We recently connected with Ali Berry and have shared our conversation below.

Ali, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. The first dollar your firm earns is always special. We’d love to hear about how you got your first client that wasn’t a friend or family.

This was not necessarily my first Real Estate Client but this was my first Commercial Real Estate Deal that launched my career in the commercial space. I was on vacation with my family in L.A. when my wife insisted on trying this specific restaurant famously known for their Birria Tacos. Even though we were invited for dinner, we decided to take 15 mins of our time to stop by and try a taco each before dinner.
We were greeted at the door by the owner and the overall customer service was great! After some small talk, we realized he was originally from Michigan and instantly connected.
After trying the food and realizing how great it was, my wife and I jokingly suggested that he should franchise in Michigan. He responded that he was actually thinking about it. We walked out but I knew I had to walk back and leave my card in hopes that I could get his business. I had never done a commercial deal before but believed that I could figure it out. I parked the car in front of the door, walked in, placed my card on the counter and told him, “I am an experienced agent, give me a call if you need help!”
To my surprised, a few days after getting back to Michigan, I get a call from an Atlanta number. Thinking it was a spam call, since I was on another line, I decided to let it go to voicemail. To my surprise, it was the Fatima’s Grill Account/Ops Manager requesting real estate services via referral from the owner.
From there, I ended up successfully negotiating my first Commercial deal with not 1 but 2 businesses (Restaurant / Lounge) and gained loyal clients and great recommendations/referrals.
If it wasn’t for believing in my abilities to get this done, and in the owner for trusting me based on a brief small talk, I would have never launched the commercial side of my real estate business. Take a chance on yourself because no one else will!

Ali, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am Ali Berry, a Michigan licensed real estate agent. After buying my first home, I realized as a clueless buyer, learning so much about the home buying process, my passion for real estate. “It’s More Than Real Estate” is not just my slogan but the foundation of my real estate business. When I sign on a client, below are the pillars that I stand by and believe make me stand out.
•Commitment and loyalty to my client – I want my client to win and get the best deal! I will always do right by my clients and my clients only. I’m here to make your life easier and be on your side.
•Integrity in my work – like everything else in my life, I do everything with integrity. I will always be open and honest with my clients.
•Motivated – I am motivated to do better for my family. As my client, you ARE family.
•Problem solver – working in logistics for the past 10 years has given me the experience to always come up with a solution for the hardest of problems.
•Attentive to the smallest detail – in my 10 year career working in logistics and plant management, I learned to pay attention to the smallest detail. In Real Estate, I use this to make sure my client is always covered and satisfied with the deal being made.
•Skilled negotiater – in my experience in working with suppliers all over the world in Africa, Asia, North and South America, I have developed my negotiating skills to always ensure my clients get the best deal.

At the end of the day, once you work with me, know that I am on your side. I will work with you both on a professional and personal level to make sure that you get what you want. Buying/renting and/or selling a home is a very personal transaction, and I will be there to guide you and be your hype man every step of the way.

With Ali Berry, it’s more than Real Estate!

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

As stated before, I try to work with my clients on a deeper level than just real estate. Connecting with them personally and getting to know them ultimately leads to friendship. After the deal is done, we usually keep in touch on special occasions and through social media. I believe that adding a personal touch to your real estate business is key in creating loyal, repeat clients and referrals to friends and family.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The main thing I had to unlearn when dealing with different clients that come from different backgrounds and have different goals, is NOT to generalized the meaning of SUCCESS. Success is not a one size fits all!
As a real estate agent, I realized that the key to success is getting to know your client and understanding their personal goals. ultimately, working based on that, not based on what you perceive fits best.
As a very passionate person in my personal life, in real estate, I had to learn how to remove my personal preferences in situations and work based on my clients personal objective.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliberryrealtor/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AliBerryRealtor/

Image Credits
https://instagram.com/_lunasalman_?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=