Today we’d like to introduce you to Ralph Garcia
Hi Ralph, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Like any other lost teenager figuring themselves out, I started taking part-time jobs and exploring what I liked and didn’t like before going on to the real world after graduating. I came to Miami from New York City with my parents in 2013, and I thought I would return to New York as I felt like living in Miami wasn’t for me back then.
Starting as a barista at a coffee shop, I began to refine my social skills, as that’s one of your primary duties. Growing up, I was always a shy kid, so I valued putting myself out there working at that small coffee shop and refining my social interaction skills. I think that catapulted me to where I am now, and I realized that shyness would hinder you from endless opportunities that could await. I left one year after receiving another job offer to work as a receptionist at a law firm. I took it, as I knew that at 14, I still had enough time to job-hop anywhere I wanted without feeling too bad.
At that law firm, I also started learning legal jargon and knowing how to maintain professionalism. I learned to handle issues encountered at the firm with clients with professionalism and with a good attitude. Overall, I learned to deal with difficult people with a good attitude and to demonstrate to the client that I have things under control. My favorite quote i learned from one of the attorneys I worked with, was that “people can’t drive you crazy if you don’t give them the keys.” That’s a quote I still keep in my mind today, as it applies to work settings and my personal life. Although I also enjoyed working with the firm, I realized I didn’t want to be working a 9-5 for the rest of my life. I had the hunger to do better. I always wanted to do better, and I knew that this wasn’t the lifestyle I wanted to have for the next 40 years of my life working in a cube office until I retired. That was not what I imagined the rest of my life to be. I wanted to be out and about doing something more with my life. I value those who can do it, but it was not for me. From that job, I realized that maybe I am more of a leader than a follower. I had to do better.
I took a marketing job for a food and beverage company that lasted only four months. Still, I also began to gain more knowledge about how the marketing aspect of a business works. I learned how to grasp people’s attention through the power of social media and how social media can positively affect your business if you set your marketing tactics up correctly. Although my time there was short, that did spark a trait in me that if social media can help attract more traffic to your business, the possibilities are endless! Yet, I knew I did not want to work for someone else for the rest of my life. I wanted to start something for myself, but I didn’t know what.
Flash forward, I received another job opportunity to work for a company with a cleaning crew, and I was responsible for the operations and logistics of the company. I felt like I had reached my peak as a leader and worked my hours. Still, I felt the need to work independently, not for someone else. I was not satisfied. I wanted to do better. This voice in my head told me that I could not work with someone and that I needed to do something for myself. I listened to that voice in my head and left the company after two months of working there.
At this point, I was merely 16. I didn’t know what else to do with my life. That’s when one of my partner’s mom offered me a job to work for her real estate firm—working as an intern for a top luxury broker in my sphere. Little did I know that this small side job I had taken would be the one I adored most: sales.
I was never interested in working in sales, as I had the mentality that I did not want to encourage or persuade others to purchase or do something. I was always someone who would rather deal with things myself, and I had the notion that others would also act the same. But I discovered my passion for real estate in this way. I thought I would never understand this ever in my life. All the paperwork, helping people with probably one of their most significant assets, and having the opportunity to aid them in the process, I still can’t believe where I have reached. I value all the jobs I have taken along the way because if it weren’t for those small jobs where I refined and discovered the skills I have ignited today, I don’t think I would’ve been here.
I worked with this broker for two years. Until now, I have still been surprised that I have lasted two whole years working for someone. But I learned a lot and felt truly blessed. I discovered another thing: “Your network is your net worth.” If you are not surrounded by people who push you to do better, the likelihood of succeeding in life would be slim to none.
Flash forward, I now work for myself serving the areas of Miami-Dade & Broward County. I have facilitated multimillion-dollar deals in the areas of Brickell and Fort Lauderdale, and I feel incredibly blessed with the trust that my clients have on me.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road at all. While I began working, I didn’t mention that I was also in high school. It was during the COVID-19 pandemic, so it was a time when classes were hybrid. I opted for the opportunity to do school online to refine my skills outside of school, as I had the notion that school really wouldn’t prepare me for the real world. To this date, I think I made a wise choice. I skipped prom, homecoming, and all the small high school events to pursue a better life after graduating career-wise. I don’t feel like I missed out on anything because I do not talk to anybody I went to high school with.
All while doing that, school and work took a toll on my body- doing school work after finishing my work shift and studying long hours while I had to prepare for work the next day. I had to help my mom with rent by working longer hours. It took a lot of discipline. I don’t regret anything I did, however, because I feel like I fast-tracked my way to my career by doing this instead of hanging out and having fun. To me, I felt like I needed to work hard first before I could enjoy my life. Not the other way around.
I graduated high school and earned my associate’s degree simultaneously. I was two years ahead of the game with school, but I knew I needed to get my bachelor’s degree to make my parents proud and to myself that I could reach beyond my limits. After being accepted to various universities such as New York University, Loyola Marymount University, University of San Francisco, and the University of Miami, I decided to remain in Florida by attending the University of Miami and continuing my work life here even though I did not expect to remain here. I knew I must stay here if my real estate career was booming. I could not start over somewhere else again. I had built my reputation here.
Another thing that was difficult for me was that I was young. Nobody took me seriously for the first few months of my real estate career, as most thought I was just a clueless boy trying to make a living. I wouldn’t blame them either, however, as who would trust someone so young and possibly naive to manage one of their life’s most significant investments/ assets? I knew I had to build credibility and show people that others trusted me. I was savvy in analyzing market trends and advising people on the best decision they could take depending on what I was working on them with.
I also struggled because I could not please everybody, which was fine. There would be times when clients would cheat on me with another realtor or when I lost a listing opportunity. However, I realized there are so many more opportunities ahead of me and that I am just starting. I shouldn’t be too hard on myself; this business is like a relationship you must maintain. If it’s not a match, it’s simply not a match; I cannot force myself to be liked. My working method varies from other realtors, and that’s what makes us so unique. Life is too short to be hung up on something!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As mentioned, I’m a realtor serving Miami-Dade and Broward County. I specialize in the residential market, emphasizing luxury condos and single-family homes.
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What sets me apart from others is that I approach real estate sales with a story. Every property has a story, and my job is to find out what that story is and be able to deliver it and sell it to the next person. People love owning unique things others may not have (especially in Miami!). That’s the way I market my listings. Working with someone my age guarantees your home is sold using our most up-to-date marketing tactics. As we know, the marketing aspect of the property is crucial to getting the house sold; with that, marketing evolves and changes as trends continue.
I am also pursuing a degree in Real Estate Development from the University of Miami. I have learned to perform pro formas to see whether a property is worth investing in from an investment standpoint. I have always kept in the loop on new investment opportunities. I deal with real estate in and out of school and work.
I am very proud of my work, as I am considered self-made, but I owe it all to my clients who trust me with their selling, investment, or buying process and reach out to me as their first point of contact for their real estate needs. I feel like I never work a day in my life, because some of my clients are also some of my most incredible friends that I communicate with even after I help them with their needs.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I live in the Brickell area in Miami, FL.
I love that this is considered the current hot spot in the city where everyone wants to come and visit or live! I love being close to the action, so I thrive here overall. It’s a transient city, that’s for sure, but with that comes new people I get to meet and listen to their stories.
I would say that, as a New Yorker, the food in New York is better than in Miami. It’ll take some time before we reach the level that New York’s food has, but I can’t complain when Miami’s weather wins over New York’s. Compromises!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ralphgarciare/
Image Credits
@ralphgarciare Instagram
@DealSettersMIA
@Thepressmiami
