In recent years, there has been a shifting inclination towards purpose-driven leadership, especially in the world of business.
Academics have persuasively argued that one of the key roles of a leader is to be a steward of the organization’s purpose. While business experts and enthusiasts point out that purpose is the key in attaining exceptional results. Moreover, psychologists describe purpose-driven leadership as the pathway to greater well-being.
As a 16 year old kid, Alex Leveto joined a network marketing company named Vemma and sold healthy energy drinks to his teachers by staying late after school.
It was at this time that Alex found his purpose; the purpose of being your own boss and standing out as a leader. Today, Alex Leveto is a fourth generation real estate legacy and company leader. He is the Vice President and COO of Realty Companies and has been one of the pillars behind the growing success of the brand.
The Beginning
Following his stint at Vemma, Alex knew he had to find his calling. With a history that dates back to as far back as 1955, real estate seemed to be the obvious road for him.
Moreover, Alex wanted to create a fun team environment at his company where everyone was prospering every day. Furthermore, he was also driven by a desire to grow generational wealth for his future family.
However, probably, the most important reason behind his decision to enter the real estate industry revolved around his father, Shawn Leveto. An industry veteran and the CEO of Realty Companies, Shawn has always been a mentor to Alex and inspired him in more than one way.
So at the age of 18, following 10 attempts in availing his real estate license, Alex joined his dad to spearhead Realty Atlanta. Ever since then, he has been able to double his production, both in terms of commission and sales.
Recalling his foray into the industry, Alex recalls his father’s words, “He has told me from day one in the real estate business that the company would become mine one day once he retired and to treat it like it was my own business.”’
Bringing a Change
While working with his father at Realty Atlanta, both Alex and Shawn wanted to make an impact beyond their own market and leave a lasting impact in the industry.
This prompted Alex along with his girlfriend, Ansley Laws, to fully rebrand Realty Atlanta to Realty Companies, which is a parent brand to seven brokerages throughout the Southeast. They are currently building teams across all the major markets in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Tennessee.
Talking about his company, Alex mentions “What makes us a premier real estate agency is knowing our market like no one else. By listing or buying a property through one of our brokerages, we can tell you everything that is going on in that marketplace.”
Growing the Business
As the VP and COO of Realty Companies, Alex Leveto aims to grow his business beyond what they are currently doing. “My job is to create systems and processes that will help us scale as a company to an international level eventually,” he asserts.
He continues, “While we currently have 21 people on our team, we plan to grow that exponentially moving into the future and we need to make sure we have all the right systems in place.”
Moreover, the company ensures optimal client satisfaction by working hard in meeting needs and exceeding their expectations.
According to Alex, the future of Realty Companies is nothing but bright. He claims, “We are in extreme expansion mode and are going to be building dozens of teams throughout the Southeast. We will eventually expand into territories and states beyond that in the following years.”
On a personal front, Alex sees himself brokering land deals mostly in Atlanta and the Southeast in the coming years. Moreover, Alex wants to push his team to a whole new level and take their commercial sales to a different level than all of their competitors.
Words of Advice
When asked about his advice for aspiring and emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in the real estate domain, Alex broke it down into three parts. First, in any kind of real estate setting, Alex advises on finding a great mentor that has experience in your particular niche.
Secondly, he suggests that one must find and stick to a particular niche of real estate. “I see way too many agents and brokers try to be everything to everyone.”
Lastly, Alex advises working on money-making activities, instead of just pushing paper all day. In real estate brokerage, this can be phone calls, speaking with owners, and closing deals.
Being a successful, young businessman, it is easy for things to go to someone’s head. However, Alex has always been able to learn, adapt, and be better in every step of the way. He recalls how important learning the balance between life and work was for him. “I have overworked myself before and have learned how to manage that and work hard on my life as well.”
Amidst the low points, challenges, and roadblocks that he faced in his journey, Alex stresses how those experiences made him become what he is today. “I have been in the trenches starting out and have experienced what any new agent has gone through and that has helped me come up with a game plan for the company moving forward. Through every experience I have learned something so I have no regrets.”
Creating Value
For Alex Leveto, in order to be a transformational leader, he believes in the need to think outside of the box and beyond the social norms.
“To have a lasting impact in what you do you need to dive deep and fully commit not only to the task at hand but to always help achieve the goals of people who are involved with your organization.”
A leader of value, Alex emphasizes on the importance of creating value for the people that are on your team and those that surround you. “A great leader teaches things that will last with them a lifetime, rather than just giving them a one time opportunity on a silver platter.”
Alex integrates these beliefs and ideologies in his own leadership by creating a team environment and culture that helps in making the group better rather than the individuals. “Without a team behind you, there really will never be significant growth,” concludes Alex.
