Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Mirta Cardenas. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Mirta, thanks for joining us today. So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

RCO Realty’s mission is to go further and beyond the traditional expectation of a real estate brokerage by providing our clients with the proper knowledge and education throughout the real estate process, so they start this new chapter in their lives filled with confidence.

Our mission was inspired by an anime character called, All Might, from one of my favorite anime shows, “My Hero Academia”. He says the quote, “Go beyond! Plus ultra” which means that even when you feel defeated, you must muster up any motivation or energy to finish the job and go “plus ultra” which is Latin for “far beyond”. Being an entrepreneur and working in the real estate industry has a lot of long days, with some days not as rewarding as others, which is something our clients also go through. Although we are allowed to have bad days, we have to be able to shake it off and be the people our clients trust to make their dreams come true and guide them through the intimidating but not impossible process, which means we have to dig deep and find whatever energy is left to go further and beyond everyone’s expectations.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am the Jefa (spanish for boss)/broker/CEO of RCO Realty. My start in real estate started as a hobby, because I wanted to work in a field that provided a good income with the pros of having a flexible schedule, after having my second born son. I quickly realized that in order to be successful in real estate you have to dedicate a lot of time showing houses, to create your own referrals, do your own marketing and write out offers and contracts. Needless to say, my hobby became a full-time profession. Which picked up after I got my own show at a Latino radio station.

My show was completely in Spanish, which appealed to a lot of people, and I saw a problem within my community. A lot of Latinos were ready to buy a home, but they just didn’t know how, were not knowledgeable or were looking for someone who spoke their language. I began to see that there were families that have lived in the United States for over 20 years, renting. All this struck a chord home because it reminded me of my parents who had lived in this country for several years, but they mostly rented and when they did buy a house they lost it because they were not properly informed of how the loan they were put in worked. Needless to say, I found my calling and have since dedicated most of my work to help my fellow Latinos set roots here in the United States and yes, I’ve been able to help several families have their home after several years of renting. It one of my most proud moments.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Know your audience, be authentic, and be present. Most of my clients are Latino migrant workers, and I began to see that the reason I was able to grow that audience was because of how relatable my upbringing was to theirs. Like many first time real estate agents, we all want to get into luxury, but after seeing the help my Latino community need, I knew that that is where I belonged. I began being more active and present in my community, making content in Spanish and even hosting seminars for first time home buyers in Spanish.

I am not the first Latina broker and real estate agent, but my story is like many of my clients who came to this country, in hopes for a better future and financial stability. I know firsthand that navigating through a country whose language is foreign is tough, but I am fortunate to be fluent in both and be that bridge my clients need to get them to set roots and live out the American dream. I realized that I didn’t need to pretend to be anyone to appeal to my audience, because I am my clients and I’ve made sure I am properly displaying that across all media forms.

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

Being resilient is a trait I’ve learned is my hidden superpower (my quirk for my anime fans) that I believe was passed on by my father Ramon Cardenas Olivera (who my company is named after). Some may call it stubbornness, which in some cases they may be right, but in other times it’s been in hidden under the guise of resilience. Which I first learned of this superpower when I became a mom at 17 years old, and I’ve been learning how to use it throughout my career, which has not been easy.

A specific story happened recently of how I become a broker. When I was in the works of getting my Broker’s license, I was met with a lot of push back from some of my colleagues. I was told that it was too soon, I was taking on too much, that I was too inexperienced, and that I was making a big mistake. Regardless of the negativity, I focused on a few people who provided me with the support I needed to hear to help me believe I was more than worthy to live out my dream. It was not easy but studying endlessly I was able to pass my broker’s exam on my first try and have since opened my business, RCO Realty, with 8 agents currently working in my brokerage. I even made it on NAHREP TOP 250 list of Latino agents, ranking 115 in the nation and 36 in the region. It’s been a journey filled with stress and excitement, but when it’s your dream you have to remember to go beyond, plus ultra.

Contact Info:

• Website: rcorealty.com
• Instagram: mirta.realestate
• Facebook: mirta.realestate
• Tiktok: mirta.realestate

Image Credits
Beatrize Tapia Luis Mata