![Dhaval Patel](https://cdn.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/styles/bio_thumbnail_image/public/2023-30u30-dhaval-patel.jpg?itok=4E5FAf6I)
2022 Individual Sales Volume: $7.9 million
2022 Individual Transaction Sides: 21
Finding Purpose and Peace
Dhaval Patel was at a crossroads at age 21. He owned four businesses. But in his head, he kept thinking, “Is this it?” The money he was making didn’t bring him happiness. So, he decided to live like a monk for 10 days during a Vipassana meditation course. “We lived onsite, rising at 4:30 a.m., eating only two meals a day and meditating 7 to 10 hours a day—completely disconnected from society,” says Patel, now 27. There was no phone, no internet and no talking.
His stay at the meditation camp—which he says was one of the most difficult things he’s ever done—helped him develop mental fortitude and grit. He believes his ability to endure physical pressure by sitting in the same posture for an hour is a real testament to what he can achieve. “The end result: I am less reactive,” he says. He says the experience has helped him become less upset when transactions fall apart. He thinks to himself, “OK, I did my job. I represented my clients the best I can. I pride myself in conducting business in a manner that 95-year-old me will be proud of.”
He strives to make the biggest and best impact he can in his real estate career. For instance, one of his clients was the first person in their entire family to ever purchase a property. “The house was in tough condition, and I had to negotiate because it was an FHA loan. But I made it work, and that’s what fuels me to level up in my training and negotiation skills,” Patel says.