Alfonso Parodi is a Realtor and team leader of Team Parodi at Realty Associates working in Houston.
Every week, we ask a Houston real estate professional for their thoughts on the top three stories from the week before. This week, we spoke with Alfonso Parodi, Realtor and team leader of Team Parodi with Realty Associates.
Houston Agent (HA): As a former mortgage professional, what advantages do you hold over your fellow Realtors who don’t share the same experience?
Alfonso Parodi (AP): As a loan officer, I averaged eight to 18 transactions a month for four years in a row. This adds up to a lot of transactions, each with its own detail and challenges. With that said, I have been exposed to so many client scenarios and transaction hurdles that I can work to find resolutions in almost any situation. Through those experiences we developed our value proposition: to be reliable, loyal, accountable, consistent, honest, efficient, innovative, positive, respectful, knowledgeable and to have a strong sense of teamwork. Applying this value proposition in every relationship and transaction has allowed us to recruit leading agents, select from the best lenders to partner with, have long lasting relationships with our referral partners, and best of all, know that we are serving our clients by bringing together technology and commonsense to help them.
My key learnings on the lending side are something that I use continuously. After a while it becomes something you just do, like breathing. Our lender partners can count on my team, and I to know how to proactively take on issues and/or provide them the information necessary to do so. We can truly partner with lenders to see that the needs of our clients are met in product and process so that the transaction itself has fewer challenges for everyone.
Our clients often express their appreciation for the extensive lending experience of Team Parodi in our surveys and overall feedback. Nothing is better than that!
HA: You were able to reach top producer status in a very limited amount of time. What advice would you give to younger agents trying to accomplish the same feat?
AP: Thank you for that! Personally, I just think I am heading in the right direction and that’s all. There are several pieces of advice that I would love to share. Just because you’re new does not mean that you are not capable. I have only been licensed in Texas since December 2011. Since then I have obtained my GRI, CRS and TRLP designations; I have been awarded top 150 buyer agents in units among over 25,000 agents in 2012, 2013 and the first two quarters of 2014 – so far. My point is that “it is possible” for anyone who chooses to apply themselves. If you want to do like no one else, then just do what no one else is doing. It’s actually pretty simple.
Now the key factors I recommend are: 1. Draft an 18-month business plan; 2. Define your five sources of income pillars; 3. Take advantage of continuing education and training; and 4. Get online and make sure your good reviews are being seen.
I can keep going and going, but I think I have touched several essential points. In addition, if you are not using our FREE TREC Legal Hotline you are missing out. I have learned and continue to learn a lot from our TREC attorneys. As we all know, learning and change never stop in real estate!
HA: Real estate is just as much a team effort as it is an individual one. How do you make sure you’re recruiting the very best fit for your team? What do you look for in a potential recruit?
AP: This is a great question. I have been working in the industry for about 10 years. I have seen people come and go, up and down, been wrong and right, and through the years have done a fair amount of interviewing and recruiting. It is a skill, like any other, and something that you have to work on to get better at every day. It really never stops. After a potential recruit responds to the questionnaire at www.applyteamparodi.com, we set up a private consultation. In that meeting we complete a SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities, threats) analysis on each candidate and then compare it to our Team SWOT. We are looking to see if that person can help us to increase our strengths, reduce our weaknesses and maximize our opportunities. If the fit is there then we consider adding them to the team.
Again it comes back to knowing where you are going as an individual and a team. If you don’t have a clear path and goal, then it is difficult to decipher if someone will help you get there. Even beyond that, not having a road map for your team and a specific goal that everyone is working toward as a whole is a prescription for chaos and confusion.
Specific skills and geographic needs are only part of the equation. I am also looking to see attitude, because we only want people on our team who have a heart for the level of service that our clients expect from a leading team.
To sum it all up:
To all agents who want to do more, don’t forget where you came from. Your background is probably going to give you an added edge…use it!
To those agents beginning to build a team, be honest and sincere with yourself. Begin by creating a plan before you add talent. Review your plan as you go, make changes when appropriate and measure your success. Accountability is key! If you can’t do that for yourself, consider adding a coach or mentor.
To those agents looking to become part of a team, align yourself with people who will push you, pull you and lift you up. Look for a group that has a clear path and proven record. It is not the size of the team but the size of the heart of the team. I like to say, “hustle and heart will set you apart!”