Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ivonne Martinez. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Ivonne thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about growing your team – how did you recruit the first few people, what was the process like, how’d you go about training and if you were to start over today would you have done anything differently?
At first it was only me. To be quite honest, I was doing well just like that, but then the business started to grow and the administrative tasks started to consume most of my time. It was at that moment that I decided to hire the first employee. In the past, I have had interns, but this was the first time I was actually hiring someone. I am always willing to train someone as long as I see a good attitude and willingness to learn. I wanted someone that had an idea about real estate but mostly someone who had good management skills since there will always be several things to manage at once. I found my first employee while showing a property, she was already in the field, looking for a job. I guess it was perfect timing. From there, I have grown my team organically, through friends and family recommendations.
Ivonne, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I started in the Real Estate arena many years ago, not as a Salesperson but in the legal aspect of real estate. As a paralegal first, I worked for several law firms doing title and closings for residential and commercial properties. From there, I went to work for Real Estate Developers, managing their Title companies and then I got into pre-construction and eventually moved to upper management where I put together commission packages for our In-House sales force and worked with stakeholders to meet financial projections. I was also responsible for coordinating marketing efforts to promote our different projects, dealing with legal aspects such as Condominium documents and so on. I was also involved in putting together an In-House financial program and servicing to finalize the sales of a particular project that was in a critical situation due to the famous Chinese drywall.
Upon earning a Master’s in Business and Urban Land Design, I decided to become an independent real estate professional in 2012 and I have not looked back. I help customers find their investment property whether a single property or a multifamily.
I truly enjoy the commercial aspect of real estate. I am fascinated by seeing a business thrive and grow to need large office spaces, warehouse and retail space. In addition to providing services as a Real Estate Broker, I provide consulting services mainly for large real estate developers and investors which includes due diligence, land acquisition and urban design mostly in Florida. I think what I am most proud of in my career is the trust I have built with people around the world, it means a lot to me. I have investors that I have worked with for years who trust me blindly with their investments. I am building a team and I am hoping they understand it is possible to be successful without compromising your work ethics.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
At the beginning, I used social platforms and it worked for me but, after a while, it became just word of mouth and it has been, without a doubt, the most effective strategy. Repeat customers, who buy, hold and re-sale (or is it re-sell). I also provide property management services which has been incredibly helpful in maintaining open communication with my clients all year long.
Conversations about M&A are often focused on multibillion dollar transactions – but M&A can be an important part of a small or medium business owner’s journey. We’d love to hear about your experience with selling businesses.
I have sold many, especially in the beauty industry. There is one in particular, a hair salon. The business was owned by a couple, one worked in this industry, the other one had a full-time job, but he was in charge of inventory and payroll. Many beauty businesses in Florida fail to keep their bookkeeping in order and I have seen that as a downfall when trying to sell because they cannot prove how profitable their business really is. This hair salon was very well organized with its inventory and payroll. They took advantage of a business platform to track income and expenses. They developed an environment where there was high morale amongst their workforce, they had a set schedule and there was accountability. It did not take long to sell. It was very clear that this was a well-established business. If an entrepreneur is planning to sell, it is imperative the financials be in order, otherwise, no matter how confident they are in the value of their business, without the numbers to prove it, then it might not be an attractive asset to purchase. One way of growing is acquiring a well established business and I have seen this happen time after time.
Contact Info:
- Website: www,propertydeco.com or www.extravanthomesflorida.com
- Instagram: propertydeco
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinezivonne