SANTO DOMINGO– Success doesn't fall from the sky, says Marisol Shanlate. She goes on to say that “survival isn't achieved through the desire to survive, nor by staying comfortable in our comfort zone, but through a strong commitment to teamwork.”
She is the leader of Viviendas 1ª, one of the small real estate agencies in the sector that struggles to stay afloat every day amidst the many agencies in the Dominican market, a number that has skyrocketed significantly in recent years.
“The members of a real estate agency must arrive and remain hungry for growth, and with the humility to unlearn in order to learn,” he elaborates when El Inmobiliario asked him about the formula for making his business, dedicated to the sale and rental of properties, a success.
With ample accumulated experience, Shanlate embarked on his own journey two years ago with the opening of his real estate firm, Viviendas 1A, so his lesson in survival is clear: “Anyone who wants to start in this business must have an economic base that allows them to immediately invest in advertising campaigns through digital marketing to see economic results in a short period that allow them to move forward and achieve goals and objectives.”.
Meeting of CEOs Committed to the AEI. (External Source).
He argues that, as in any business, there are cycles, processes, rules, and roles that must be clearly defined and strictly adhered to, never optionally. “Last but not least, a wonderful survival strategy is through strategic alliances between companies, combining their strengths and propelling their teams to higher sales volumes.”.
Shanlate argues that the sales of a small real estate agency depend on factors such as the number of staff it has, its niche, and its target audience.
For example, he explains, if the general focus is on pre-construction projects and the team is trained, educated and oriented to invest in advertising campaigns, the number of transactions is usually very high, especially if they are tourist-related, always linked to the number of members of the real estate agency.
“Others can focus on properties aimed at a more specific, more select audience, and obviously, the number of transactions decreases, but we know that the economic benefits are very rewarding,” he says.
The real estate agent applauds the positive process that small real estate agencies are experiencing, being taken into account by large projects today.
“Those of us who manage small-team real estate agencies have years of experience working with developers and have earned their respect. In our group of Committed CEOs, several real estate agencies manage exclusive listings and master brokerages with great commitment and professionalism, facilitating compliance with processes for developers and, of course, increasing sales volume.”.
When discussing shortcomings, he mentions the following: legal education, ethics, organization, and regulation. “I know that the Association of Real Estate Agents and Companies (AEI) is working on each of these factors, but there is still much to be done.”.
Committed
Shanlate leads the "Committed CEOs" group, an initiative that began last year with three real estate companies: Crisya, Vismal Investment and HouseLink, and which in a short time already totals 15.
They are leaders of small firms who have forged connections to strengthen their expertise. She mentions that their first meeting was with Reyna Echenique, who provided legal training to the teams.
A second activity was carried out with the AEI, an event that exceeded expectations and this year they held a well-attended activity at the Elite House facilities, to receive training on sales techniques.
“The goal of this group is to unite so that we can grow first as individuals, spiritually, emotionally, and professionally, and then, with passion and commitment, transform the mindset of those who have believed in us as leaders, to be a source of inspiration, to add to their knowledge, to complement their real estate education through workshops and meetings, so that they can increase their sales potential,” explains Shanlate.
The group currently consists of Viviendas 1ª, Vismal Investment, HouseLink, Modern Properties, Quality Brokers RD, Crisya, Top One Realty, Hogariumrd, Repimar, Rshomesrd, AC Inmobiliaria, Locata, Onker Home, Remicasa and OpenHome.
