In this weekly column, real estate agents across the nation share stories of the lessons they’ve learned during their time in the industry.
With more than $1 billion in sales of luxury residential properties in their Miami Beach market, Allan Kleer and Fabian Garcia Diaz of the KleerandGarciaDiaz team at ONE Sotheby’s International Realty have mastered the art of effective marketing, transaction management, and relationship building.
Find out how they learned that, no matter your level of expertise, listening to your client is always the right idea.
Editor’s note: This interview has been lightly edited for grammar and style.
How long have you been in the business?
[Fabian] started selling real estate in 1988, while [Allan] started in 1999, so we have a combined 40 years of experience. We met at Wimbish-Riteway Realty in 2001, which was the local Sotheby’s affiliate at the time. We saw how the luxury real estate market in Miami was evolving and decided to partner up on a deal-by-deal basis.
As the years went by, we realized how strong we were as a team and developed a formal partnership. In the 20+ years since, our partnership has not only endured but also prospered. The key to our combined success is that our core skills and strengths are complementary, not identical.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
In five years, our goal is to be the No. 1 team in Miami. We have accomplished so much over the past two decades as a team, and it’s been an amazing experience to witness firsthand how far Miami real estate has come.
This field of work is so rewarding, and we can only hope that our clients will continue to allow us to provide them with the customer experience we are known for.
What’s one big lesson you’ve learned in real estate?
The client’s questions, concerns and suggestions always come first. No matter how experienced you are or what your sales track record is, be patient — and stay focused on the client.
How did you learn it?
We recently sold an ultra-luxury waterfront property on one of the island communities in Miami Beach. After being on the market for almost 11 months with little to no activity, the seller insisted that we promote the property with a short video presentation, so we agreed to do so.
Shortly after, we got a call from one of our partnered agents in London about an interested buyer who found the property through the video! Because of our client’s suggestion, we were able to successfully close that deal.
What advice would you give to new agents?
It makes all the difference when you have a great team to support you. Aligning yourself with a strong brand and being a part of a team that you connect with is so important. There’s nothing more valuable than real-world experience — especially when that experience is coming from someone who has been in your shoes and is where you want to be in the future.
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Christy Murdock is a Realtor, freelance writer, coach and consultant and the owner of Writing Real Estate. She is also the creator of the online course Crafting the Property Description: The Step-by-Step Formula for Reluctant Real Estate Writers. Follow Writing Real Estate on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
