SANTO DOMINGO – “Real estate sales are not a mechanical act, they are a strategic responsibility.” In the first volume of his story “The Supermarket That Sold Nothing,” prominent real estate entrepreneur Mélido Marte, regional director of RE/MAX Dominican Republic, reflects on the relevance of real estate agents in the dynamics of the Dominican market.
On page 8, the pioneer of the real estate sector in the country quotes the American businessman Andrew Carnegie, who said that the key to business success is not doing the work yourself, but finding the right person to do it.
The 20-page story, easy to understand and read, tells the tale of a supermarket that didn't sell conventional products, but rather "concrete dreams": apartments, ready-to-move-in towers, and building lots. Despite the projects' attractive presentation, sales remained stagnant. Amidst the confusion, led by the general manager, "Don Estructuro," emerges "Don Agente," a character who manages to spark customer interest by focusing on what matters most: listening to and connecting with their real needs.
The book also raises key questions about how trust is built in the buying and selling process and what the difference is between a sales professional and a mere "showman." The answer, according to the story, lies in specialization, commitment, and the agent's ability to represent their client with loyalty, organization, and follow-up.
Through an illustrative and didactic style, Marte uses this story to highlight that success in the sector depends not only on the quality of the projects, but also on the relationship of trust between developers, agents, and clients. "When a developer hands over a project, they're not looking for an inexperienced salesperson, but a partner who will ask the right questions from the start," the text points out.
He adds that the role of a real estate advisor is “to represent, interpret, communicate, and close. With organization, loyalty, daily follow-up, constant promotion , and above all, with the ability to defend their project as if it were my own. Because selling is an act of representation. It's about putting your face and your heart on the line.”
With illustrations generated by artificial intelligence under Marte's own creative direction, the text combines teaching, metaphor and reflection, becoming a reference and reflection tool for real estate agents, developers and actors linked to the sector.
