Eva Garzón, CEO of The Grand Lion Real Estate Group, has made a name for herself as one of the youngest and most successful realty masterminds in the Miami area. After getting a feel for the industry during a paid internship, she took the thousands of clients who followed her for her spectacular customer service and established her own agency at only 23-years-old. Since then, Garzón’s brand has undergone massive growth over the last 8 years, which she has attributed to the trust that has been cultivated between her and her team.
When you build a team, you’re giving them a piece of your dream. Trusting them to handle such a responsibility with the same passion as you is imperative to building strong relationships with clients and other brands. To this end, Garzón shares some methods she uses to maintain the high standards that have taken the Grand Lion team to where it is today.
For one, make sure everyone on your team is on your level of passion and motivation to make your brand the best in the game – they are a reflection of your business as a whole. Understandably, no one cares about your business as much as you, but you can find people who come close. There’s a lot of fish in the sea, so you don’t have to settle for subpar. Have patience: the right candidate could be right around the corner.
Garzón will be the first to admit that this wasn’t easy for her. It’s tough to hold out for the right candidates, especially when you’re in desperate need of assistance just to alleviate some of the workload. Regardless, she makes it a point to make sure that each team member has an individual passion for real estate. But how?
Garzón’s quality control starts from day one. She maintains a policy of unapologetic honesty right from the interview, being up front with candidates about what her company stands for and their place in it. This is important not only for minimizing time wasted on applicants who aren’t up to the task, but also letting them know that what’s expected of them goes beyond the job description.
Another core part of Grand Lion Real Estate Group’s work is promoting strong communication between team members. This is vital for gathering feedback that is useful for working out kinks in operations, as well as Garzón’s leadership style. Furthermore, it creates a sense of comradery and community in the workplace. As such, Garzón emphasizes the fact that sustainable growth is impossible without communication.
Garzón also makes a point to recognize people for their hard work and give them the motivation they need to keep coming back and doing the best job they can.
The last way that Garzón creates comradery and communication is by breaking her staff into small teams that allow them to work closely together and really get to know one another, learning how to work as an effective team. Each team specializes in different niches and strengths, making an operation that is built on a foundation of mutual trust.
