Individual volume: $40 million
Individual sides: 59.5
Building on Determination
When reached by phone, Roman Shulyak, 29, shares that he’s had six deals hit pending in the last 48 hours. He admits it hasn’t always been like this: "My first closed transaction took months. It was a $14,000 mobile home, and the commission check was $422." Still, he was determined to take that deal and "parlay it into opportunities to market myself and meet more people." At one point, he cold-called every member of his church to make introductions.
Not all agents have fond memories of their early days, but Shulyak has a fresh perspective and advice for those just starting out. "The biggest advantage you have right now is time. Tell your potential clients, ‘I have all the time for you. I’ll take you to see 20 houses a day or write as many offers as you want.’ Use it to your advantage."
Shulyak, whose family immigrated to the United States from Ukraine when he was 8 years old, attributes his work ethic to his father, who diligently put in long hours as a mechanic for semitrucks to support their family. "It was the best education I could have asked for," Shulyak says.