Maria Elena Arias

Chief Growth Officer/Team Leader/Business Consultant
Keller Williams Coral Gables – Coconut Grove

Maria Elena Arias holds the official title of Chief Growth Officer at Keller Williams Coral Gables – Coconut Grove, and she considers her true role as that of motivator, business consultant and life changer. “My expertise is ensuring the growth of our associates’ business,” she explains, noting that this requires helping them turn opportunities into successful real estate businesses and maintaining a satisfying work-life balance. As Arias puts it, “I know that I’m a life-changer whose purpose is to help people achieve the greatness that’s inside each of us.” This is evident in her ability to not only attract talent to her office, but also retain it. Her distinction as a Keller Williams Black Belt Team Leader recognizes that she has recruited a net of more than 60 Realtors in one year. In fact, Arias helped net recruit 102 professional real estate associates by the end of 2015 to her Market Center. “It’s wonderful to know that our associates believe in and love our firm’s value proposition.” This is why Keller Williams Coral Gables – Coconut Grove has ranked amongst the top three Keller Williams agencies nationwide for net recruiting as of this writing. Arias’ passion for fostering careers worth having, businesses worth owning and lives worth living is evident in the positive energy visitors notice upon entering her Market Center located in their Penthouse Suite in Coral Gables.

An industry veteran with more than three decades of experience, Arias first entered real estate as a legal secretary and paralegal before becoming a broker and then title company owner. Career-long learning has remained central to her professional and personal development, and the past three years have allowed her to effectively hone her leadership skills. “I recognize that what associates need often reflects their years of experience,” Arias says. For example, she finds that new associates require world-class training and coaching to help launch their business, while seasoned agents may benefit more from counseling to help take theirs to a higher level. In contrast, those who close more than 25 transactions annually might require guidance more focused on how best to build a stellar team of agents who will propel them to achieve Keller Williams Mega Agent status, and further catapult their business to Expansion team opportunities nationwide.  “I help create and drive business solutions for our people at every level of their career by devising a customized rather than one-size-fits-all strategy to meet their needs.”

And that is no small feat. Arias’ current role with the largest Keller Williams offices in Miami and the South Florida region partners her with more than 360 associates who possess expertise in residential and commercial properties as well as in business brokerage. “I excel in connecting with my associates at a very personal level so that they can overcome whatever hurdles might be blocking their success,” she says. She finds this level of connection the most rewarding aspect of her career, though the Executive Team she describes as “amazing” is a close second.

Inspired by her parents, who immigrated to the U.S. from Cuba when she was just 5 years old, Arias credits her accomplishments to the influence of their strong work ethic and integrity. Like them, she has worked to instill these characteristics in her two children and grandson. An active volunteer through Keller Williams’ RED Day and the past president of the Women’s Council of Realtors Miami-Dade Chapter, she now holds membership in the Miami and National Associations of Realtors and devotes most of her energy to her agency’s talent. “I wake up with a smile each day and a never-ending passion to help change people’s lives,” Arias says. “It’s like Rumi said: ‘Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.’ ”