SANTO DOMINGO.- Between the concept of entrepreneur and businessman emerges the figure of the "secret agent", one who does not take the step to spread his wings and whose business model is limited.
In presenting the paper “From entrepreneur to businessman”, during the opening of the “Innovate 2024” congress, Elizabeth Martínez, real estate advisor of RE/MAX Dominican Republic, highlighted that the figure of the secret agent is one who supports his actions in inappropriate practices.
“Between the figures of entrepreneur and businessman is the secret agent, the one who is looking for ways to advance the business without paying taxes. This is the one who doesn't allow us to move forward, the one who never says no to the owner. This is the agent who knows that the documents are not in order, but starts selling the project and disappears. It's just about selling for the money,” the coach explained.
Martínez based his presentation on the results of a study conducted in 2019 on 500 Colombian real estate agents, focusing on those who considered themselves entrepreneurs and those who considered themselves businessmen.
Elizabeth Martínez. Fidel Pérez/El Inmobiliario.
“What comes from the soul has tremendous meaning for us. Many were working with their backs to the business, with arguments like they were going slowly, doing the traditional way. Many have their mentors, but they almost always remain static,” he pointed out.
He shared with the attendees of the meeting, held at the Catalonia hotel, the 8 words used by the entrepreneurs who participated in the research.
For those consulted, Martínez explained, entrepreneurship has the exclusive meaning of emergence. “The second opportunity, but it wasn't a priority for them; many didn't have the profession in their basic plans. The third is investment because they wouldn't have to allocate many resources to start the business. The fourth is the schedule, the freedom that the business offers. The fifth is productivity; it's a profession where egos are boosted, but productivity is an internal struggle because in real estate careers they haven't been taught how to sell, so they work with a limited perspective, a struggle to unlearn what they've learned and get on the real estate track,” Martínez explained.
He said that those with a different mindset argued that once a professional pays taxes and reports to the tax authorities, they become an entrepreneur. "Being an entrepreneur isn't about putting on a jacket, but about understanding that you came from a certain place and evolved," he added.
The expert explained that when a real estate agent changes, new opportunities begin to arrive, but you have to get out of your comfort zone.
“When they start working, many entrepreneurs are disorganized,” he commented, after stressing that many agents dare to advise on the purchase of a house and do not own a home themselves.
He opined that many of those who engage in the practice of buying and selling real estate do not like the structures and processes.
The businessman
Elizabeth Martínez believes that those who adopt an entrepreneurial attitude cultivate leadership, do not hire employees they cannot dismiss if they fail to deliver the expected results, keep innovating, stay in constant education, and pay advances and taxes because they are aware that a higher tax declaration means a higher income.
“There is no scalability without sound finances,” the speaker emphasized.
He spoke about the habits involved in doing what we have to do to make it work. “When you approach it with discipline, that is, every day… many get burned out on the theory; the struggle is between the habits and the processes for carrying it out.”.
He urged real estate agents to visualize their current position and begin taking steps to grow their businesses significantly. “Don’t limit yourself,” he concluded.
He concluded by saying, "Every morning in the Dominican Republic, an entrepreneur and a businessman goes out for a run faster than everyone else to get clients.".
