BROKER-OWNER, RE/MAX ADVANCE REALTY

Miami

What was your first job in the realty industry?
My first job in the industry was right out of college as a sales associate for a large real estate company.

Who inspires you?
My parents, they were and continue to be entrepreneurs and included me in their businesses from an early age. This gave me the ambition I still have today.

What is your favorite free-time activity?
I enjoy playing tennis, volleyball and snorkeling – basically anything outdoors.

How did you learn the business?
I watched the top producers in the office and learned from them.

What was your most difficult sale, and how did you succeed?
My toughest sale was selling myself when I was 22 years old and still looked 16. I wore glasses with clear lenses to make myself look older; it is all about perception.

What is the most difficult aspect of your job?
Continuing to gather listings. It never stops, nor will I let it.

What was your worst job, and what did you learn from it?
I have been a real estate agent for the last 20 years, which is all of my adult life. In high school, I worked in a yogurt store for minimum wage, which was $3.35 an hour. I learned that the food industry would never be for me. There was a lot of standing all day, but I did like the interaction with customers.

Where do you go to network and meet new clients?
I am somewhat shy. Most people cannot believe that, but it is true. I meet people through involvement in community and civic activities. I have done well gaining visibility with mass mailings, TV, radio, billboards and using my current for sale signs. Then I wait for people to call me. It is a “passive” business model that has worked very well for me.

What has been your greatest accomplishment?
My greatest personal accomplishment is fathering three daughters. Aside from that, every year I set a sales goal and for the most part I achieve it. I was a top-10 agent in the state of Florida in 2001, which was the first time I really stepped up. I have eclipsed this honor multiple times since then, most recently in 2008 when I was named a top 10 agent in the state in both unit sales, with 210, and total volume. I was also awarded Broker-Owner of the Year for RE/MAX in the state of Florida in 2008. It was a good year.

What was the last good movie you saw or book you read?
I loved Slumdog Millionaire. Also, the book My Miserable, Lonely, Lesbian Pregnancy was written by my sister, a published author.

What is your favorite restaurant?
Joe Allen on Miami Beach.

Architecturally speaking, what is your favorite building in Miami?
The Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables.

What kind of car do you drive?
I drive an Infiniti X35. It looks good – not too expensive for listing a $100,000 house, and not too inexpensive for listing a million dollar home.

BlackBerry, Palm or paper?
This year I switched to my BlackBerry for my calendar and e-mail.

What is your favorite city after Miami?
New York City.

What is your personal motto?
It is a poem by Edward Guest entitled, It Couldn’t Be Done. In a nutshell, it says you can do anything!

In 10 words or less, what is your advice for someone new to the industry?
Get good training. Invest in your business. Have fun.