Real Estate expert Steve Laret, shares his personal experience on what makes his team successful
Why did you get into real estate? What made it an attractive business to you and how are you different from other real estate pros?
In the early 2000s I had been a serial entrepreneur - mostly focused on owning smaller businesses - though none had the earning potential, coupled with the flexibility and freedoms that I truly desired.
In 2011, I decided to get a real estate license after the purchase of my first home. The experience I had was an abysmal one and while I was left with a painful experience, my real estate agent collected a big check. After that, I had this overwhelming sense of resolve that I knew I could sell homes and do it better. I knew my style would set me apart because I would give home buyers a fair and frictionless experience. Once I dedicated myself to earning my license, I was hooked on the fast pace and results driven environment. I finally found a field that I could thrive in.
As I absorbed as much experience, as well as learning and education I could, I found I had a natural flare for negotiating. This is a skill that has proven to be one of my valued assets. For me, negotiating and sales, particularly in the real estate market, is psychological. How I see it is the most important difference between a drowning victim and a rescue swimmer is the mindset they’re in when they enter the water. This has been my approach before going into any new deal.
Now, with more than a decade into this field, I’ve learned and gained a lot of experience and know-how and am training my own team and future real estate professionals to be results oriented and focused on the win which requires having the right mindset from the start.
This is what sets The Steve Laret Team apart from other real estate firms. For a majority of other real estate agents, they are consumed by getting the deal to the settlement table so they can quickly get their money. My team is relentless about winning! And I’m not talking about winning more big financial deals, but rather winning at customer expectations, winning at offering the best deal for our clients, and winning at finding our buyers their perfect dream home. We know that when we win on these things, the money will take care of itself. This drives us to accomplish feats for our clients far beyond just getting them to the settlement table!
How do you manage your team? How do you keep them motivated and what style of coaching do you consider yourself to have?
Since day one, I’ve considered myself a leader but not a manager. I tend to surround myself with, and bring on team members who are self-starters. They are willing to go above and beyond for their clients, which exceeds their client’s expectations time and time again. I see each member of my team equally talented too, if not more than myself.
My team continues to amaze me on their abilities and their hunger for the business. If there’s one thing that separates us, even though I consider each team member my peer; is our years of experience in the real estate business. Our organization is committed to being open, honest and transparent so we can all succeed by being fully invested in one another and as a team.
How do you keep your skills sharp?
In the real estate market, selling is where teeth are cut and the wetness behind the ears dries! I find that my knowledge and skills continue to be honed and refined from doing the work. I am still an active real estate expert today; selling more than 40 homes a year on average. This is how I can keep my fingers on the pulse of the market and community.
You were a recording artist at one point in your life. How did performance, musical talent, etc., drive you to succeed in real estate today?
My career as a recording artist feels like a lifetime ago but there is no doubt that it prepared me for a life in real estate. As an artist, I was a one man show, just as I have been for much of my real estate career. The years spent performing live on stage certainly helped boost my confidence and provided me a level of comfort of being in front of crowds. Part of live performance is about negotiating with the crowds; the songs they want to hear, introducing new music, listening to their feedback and levels of interests. It all taught me that I was capable of having great influences on people.
To be successful in real estate, you have to be extremely flexible and be ready to make adjustments on the fly. You never know whom you will encounter on the other side of the door and so, you must find it in yourself to be accommodating to everyone.
At the end of the day, what things do you reflect on that encourage you or help motivate you?
As many of us can attest to, we’ve all had our fair share of ups and downs. And while I’ve been very fortunate to have a fairly upward trajectory in my career, I certainly had challenges and obstacles along the way.
For me, every loss comes with a lesson. And it’s within those lessons that I can either let it defeat me or define me - and most often I choose to let it make me a stronger and better person. While no one wants to experience the downside of life, we can actually learn from the mistakes we make and grow. Of course, if we learn from the mistake - we will never make it twice.
I'm thrilled that everyone at The Steve Laret Team can make honest mistakes and grow from them. It has been an incredible and humbling journey to track our growth over the last couple of years and be able to project an exciting future for us.
You’re a parent of two children - what legacy do you hope to leave them?
Being a father has been one of the greatest and most grounding experiences for me. It continuously teaches me far more than I ever planned to learn and parenting shines a light on all the things -- great and small - that I am not.
When all is said and done, I want my children to lean into their own minds. I have seen too many people wander through life only affirming their negative self-talk and self images -- which are often projected on them by others. I want everyone in my life -- and most importantly my daughters -- to know that how they think of themselves is far more important than what others think of them. I want them to remember that their self-talk and their inner compass should be more valuable to them than to anyone else. My belief is that if no one else shares your thoughts, it doesn’t make you wrong, it may just make you a leader who has found themselves alone only because they are running ahead of the pack!
Steve Laret has been helping people buy and sell homes for more than a decade in Pennsylvania, Alaska, and North Carolina and currently owns and leads The Steve Laret Team with Vanguard Realty Alliance in West Chester, Pa. His team is in the top .05% of all Realtors in the country. Steve and his team achieve unparalleled results through expert negotiation and conscientious service! Learn more about The Steve Laret Team:
https://www.teamlaret.com/
