In less than two years, Martin Tirado has hit two inspiring milestones: recognition in the RE/MAX Hall of Fame—an achievement just 22 percent of agents within RE/MAX share—as well as the brand’s Titan Club, for agents with commission dollars exceeding $750,000 per year.
“We do not take any transaction, no matter how big or small, for granted, and work to deliver a world-class experience for every single client,” explains Tirado. “Our success is based on this mission statement I instill in my team.”
That team is The Tirado Group, affiliated with RE/MAX North – San Antonio in Texas, comprised of Tirado, two buyer’s agents and two administrative assistants, along with Tirado’s wife, Yadimar. At 28, Tirado is one of the highest producers in San Antonio; in addition to honors within RE/MAX, he is a National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals Top 10 agent in the area.
For Tirado, however, the accolades in the business feed a greater motivation: the community. From an annual backpack drive to scholarships, the Tirados focus on helping others, especially children, emulating the help they received as youngsters.
“I grew up in the West part of San Antonio, which is a little rough,” says Tirado. “Jay-Z said one time that the only way to help people in poverty is by not being in poverty. That’s always been the mindset I’ve had for myself: to help families in need.”
Suzanne De Vita: Martin, your family has real estate roots. How did you get started?
Martin Tirado: My parents built custom homes for 14 years before the market crashed in 2008. When the market began to correct, a loan officer recommended one of us become a real estate agent to give us a competitive edge in the market. I got my license first, and then my mom, brother and sister ended up following. I was coached by my loan officer, who showed me how to build a team to take better care of my clients, and how to have the right pieces of the puzzle for my business.
SD: We’re in a new year. What are you expecting in the market in San Antonio in 2020?
MT: There’s a shift happening with a lot of iBuyers and discount real estate agents. We have a really solid database and niche market in that we work with builders. Our value is taking care of our clients to the best of our ability—the market’s going to do what it does. I think 2020 is going to be a good year overall. Interest rates are still low, but inventory is too low, as well. We have buyers out there and sellers out there; we just have to connect them.
SD: How many members are on your team, and what are their roles?
MT: We have two administrative assistants and two buyer’s agents—our buyer’s agents work with sellers and buyers. The admin takes care of the day-to-day, contract-to-close customer service, as well as getting our houses ready to be put on the market. My wife takes care of bookkeeping and paying our agents. She also manages our listing input.
SD: What is the mission statement of your team?
MT: Provide the stability of a world-class experience, every single time.
SD: You’ve been in the business for a relatively short time. To what do you attribute your success?
MT: One, God; second, family; and third, my clients, because without them I wouldn’t have this career. I grew up in the West part of San Antonio, which is a little rough. Jay-Z said one time that the only way to help people in poverty is by not being in poverty. That’s always been the mindset I’ve had for myself: to help families in need. We do that all the time.
SD: At the community level, how are you getting involved?
MT: We have servant hearts. My wife and I both received some type of help from the community when we were growing up, so we always want to be that voice and help. We cannot forget those who are not as fortunate. My wife and I started a backpack drive at my middle school a few years ago, and now we donate over 500 backpacks every single year to the McKinney program in five different districts. The McKinney program helps families that are considered “homeless”—for example, they may be students with a roof over their head, but staying with their grandparents. We established a scholarship drive last year, in which we gave away $500 scholarships to three high school seniors. We also just partnered with Victoria’s Visionaries, a non-profit for kids that age out of foster homes that assists them with college, military or workforce development and all the resources they need to live a normal life.
SD: What are your future goals for your team?
MT: This year, our goal is to help 300 families and hit a volume for the team of $50 million, and to add two more team members to help service our clients—agents and admins. We also hope to help the non-profit we just jumped in with by establishing a home base. Our goal is to find a commercial space large enough to help them grow.
Suzanne De Vita is RISMedia’s senior online editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at sdevita@rismedia.com.
