We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Darcy Oppolo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Darcy, appreciate you joining us today. Early in your career, how did you think through the decision of whether to start your own firm or join an established firm?

I’ve been in Real Estate now for 6 years. When I first started I joined a firm that had very little brokerage fees that I had to pay and that was why it was attractive to me. I wasn’t making any money yet so the less I had to pay out the better. What a mistake! Having just started I knew very little about how to run my business and this low-fee brokerage did nothing to help me. Having taken all the courses and passing the class test and state test means nothing when you actually try to make it as a realtor. There is nothing that prepares you for moving forward. After 2 years of no success, I switched firms to Tomlin St Cyr Real Estate services and it was the best move I could have made for my business and my career! They took the time to teach me and to guide me into the Realtor I am today. I’ve been very successful since joining them and have a client base that I worked hard for. But I couldn’t have done it without them.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Before starting in real estate I worked in the financial industry for 30 years. Having been laid off I had to think about what I wanted this next phase of my life to look like. I have always been interested in Real Estate & design so this seemed like a logical next step. I had also already been certified as a Home Stager so this fit in nicely.

I run my business more as a boutique-style real estate service. I do much more than look for and sell houses. I help both buyers and sellers with every aspect of their life during this phase. I help stage a seller’s home prior to professional pictures and listing the home. I dig deep for all of my buyers to get all the needed information before making the decision to purchase a home. I’ve done everything from walk dogs to returning cable equipment for customers. During this stage of their life, it becomes a bonding experience, and more times than not we become lifelong friends.

I chose my brokerage not only because of the education and guidance they gave me but because they run their business as I do. They care… about it all.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think my reputation in the market has grown because I do genuinely care. I care about my customers, I care about each transaction, and I give my all. And with experience that has only grown. I believe people can tell if you are being honest and if you truly care about both them and the outcome of the situation. Because I go that extra mile during every step of the process it has helped get my name out there and build my reputation among both my customers and my peers. Realtors take a lot of classes about ethics and what is right and what is wrong. I take that seriously in every situation and conversation.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I am originally from Ohio. When I was laid off and started my career as a Realtor I had only lived in Florida for 1 year. When building a business it takes contacts and a sphere of influence, at that time I had very little in Florida. And it was hard those first few years! But I kept trying, I kept learning, I kept reaching out to people and growing my sphere of influence in Florida. And it paid off! I had missteps along the way but that’s all part of the learning and growing experience. It takes resilience to keep putting yourself out there. It takes resilience to keep moving forward after people would take advantage of my lack of experience in the field.

I had a couple of very lean years in there! I was out of my comfort zone and really felt all alone. But I kept trying, I knew what I wanted my life to look like and I pushed forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.darcyrealtor.com
• Instagram: dloppolo
• Facebook: Darcy Oppolo, PSA Realtor at Tomlin St Cyr
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/darcyoppolo
• Twitter: @DarcyOppolo