Tip: Always prospect, even if it’s only for one hour per day.
For seven years, Robert Meneses has sold industrial and commercial real estate from a traditional vantage point as a broker and vice president of Westvest Associates Inc. in Miami.
These days, he’s also checking out the view from the online outback via Southbeachcondos.com Inc., a Web-based real estate company that specializes in luxury high-rise condominium sales and rentals in South Beach, Fla. Meneses, who cofounded the online venture last year, says embracing technology and exploring new ways to service the client are part of the fun of selling real estate.
Meneses puts in a lot of hours: He estimates 80 per week. But systemized follow-up methods and Web-based leads and marketing programs enable him to work smart, he says. He pushed his sales volume from $10 million in 2000 to $15 million in 2001.
Born in Miami of Cuban parents, Meneses says his Spanish fluency gives him an edge in the community and has helped him develop lifelong relationships with his clients and other professionals.
Meneses advises newcomers to stay focused on the bread and butter of their business. “Everybody tries to shoot for big fish,” he says. “Focus on doing a deal, not on doing big deals, and the business will follow.”