By Gissel Taveras
El Inmobiliario
SANTO DOMINGO – In 2018, a friend approached Massiel Martínez with the idea of buying a property. At the time, she was working at a law firm, but she began taking steps to help him acquire the property he desired.
This is how DomusRD was born, a real estate company that is celebrating its 6th anniversary in the Dominican market this June 28th.
“The truth is that, without any experience, we made our first sale, then there was a pause, because I was very focused on the legal side, but during the pandemic we resumed in a more active way, because it's not that we weren't doing sales or rentals, but it wasn't as active as we are now,” explains the CEO of the firm.
DomusRD has two offices in Santiago and Santo Domingo, with six agents covering those areas and Punta Cana, where they have many international clients. They offer residential and tourist projects.
The lawyer explains, in conversation with El Inmobiliario, that she has not given up her profession, but on the contrary has combined her legal experience to provide a better service to her clients.
He reveals that at first DomusRD was a very challenging project, but then little by little it took shape, "I discovered passions I had that I didn't know I had.".
Massiel Martínez, along with her team at DomusRD. (External source).
Honesty as our guiding principle
Honesty and loyalty are the foundation for success in any career, Martínez emphasizes, adding that without these values, one cannot transcend or climb the ladder.
But what does Massiel mean when she talks about transparency and honesty, especially in the real estate sector?
Many real estate agents use tools to close a sale, but often they aren't the right ones. Therefore, the expert states that honesty with clients is essential, even when a property isn't right for them.
“Our job is to learn about the areas these people want and not just offer them things for the sake of offering them things, because in the end, this isn't about selling for the sake of selling. This is about doing real work that benefits the person who wants to acquire their property, whether bought or rented,” Martínez explains.
“And there are many media outlets, both paid and unpaid. The important thing is to always keep up with trends and be honest not only with your client, but also with your other real estate advisors,” the executive adds.
He says that in the end this is a team effort and if you are not loyal to yourself and others it is very difficult to climb the ladder in the future, "you have to prepare yourself and be loyal.".
What are the customers like?
“A real estate agent gets all kinds of clients, from those who want small things to those who really don't want anything. As a good advisor, you must guide each person depending on what they are looking for and ground their searches, because many times people want something, but it is not based on reality.”.
Regarding the working hours that an agent, lawyer, and real estate advisor should employ, she believes that they are working all the time, although it is not ideal, "but in the end we owe a lot to the client and many are international, and we have the obligation to meet the needs of that person and adjust a little to their schedule.".
The life of a real estate agent
Massiel always enjoys what she does and believes that the life of a real estate agent, like any business, is a life of great projection and planning.
“A true real estate agent must plan everything they are going to do in a month, including all the publications, for example, that are made on social media; they must be organized and know how to prospect and follow up with clients if they have to show a property, and make presentations when they are future projects.”.
Furthermore, education is part of being a good agent; in that respect, they report that they offer monthly training to their agents, providing them with legal and sales training, and everything else they consider relevant to ensure they are sufficiently prepared.
“In addition, we rely on the workshops of the Association of Real Estate Agents and Companies (AEI), to which we belong, as well as the presentations they make to take advantage of everything this institution offers us to be able to serve better and be more prepared for clients.”.
He points out that, therefore, a real estate advisor has or manages, in quotes, their schedule, but at the end of the day they always have to adapt a little to what the client wants, and the advantage is that we can work from anywhere.
"One message I could leave for new advisors, or even those who are already in the business, is to prepare themselves, since knowledge is the foundation of everything, and there are many salespeople out there. A true real estate advisor is always constantly growing and learning.".
Plans
For the remainder of the year, they plan to formally open an office in Santiago, as they are currently developing the project. They also intend to further solidify their position in the real estate market to continue growing as a real estate company. Additionally, they will continue educating their clients on how to make smart investments.
