In the following interview, Bruce and Sandy Soli, owners of Team Soli with Engel & Völkers Lake Tahoe, discuss the advantages of the Engel & Völkers brand, operating a team, and more.
Regions Served: North Lake Tahoe and Incline Village and Crystal Bay, Calif. and Nev.
Years in Real Estate: 14
Number of Offices: 1
Number of Agents: 3
Favorite Part of Your Job: Motivation and energy! We have a passion for the industry and want to share that and cultivate an atmosphere that projects this.
When did you form your team, and what made you decide that was the right path?
We formed our team from the start of our real estate careers and added an assistant in 2012 when our business exploded. We are now looking to expand on that further with a buyer’s agent and a listing specialist. Because we all have strengths in different areas, the team approach to real estate has really allowed us to play on those strengths for buyers and sellers. We cross over in many of our capacities and excel in certain areas that take our business over the top of what others can promise their clients.
What made you choose Engel & Völkers?
Engel & Völkers really saw the potential in us to spearhead a new culture in Incline Village that matches their brand. They have witnessed our success in the business through our relationship-building, energy and enthusiasm. The support we have received from the various offices, our owners and the corporate executives has been overwhelming and feels very much like a family.
How does your company make its agents’ jobs easier?
Team Soli has created systems for all areas of our business, which we are always tweaking for efficiency. The tools and support offered at Engel & Völkers is an incredible arsenal of platforms, templates and videos that make our jobs easier against competitors and in sharing with clients the true success of this brand.
Bruce, why did you decide to pursue a more managerial position?
Sandy has had this burning desire deep down in her for the past year to coach and mentor, and recently threw this energy out to the universe to discover. While we were discussing Engel & Völkers with Dougan Jones , Sandy expressed a desire to share her motivation, energy and enthusiasm for real estate. We talked about the future, what the position might look like, where her passion lies and what it could develop into. It was very clear that this is Sandy’s next path and it naturally developed with Engel & Völkers.
You’ve been recognized as Top Producing Agent in Incline Village consistently since 2009. To what do you attribute that success?
We really took the business seriously from day one. Failure was not an option, as we jumped in to the real estate business with two small children and no other income to rely on. We have embraced the real estate market, and when it changes, we adapt and run with it. We also attend several conferences throughout the year with our associations to keep our business fresh and on the forefront of technology and systems.
What kind of systems do you have in place to keep your team running smoothly?
Our philosophy has always been about systems. If we do the same job more than once, we create a checklist system so that all team members know what is due and who is responsible.
For more information, please visit www.evusa.com.
Liz Dominguez is RISMedia’s associate content editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at ldominguez@rismedia.com.
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