This interview is part of Exeleon Magazine’s issue, featuring The Most Influential Women in Real Estate in 2023. Read all the stories from this edition by clicking on this link.
As a realtor, building trust is one of the most important aspects when it comes to establishing a market presence and ensuring customer growth.
Armed with her brand tagline – Your Trusted Local Real Estate Expert, Desiree Avila has been able to position herself as one of the leading professional realtors, with Charles Rutenberg Realty Fort Lauderdale, owing to her genuine efforts in building trust.
Read this full Interview to know more about Desiree, her journey from being a teacher to entering the real estate market, and her vision going forward.
What according to you makes one a successful entrepreneur? How have you integrated the same thought into your real estate journey?
Success is not something that is won overnight, or even in months, or years. It is a journey. In my opinion, to ultimately be successful along that journey, an entrepreneur has to have the will to keep going, and never give up despite any and or many failures.
If you stop, you fail for sure; but if you don’t stop, everything you tried, everything you learned along the way will help you understand what not to do. I also believe an entrepreneur should be willing to listen to others. Listen, evaluate, and decide how to implement it for yourself.
Talk to us about your growing up years. What is your earliest memory as a entrepreneur that you can remember?
I can say that I always dreamed of being a teacher, not necessarily an entrepreneur. I became a teacher but did not earn enough to support my family. I was finishing a doctorate in Educational Technology while at the same time earning my real estate license.
At that point, I had to make a choice on which career I would follow. Education, while my passion, was not ideal for myself as a single mom. Despite knowing little more than what I learned for the real estate exam, I chose real estate so I could be there for my daughter. I knew it would be Sisyphean task, I was, literally, starting from zero, but I also knew I had it in me to do it and I have been doing it ever since and have no intention of stopping.
The more I worked in real estate, the more I learned the more I loved being an entrepreneur. I miss my education, but I don’t regret the change. I like that sky’s the limit and the result is ultimately up to me.
What prompted your interest and subsequently your foray into the real estate space?
As an educator with a Master’s Degree and almost a doctorate, I simply did not make enough money. My net pay was only $7K above what the government considered poverty. I made too much to qualify for any assistance and not enough to live decently.
In addition, after long days teaching, I was done. I didn’t have the head space for my daughter, who was 5 at the time. I had given it all to other people’s children, and that wasn’t fair to her. I was burning the candle at both ends and the ends were about to meet. After carefully weighing both careers, I chose real estate because it would give me something education would not, the flexibility to be my own boss. After each day, each deal I grew to love it more and more. It is a tough business, but I would not have it any other way.
How has your background as a teacher helped you in your journey as an entrepreneur? What would be your advice for new entrants in the real estate industry?
Teaching skills transfer quite well into the real estate industry. I remember going to see a new project, the Porsche Design Tower in Miami, and the sales manager was very welcoming. He took the time to talk to me and explain about the project and at some point, I mentioned I had been a teacher. He replied by saying something to the effect of “Teachers do very well in this business”. Deep down I knew that the skills would help me but that extrinsic validation really helped me power through.
My advice to new agents is learn as much as you can, work on yourself as a professional so you can be the best real estate professional for your clients.
My deep belief in professional development is what gave me a leg to stand on when I was brand new. Because of it, I became one of only 20 Board Certified REALTORS® in Florida out of 238,000 agents.
How do you identify the unique needs of every client and recognize the next best move for them?
That’s easy, ask a question, shut up and listen. Listen with your eyes, your ears, and your heart. It is that simple.
Finally, talk to us about your vision going forward for your brand and network.
I want to continue growing my network, connecting with people, and helping them with their real estate needs while offering topnotch professional service. Sometimes this may result in a transaction, sometimes not, and that’s fine. When you love what you do, everything just falls into place.
More and more, I want people to identify my brand with trust, thus my tagline, Your Trusted Local Real Estate Expert. Trust is very important in this business and since agents have an untrustworthy reputation that precedes them it is my goal to tear that down and replace with a professional that is knowledgeable, that genuinely cares for her clients, and who, as our code of ethics states, puts their needs above all else.
Read Digital Version of the Issue.
