Tip: Be passionate. You assist people with one of the most important decisions in their lives.
Sales associate Tony Marshall says one of the surest ways to get listings is to develop them yourself.
The former UPS driver started buying commercial and residential real estate at 20. Today, Marshall owns 12 rental units and develops approximately 30 homes each year.
He earned his license in 1999 and founded a land development company the following year. In 2001, he made $5.5 million in sales at Coldwell Banker Lewis Kirkeby Hall in Rapid City, S.D. Success is a choice, he says. “That’s how I proceed in life. If I want it, I’m going to get it.”
To avoid common pitfalls, he talks to experienced developers through the Service Corps of Retired Executives (www.score.org), a non-profit association dedicated to education of entrepreneurs.
“I learned early on about the power of association and communication,” says Marshall, a three-time state public speaking champion. Closing deals is great, but Marshall’s reward comes from being part of the big picture. “This business is about more than the money,” he says. “It’s about knowing that I helped people achieve the American dream.”