By Irene Chavez | San Antonio Latina Legacy
Some people leave the neighborhood they grew up in to build a career. Others build the career right where they started. For San Antonio real estate broker and owner Beatrice Briseño, the choice was clear: the Southside raised her, and the Southside is where she stayed.
Her path to ownership began in 1995, when she started working for a broker. Only a few months later, he made an extraordinary offer: he would hand his business over to her, but on one condition. He would decide when she was ready and tell her when the time came.
In 1997, he called her into his office and told her the time had come. In 1999, she opened her Southside office. It was a significant moment for the neighborhood, as hers was the only office and franchise in that part of town in nearly thirty years.
Success didn’t come without obstacles. “Back then, many clients only wanted to deal with men,” Briseño recalls.
In one moment from 1995, while she was remodeling her first office, she stepped outside to speak with one of the contractors. He flipped open his phone and called the general contractor to complain that “the secretary” was trying to change things.
She could hear the general contractor’s response through the phone. He yelled at the man: “Fool, that is the owner!”
That experience captures what many women in business have faced: being underestimated at first glance. Asked what distinguishes her business, her answer is simple: location and the strength of a major franchise behind her name. For more than 25 years, her office has given Southside residents a trusted, nationally recognized brand right in their own neighborhood.
Among the milestones of her career, what she treasures most is representing her part of town. Her office is more than a place of business. It symbolizes what the Southside deserves: access, visibility, and a seat at the table.
“One of my greatest accomplishments was building a brand-new office,” said Beatrice Briseño. “My husband oversaw the construction, and with the help of my two daughters, we moved in 2021.”
Beatrice with her daughters Sara Briseño Gerrish & Rachel Briseño Bruno
When thinking about legacy, Briseño reflects on the impactful leaders her daughters, Sara Briseño Gerrish and Rachel Briseño Bruno, have become.
Sara actively leads the San Antonio Board of REALTORS® and the Junior League of San Antonio. She formerly served on the Mayor’s Commission on the Status of Women and Southside First’s Board of Directors. The Texas and San Antonio Business Journals have recognized her work, including honors such as 40 Under 40 and 100 Professionals to Watch.
Rachel Briseño Bruno has held leadership roles with the San Antonio Board of REALTORS®, Texas REALTORS®, and NAHREP and served as the 100th President of the Junior League of San Antonio. She was also honored as a San Antonio Business Journal 40 Under 40 award recipient.
“My mother taught us that leadership is about showing up, doing the work, and creating opportunities for others,” said Sara Briseño Gerrish. “We watched her build a business in the community that raised her, at a time when women, especially Latinas, were often underestimated. She never waited for someone to give her a seat at the table. She built her own.”
Photos courtesy of Beatrice Briseño.
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