Julisa Pineda, bilingual real estate professional in Muscatine, Iowa. Photo by Wezz De La Rosa.
Julisa Pineda’s experience translating for her family shaped her bilingual real estate work with The Thompson Group in Muscatine, Iowa.
By Jackie Cruz
Julisa Teresa Pineda grew up in Muscatine, Iowa, speaking Spanish at home.
Her mother immigrated from Mexico and her father from El Salvador. As Pineda learned English, she also began helping her family, especially her mother, when language became a barrier.
“I always had to translate for my mom and family wherever we went,” she says. “Whether that was doctor visits, going to the bank, or reading legal documents.”
Some of those situations required vocabulary she was still learning herself.
“I felt guilty because my mother needed me, but my level of translation was not high,” Pineda says.
Her mother taught her to put one foot in front of the other, no matter what happened.
Learning to Ask
Pineda became the first in her family to attend college.
She drove her 2008 Honda Civic to the University of Northern Iowa and sat down with the financial aid office to learn how the FAFSA process worked.
“I grew a natural instinct to initiate and step forward when needed,” she says.
Pineda went on to earn a bachelor’s degree from UNI and receive dean’s list recognition.
While she was away at school, her mother began the process of putting the family mortgage in her own name. Pineda returned from Cedar Falls to help her work through the paperwork.
She later worked in sales, technology and the legal field before entering real estate.
Pineda says the need for bilingual professionals in Muscatine was something she had noticed much earlier.
“As I was growing up, I noticed a need for bilingual professionals in this area,” she says.
She had seen language barriers at the bank and in legal documents with her own family. In real estate, she says some families face similar barriers when trying to access reliable information about buying a home.
Building a Name Before the Business Paid
When Pineda entered real estate, building credibility became one of her first challenges.
“One of the biggest challenges I faced in the beginning was building credibility as a young, first-generation Latina entrepreneur in a highly competitive industry,” she says. “Starting from scratch meant I had to earn the trust of clients while also growing my network and establishing my brand.”
The Thompson Group at Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors was founded in Muscatine in June 2025. As Pineda established herself in real estate, she also worked as a waitress on weekends.
“I waitressed on the weekends and would tell customers I was a realtor, handing them my business cards,” she says.
The restaurant work helped her make ends meet while she built the business. It also gave her another place to talk about her real estate work.
Her mother worried about the financial uncertainty of real estate.
“She feared the realtor industry could not offer stability, because you do not receive payment until the final sale,” Pineda says.
Then came her first sale.
“After that first sale, I knew I had to keep going and my mother heard me,” she says.
Julisa Pineda, bilingual real estate professional in Muscatine, Iowa. Photo by Wezz De La Rosa.
A Need She Already Knew
Pineda says part of her motivation for entering the business came from seeing families encounter unnecessary barriers to homeownership because of language and limited access to reliable information.
“I wanted to create a business centered on education, trust, and advocacy, where clients feel informed, supported, and empowered throughout the process,” she says.
Working in both English and Spanish became part of that approach.
Pineda says Spanish-speaking clients have appreciated being able to navigate the homebuying process in Spanish. She says some later asked her to be their realtor again.
“Those clients appreciated my work and so they asked me to be their realtor again!” she says.
“If I can help a family create generational wealth then I want them to feel heard,” Pineda says.
She also describes her Latina culture as an asset in the way she approaches her work and relationships with clients.
“My Latina culture has been my greatest asset as a business owner because it has shaped the values I bring into my work every day,” she says. “Growing up, I was taught the importance of resilience, a strong work ethic, family, and community.”
Building Before Everything Feels Ready
When asked what she would tell another Latina who wants to start a business, Pineda points first to timing.
“There will never be ‘a right time,’” she says. “‘The right time’ is a decision you make, and then you make it work.”
Her own start included weekend restaurant shifts, commission-based work and the challenge of establishing credibility in a competitive industry.
“I would remind her that her background, culture, and experiences are not obstacles; they are strengths that can help her build the art that she is bringing to the world.”
Pineda works with The Thompson Group at Ruhl&Ruhl Realtors in Muscatine and serves as an ambassador for the Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
She also encourages other Latinas to stay consistent, surround themselves with people who support their vision and continue investing in their growth.
And, in Pineda’s words, “never be afraid to take up space.”
More stories: Explore more JEFAS Magazine stories.
