For the coming years, Mr Home plans to continue moving forward steadily, without stopping, as has been its trajectory, contributing to the Dominican labor market, opening up space and opportunities for new members
SANTO DOMINGO.- Doing things differently and daring to see the market from a more inclusive perspective was the inspiration that motivated eight young people to break away and venture into building their own real estate company, even though their experience was not enough to reach professional maturity.
May 19, 2011, is still fresh in Juan Isidro Estévez Lavandier's memory, and will remain so until the end of his days, a historic date. Along with seven colleagues, he arrived at Mr. Home in a modest 29-square-meter office in Plaza Fernández on Winston Churchill Avenue, with a suitcase full of innovative ideas to put into action, and ready to do his part in the real estate industry.
There was no room for doubt about the process. He embraced determination as his driving force, and 10 years later he's certain it was his wisest decision, not only because of the fruits it has yielded. He loves his work, his work environment, his colleagues, the industry, and everything associated with it.
The Mr Home brand exudes empathy, warmth, and well-being. From the exclusive fragrance that envelops its surroundings upon entering its offices, to the breathtaking city views from the corporate lounge, there is no doubt about the success of its crops. However, its leader maintains that he is not intoxicated by it, and throughout the interview with El Inmobiliario, he made it clear that his value in life boils down to "human beings," and everything else is secondary.
A stroll through its facilities connects us with good taste, a group of attentive young people willing to lend a hand and serve with care, there where Christmas is already back with its characteristic symbols, in tune with the corporate identity of a staff that takes care of every detail of the company.
“We have a very low turnover of people leaving, well below the market average. Once a salesperson joins, they rarely leave, because here we're like family. There are no bosses; we're a team that's constantly growing. We embrace camaraderie without internal competition. Our goal is to grow as a family, to collaborate with the market, with buyers, and with the industry in general.”.
Of the eight original partners, two flew to other latitudes, the rest at Mr Home has been an unstoppable rise and Juan Estévez Lavandier proudly displays the figures: from ten employees today there are 101; from 29 mts2, they currently have a premises of almost 800 square meters, an inventory of around 4 thousand properties, projects of almost 400 developers and six offices.
The specialized service model is gaining momentum in the real estate sector, and this company, led by a predominantly young team, is no exception, although its perspective differs. “Our view is that limiting salespeople reduces the level of guidance because a client who comes in looking to resell might be more interested in construction, and vice versa. We specialize in the area and the intended use of the property, whether it's for housing or investment.”.
“We work by zone,” he adds, “and we’re divided into the National District, Santo Domingo West, East, North, Punta Cana, and Las Terrenas. Our policy states that no salesperson from one zone can sell in another. We understand that the only way to guarantee a good service is by providing timely advice, and for that, we must be trained in what we offer. We have a dedicated team for rentals.”.
The sales area is divided into four roles: the associate, the associate executive, the sales executive, and the agent. The latter, says the Mr Home representative, goes through a process of market development, learning and developing their knowledge and service capabilities, and of course, growing within the company.
The company manages these highly desirable exclusive listings through its Master Broker model, recognizing the advantage this provides to both the buyer and the real estate market, which currently demands it. Fifty-eight projects are managed under this model, encompassing project conceptualization, sales strategy, pricing, product appreciation, project profitability for both buyer and developer, and the after-sales process.
Mr Home Academy is the channel the entity uses to run its training program for its sales teams, where they are taught tactics and updates to improve their performance in front of customers every day.
If you wish to join Mr Home as a real estate agent, the only requirement is to send your biographical profile to the human resources department. If you have a good attitude, your chances are high because this aspect is highly valued in this workplace, as it contributes to a positive attitude towards learning and, consequently, to your growth and development.
Estévez Lavandier values the current boom in the Dominican Republic's real estate industry, which he believes stems from the needs of the buyer and investor market, from families who understand the need to structure and make their family and financial assets profitable and have found refuge in real estate, in addition to the facilities offered by banks that have managed to inject a large amount of capital with mortgage rates.
“We also have large amounts of foreign capital from Haitians, Venezuelans, and other countries. The market is currently in a growth position because they are managing to make their investments profitable, and in a secure way because our market guarantees what is being invested.”.
For the coming years, Mr Home plans to continue moving forward with firm steps, without stopping as has been its trajectory because "every day we grow not only as a company, but we also give life to the Dominican labor market, opening space and opportunities to new members.
The company is currently in the process of opening an office in Santo Domingo Oeste where they will place thirty new salespeople; in the Punta Cana tourist area they are moving from 78 to 172 square meters to also have thirty new agents, demonstrating that Mr Home is here to stay.
Looking back on his ten-year journey as a company, Estévez Lavandier asserts that his greatest contribution to the Dominican market has been to not give in and to value the profession and dignity of the real estate agent, understanding that it is a career, a profession that must be valued both by the client who buys and by the one who sells.
To always uphold the banner of knowledge by expanding its physical and personnel structure, providing a more personalized, faster, more efficient, and guaranteed service every day, because this ultimately benefits the market in general.
Their complete satisfaction comes when a client, through their company, feels confident in having found the property they were looking for, having received the right advice, the ideal recommendation, a safe investment; responsible and committed work, only then do they feel the excitement and savor, together with their team, the nectar of a job well done.
