wanting to learn and grow, I would, and that is exactly what I did during my time at UTA!

What did you study at UTA? What attracted you to those fields?
I studied psychology, but I did take science and some business classes. I always thought I would end up in the industrial organizational psychology industry helping businesses grow and working closely with the HR department in a Fortune 500 company. I have been really interested in psychology since my senior year in high school when I took an intro to sociology/psychology class that really sparked my passion for understanding what motivates people. 

Describe your UTA experience. How did UTA help you prepare for your career?
My UTA experience was so amazing. The first day I set foot on campus after my freshman orientation, I told my sister, Sarpreet, that I was going to be the UTA student body president. She just laughed. But I was on a mission, and I quickly got involved. The following year, I joined a fraternity, ran for campus elections, served as a student senator for the College of Science, and became a UTA Ambassador. I held many leadership roles in my fraternity, but more importantly, I also served as the Interfraternity Council president. At this point, the time came to decide if I wanted to fulfill my promise to myself and run for student body president or run for president of the ambassador program (Mr. UTA). I decided my goal was to get more people excited about UTA and fall in love with our traditions and rich heritage. I ended up winning the election for Mr. UTA and it was such a rewarding experience. I also served as UTA Homecoming king. UTA gave me countless opportunities and helped me prepare for my career. I learned how to organize meetings, influence people, network, lead, and grow organizations. Without UTA, I would not be where I am today professionally. UTA taught me how to be motivated and always set HUGE goals but also to come up with a plan of action!

What is your current professional position? What do you do in this role?
I am the proud founder of the real estate brokerage, Signature Real Estate Group, team leader of Singh Real Estate Group, and still actively practicing as a real estate agent. My brokerage currently has 31 real estate agents. As the owner/CEO of Signature Real Estate Group, I am focused on growing a modern brokerage where agents can grow their brand and be successful agents or team leaders. My philosophy on being a brokerage owner and CEO is that agents do not work for me, in fact, we work for the agents. My primary responsibility as a brokerage owner is to build an environment and culture that allows the agents to be successful. I do my best to provide them with the best tools and knowledge so that they feel confident to work with clients. Leading my team "Singh Real Estate Group" is basically like having a mini brokerage. We have separate branding, weekly meetings, and a full-time videographer/editor and social media manager on staff. I love helping people purchase and sell real estate all over DFW. We have plans of expanding our brokerage to Houston, Austin, and San Antonio in the next few years! We do not want to be the largest brokerage in DFW or Texas - we just want to give people the ultimate real estate experience whether they are purchasing, selling, or leasing. Our goal is to help as many people as possible!

Describe your path to your current position. What have you learned along the way?
During college when I was working at my dad and uncle's car dealership, I was also working at Vandergriff Honda just trying to learn as much as I could about business. I was trying to decide if I wanted to go to grad school or just go into the business world. Working at a corporate dealership, I quickly learned I could be successful, but I would have to sacrifice my time and weekends. My family was also actively investing in real estate, so I decided to start my own path in that direction. I started as a real estate agent on a very successful team in Arlington. After a year and a half, I decided to venture out as an individual agent. In 2019 I was the top agent in transactions and volume for the year in the local Arlington office that had 200 agents at the time. I ask myself every day how I can change the industry and lead my agents best. In 2021, I received the honor of 30 under 30 from National Association of Realtors' REALTOR® Magazine. 30 agents under the age of 30 who are leading the industry across the nation and making a difference. This was a critical moment in my career where I realized I've accomplished a lot, but this is only the beginning for me! I look back at what I have accomplished and see all the things I learned at UTA still helping me along the way years later!

What's one lesson you learned at UTA that has stayed with you still today?
My biggest takeaway from UTA, both personally and professionally, is that everyone has a story to share and to learn as much as you can while you can. There are moments that lead us and connect us with people; it is our job to listen and learn as much as we can while you have that person here. There are so many amazing people I crossed paths with at UTA that have impacted me and helped me become a better person. I truly do wish I could go back and just be on campus with all these people again. I am still very connected to many friends from UTA, but it isn't the same. We all have so many more responsibilities now. During my time in college, I learned how to just be present and enjoy the moment!

What message do you have for the next generation of UTA graduates?
Do not be in a rush to graduate. Enjoy your time at UTA. GET INVOLVED! Find what interests you. If the organization does not exist, create it! You have your whole entire life after college to work. Work is not going anywhere, but your time on campus and memories you can create are limited, so make the most of it! Find your people - the ones that are there for you and will be there for you. 

Anything else you would like to share?
Life is hard but be there for others and let others be there for you! Do not take yourself too seriously. It will be ok! You will get the job, you will start the business, you will find "the one." Whatever you focus on and choose to accomplish will happen! Good luck and Mav UP!