Dominique Duque is a luxury real estate and marketing specialist with The Riley Smith Group in Key Biscayne.
What was your first job in the realty industry? I started doing rentals with South Florida Brokers and Associates for six months prior to starting with EWM Realty.
Where did you grow up? Bay Harbor/Miami Beach. My parents divorced before I turned two, so I lived in Bay Harbor Island with my mom and visited my dad on the weekends and some week nights; he lived on Miami Beach. I later moved to Bal Harbor, and two years later to Aventura, when the only thing there was Turnberry, Williams Island and the mall. I’ve also lived in Colombia (for four years) and Spain (for one) during milddle and high school.
What is your favorite free-time activity? Hanging out with my two boys, Pilates, eating out, relaxing at the club at Grove Isle and cooking at home with my husband, who is an amazing chef. He owns a restaurant on Key Biscayne called Archie’s.
What do you do to relax when you’re stressed? Meditate. Pilates. Go out dancing with my husband a couple of times a year. Yes, we are parents, but going out and dancing takes us back to the carefree days of less responsibility for a couple of hours.
Growing up, what did you want to be? A TV host/news broadcaster
If you could have lunch with a well-known figure (living or dead), who would it be and why? Anthony (Tony) Robbins. I am a huge fan and have attended several of his seminars. He has great energy, and I admire how he’s grown his company.
Where is your favorite place to hang out? Mandolin, Michael’s Genuine, Hakkasan, the ocean, the beach, The Club at Grove Isle and my backyard.
What do you love most about the industry? I don’t stop learning, and not one day is similar to the next. Expect the unexpected.
How do you distinguish yourself from the crowd of agents? I am a tech savvy, workaholic, fashion-loving, persistent, driven and closing-the-deal-obsessed mommy.
What is the most difficult aspect of your job? Real estate is an emotional transaction. Especially when you are working with end users as myself vs. investors. Handling people’s emotions when dealing with different personalities everyday, I’d say, can be challenging at times.
Where do you go to network and meet new clients? Friends’ parties, school functions and events I am invited to through old colleagues from other industries I used to work in (TV, media).
What has been your greatest accomplishment? My two boys, and being able to work full-time while raising them and closing over 125 transactions since my five year old was six months old (which is when I started in real estate) and not allowing them for a moment to feel that I left them behind or missed something important in their lives. I believe in quality over quantity, and every second spent with them is of enormous quality.
What was the last good movie you saw or book you read? Every single book written by Brian Tracey is fantastic. I am currently reading “David & Goliath” by Malcom Gladlwell. Highly recommend.
What is your favorite restaurant? Archie’s on Key Biscayne.
Architecturally speaking, what is your favorite building in Miami? The Fountainbleau.
What kind of car do you drive? BMW X3.
Smartphone or Paper? iPhone all the way.
What is your favorite city after Miami? Cartagena, Colombia.
What is your advice for someone new to the industry? PERSISTENCE. It gets REALLY hard right, before suddenly, it gets easy.
What’s your favorite real estate iPhone/Android app? Pulse. Where I organize all of the news sources and blogs on the industry I read and follow. Knowledge on the market = power.
Who are your favorite people to follow on Twitter? @curbedMiami @barbaracorcoran @vogueandcoffee @madisonmalibu @corcoran_group @refinery29 @dkny @zenmoments @tonyrobbins @mashable @fastcompany
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