From Walmart to Real Estate

Haniel Massoud didn’t enter real estate chasing quick wins or flashy success. His path into the industry unfolded during a period of reflection—after years in corporate leadership, a family health crisis and a realization that there can be different paths to success.

Long before real estate entered the picture, Haniel’s foundation was shaped by family and community. He grew up in Mountlake Terrace surrounded by extended family and a loyal circle of friends. That sense of connection was modeled most clearly by his father, whose own journey and commitment to service left a lasting impression.

“My dad came to the United States on July 7, 1977,” Haniel said. “He’s been an awesome community member here, has his own business and runs Harvey’s Bike Shop here in Lynnwood—been a fixture of the community for over 40 years now.”

When Haniel left home for college, those values followed him to Northwest Nazarene College in Nampa, Idaho. What began as a short-term living arrangement tied to an internship turned into more than a decade in the area, where he met his wife, started a family and launched a career in retail leadership.

“Right out of college, I worked for Walmart stores,” he said. “I went through many stores in that Idaho area, and then I took my first store manager position in Cornelius, Oregon.”

The experience sharpened his leadership and operational skills, but it also came with long hours and personal sacrifices. Haniel prioritized work, leaving little time for him to spend with his family. Eventually, he decided that his family needed to take priority.

“My dad had gotten diagnosed with stage 4 cancer,” Haniel said. “I needed to take some time off, and then right at the same time Walmart was going through a restructure. So they gave me an option—take this new position, or take a severance package, which altogether would have been about a year of my pay.”

Stepping away from work became an unexpected opportunity to reset. For the first time in years, Haniel had space to recover physically and reflect on what he wanted from his career moving forward.

“There’s so many parallels that people don’t realize between retail and real estate,” he said. “What I realized was I craved that interaction with the individual.”

That realization led him to real estate—and eventually to Keller Williams—though the transition came with a steep learning curve. The coursework to obtain his real estate license taught him about the legal processes, but he didn’t understand the ins-and-outs of the business.

“I had no idea,” he said. “I was so ignorant when I came into the field.”

Soon after joining Keller Williams Bothell, Haniel enrolled in Ignite and committed to building new habits alongside a fellow agent. They showed up early, learned systems, and made phone calls together. Over time, he began to use his knowledge to help other agents as the Market Center Tech Trainer.

“One of the things I found in real estate is that I like to educate other real estate agents—that’s my passion is the educational aspect of it,” Haniel said.

As he gained experience, Haniel learned firsthand the importance of urgency, preparation, and staying informed.

“Speed to contact is one of the biggest first lessons I learned,” he said. “There’s a sense of urgency that I think ends up defeating a lot of people, because we think we’re pestering people, but in reality, we’re helping them get to their goals.”

Eventually, Haniel decided to step out the Tech Trainer role to pursue real estate on a larger scale. He felt that in order to transition out of that leadership role, he needed to leave the Bothell office for a while.

After his time at another brokerage, Haniel found himself drawn back to Keller Williams, this time with a clearer understanding of what mattered most—culture.

That conviction was reinforced during the California wildfires, when support from Keller Williams Bothell contrasted sharply with the lack of action he experienced elsewhere.

Today, Haniel serves as Director of Operations for Infinity Ridge Properties, a role he has held for just over a year. The position allows him to balance leadership responsibilities with flexibility, which to Haniel, is one of the greatest benefits of the industry.

“It was an opportunity for me to not only spend time with my dad, but also spend time with my family,” he said.

Haniel’s story reflects the values Keller Williams Bothell strives to cultivate: a commitment to education, a culture of care, and a belief that success is strongest when it supports both professional growth and personal connection.

Listen to the rest of Haniel's story on Real Conversations: Episode 9.