Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Baillio.
Hi Ashley, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Sure! I grew up in Southern California, studied at University of Georgia- thanks to an academic scholarship, and landed back in California after graduation- working with Chick-fil-A’s marketing department. That’s where I met my husband and we opened our first Chick-fil-A franchise in San Diego in 2010. In 2015, Chick-fil-A allowed us to surrender the California location for an opportunity in Deerfield Beach, Florida. Our business success was highly dependent on achieving results through others, so my focus was training and employee engagement.
In 2016, An injury sidelined me from the restaurant; but I used the downtime to get my Real Estate License. What a blessing- because I found so much joy in supporting clients with residential Real Estate Sales and then my purpose, in supporting Real Estate Agents’ business operations.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The obstacle is the way; so a career change was initially intimidating, but, the restaurant experience was a phenomenal asset to my perspective when scaling my Real Estate business. In 2018, the loss of my mentor and Broker was the next cause for change- I moved companies, ultimately to avoid grief. I began as an agent for Blue Realty and stepped in to ownership in 2022.
The first couple years were efforts to clarify and retrain the company standards; but agents are contractors, not employees. I was confronted with a disconnect between stated values and actual practices from some of our top producing agents. A key agent stated they would not adjust their practices and believed our profits warranted “loyalty.” My partner and I asked our top producing team to practice elsewhere, cutting our sales volume in half during an industry-wide decline. It was not an easy, short-term choice but prioritizing company culture is paramount.
Fortunately- we’ve been more attractive to many talented agents for the decision and are rebuilding a company I’m very proud to lead.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Blue Realty is a boutique brokerage serving South Florida. With over 50 agents and 1 billion in sales, Blue Realty serves both Residential and Commercial Real Estate clients. Our experience ensures remarkable results and our care ensures exceptional client experiences.
I am most proud of my team’s business model. The Sell South Florida Team budgets for and funds improvements to support in selling quality inventory. Using our resources to benefit our clients has given many families a fresh start in tough circumstances- protecting them from the wholesale and foreclosure markets. I believe Real Estate is the best path for an individual to build wealth and I find a lot of purpose in supporting these opportunities.
This model developed when a mom had lost her life’s savings to her husband’s secret addition. Her home needed some repairs to qualify for insurance; but, she was already scraping to provide for three teenagers. She was going to list her home for hundreds of thousands below market value- just to avoid foreclosure. Seeing the money in my operations account, I coordinated and funded over $12,000.00 in repairs and we sold her house to an end user. My temporary discomfort gave her the breathing room to start over. She netted almost $300,000.00 from that sale and her whole family is doing very well. I’ve now structured a fund to allow similar support to other clients in need.
It’s had the added benefit of helping me build an amazing trade network, benefiting all of our clients.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I got my start at Chick-fil-A as an intern and my career advanced due to my willingness to dance in the Cow Mascot costume, with enthusiasm. The best career advice I can offer anyone is: be high ROI (Return on Investment)- minimum drama, maximum positive attitude; and you’ll be amazed at the opportunities you are afforded.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.bluerealty.com
- Instagram: Aebaillio
- Facebook: Ashley Baillio
