Remembering my first sale in the Florida real estate market makes me think back over the long road I've traveled and how much there is to achieve, but the joy of having found myself professionally remains the same. 

In this interview, you'll find out a little more about my early career.

How it all began and my first sale in Orlando real estate

Q: How was your first real estate sale in Orlando?

A: This is a curiosity that I usually tell all the brokers who come to Selecta. 

I talk about my process and how everyone has difficulties or fears at the first appointment and how to make it happen.

It was no different for me.

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I remember that a friend of mine had a store in a very popular area of Orlando and she told me that she had some customers who were interested in buying a house.

She gave me their contact details and I got in touch. 

To this day I remember that the customers were from Brasilia. They were the mother and her two daughters.

She told me what she was looking for and, two days later, I arranged to go out and show them the house.

At that moment, I didn't ask for help, I hadn't been trained and I ended up making an appointment to see them at a bakery in Orlando.

Today, I think how crazy that was, because I didn't know them, I hadn't asked for any kind of identification.

Afterwards, I thought about all the things that could have happened but, fortunately, didn't.

Before going to the meeting, I selected the properties and, the day before, I went to all the houses I was going to visit. I took my car and went. 

I took a tour of all the houses I would be visiting and opened them all to see how it would work, because it was my first presentation and I didn't want to show any inexperience.

Q: Were there any challenges in the process of making your first sale on the Florida real estate market?

A: They're not challenges, they're fears. 

At the time, my biggest fear was looking inexperienced. Fear of not knowing what to say. 

I always say that real state is about relationships. 

You need to know how to talk about everything. Because if you know how to carry on a conversation, you don't need to talk about how a contract works, how to open the house, etc.

Everything just flows.

On my first sale, I had a Yaris, a Toyota in the color of blue panties. 

The car was full of stickers and dents, even though it had never been crashed. 

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I wondered how I was going to show the house with that car. Because everyone worries about that, especially Brazilian customers. 

There's an image you need to convey to the customer: how you're dressed, experience in conversation, the car.

These are factors that are taken into account by your potential customers.

Even more so for those you've never met, who don't know who you are and don't know your story.

That day, I prepared an excuse about the car so as not to give my new client an inexperienced image.

The whole experience was great, because I practiced everything and, in the end, it was my first client, my first sale.

This was a challenge, because my client's decision making was very quick and I, with my inexperience, was worried about the next steps.

So we agreed that he could come to the office the next day to draw up the contract.

In the meantime, I called my manager and asked for help in creating the contract.

At the time, it wasn't as crazy as the real estate market is today. 

Today, if you don't bid on the property you want, tomorrow it won't be available. This is the market we live in today.

The next day, she signed, we sent the offer and it was accepted.

It was a feeling of accomplishment.

At that moment, I understood that this should be my career. Because I loved all the fear, all the process, all the experience.

‍P: What was it like to understand your first client's need to find the house?

‍R: You have to know how to talk and have a dialog.

That's because a relationship you make with a customer is like a relationship with a new friend.

So talk about everything: what's important, how he sees himself in the future, what the property is for.

Understanding is much more than making a sale.

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When a new broker comes to talk to me, he wants to understand where to start.

I always say that it's important to create bonds and relationships, because sales are a consequence.

So I don't really see a method.

Of course, you have to ask key questions to really understand what the purpose is, because often even the customer doesn't know.

Often, the client themselves may say one thing and want another, have a different budget from the real one, among other factors.

You really need to filter all of this to explain to the client where they should look and what the properties are, what they need to know in order to make the best decision.

The last decision is always his.

You need to know what's happening economically and politically. You don't need to talk about your political position, but you do need to show that you know what's going on in the world and especially in Brazil.

Also, be aware that your client's decision will be totally impacted by the economy, politics or other situations that may occur in the world.

Understanding this and knowing how to touch on these points sometimes allows you to remove a doubt that the client had in their mind that they didn't even know about.

‍P: Have you done business with your first clients again?

‍R: I didn't have a relationship anymore. It was a sale in 2010 or 2011.

They're from Brasilia, I was looking after their property at the time, which was next to my house. 

Whenever they needed me, I went there and helped out.

But I ended up losing touch, but I miss her very much, because she was an extremely friendly and approachable person. 

So sometimes we're afraid of the client, but it was really nice to work with her because she made me feel calm and light.

‍P: How do you feel today when you remember your first sale?

‍R: Most brokers don't have the success I had with my first sale. But that's not an incentive to give up.

Often, professionals are afraid because they don't know much about the market or the processes.

Knowing how to draw up a contract, how to show a house, all this takes practice. The main thing is for the person to loosen up and talk.

A lot of this initial fear puts the brakes on brokers. 

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I also see a lot about the anxiety of making the first commission, of having the first client.

So the broker puts all those chips, that emotional weight on the client and, unconsciously, the client feels that the broker is nervous.

Even if the broker isn't nervous, if he knows how to talk, he puts his emotions into it and ends up slowing down the flow of a sale.

So what I see is that this first sale gave me a lot of confidence in knowing that I could succeed in this profession I've chosen.

It gave me strength and turned me into a broker with a team in place.

Today, I know where I want to go and it all started with that first attempt.

Even though many brokers start with theoretical training, what brings more confidence and knowledge is practice.

The practice of talking and building relationships with people will become your customers.

‍P: What message do you have for those just starting out in the US real estate market?

A: Normally, we're afraid of those first few seconds when the customer has an image of you.

This gives them a first impression and allows them to deduce whether you are experienced or not.

But you have to create bonds. Show yourself to be a transparent, good-hearted person, know what you want, know how to help the customer in a genuine way and always remember that it's the customer who makes the rules. 

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I'll give my professional opinions, but he's the one who makes the final decision.

The customer senses when the person is trying to do something for them. 

The sale is really a consequence. 

In sales training, during the morning, people create a motivational environment to boost the inner strength that the person needs to make the sale.

You need to believe in yourself.

You need to visualize yourself as a successful person, even if you don't actually have that experience. 

What I tell my brokers today is: even if you're new, you can show that you have a force behind you - your brokers, your partners - and that you're not alone.

This will help a lot with sales.

It's okay to say you're new to the market, because the client feels the strength of the broker, even if they are new.

Those starting out still need to be confident and know the basics about contracts, for example. 

Then the advisory service will be the basis for helping with all the other issues.

I always leave the door open for brokers to come to me with any questions about contracts or negotiations.

If you are also interested in taking your first steps as a broker in the United States, you can count on our team of consultants at Selecta. Contact us by clicking here.

I invite you to watch my video "How I made my FIRST SALE on the FLORIDA REAL ESTATE MARKET".

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