Today we’d like to introduce you to Lynley Ciorobea.
Hi Lynley, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My real estate career started in 2007 when I was hired by Ashley Cusack as her assistant. I had no real estate experience whatsoever, other than my position at the time working in marketing and advertising for high-end resorts and real estate developers at a local ad agency. I worked on Ashley’s team for 7 years before branching out “on my own” in 2014. I look up to her to this day and I am so grateful for everything I learned from her during that time. She was an incredible role model for me, teaching me not only about real estate, pricing homes, and negotiating, but also about strong work ethic and building relationships, and the importance of taking care of your clients.
Eight years ago, I had a unique opportunity to branch out on my own as my dear friends were looking to buy and sell 5 properties over the course of one summer. I knew I wouldn’t be able to give them the correct amount of attention and service while doing a good job for Ashley, so I decided it was time for me to leave as her assistant and start my own track.
Eight years later, I have consistently ranked among the top agents at BHHS EWM, and my business has grown tremendously. My brand has evolved over the years, but my commitment to my clients has never waivered. My clients’ and friends’ trust in me has led me to where I am today, and I am unbelievably grateful to all of them.
If I had to attribute “where I am today” to one thing though, I would say my marketing has definitely set me apart over the past several years. About 4 years ago, I started investing regularly into my Instagram account, posting videos on my account talking about the market and educating people about real estate, sharing stories about crazy transactions, and anything else that I thought people would like to hear. When I realized how much my followers enjoyed the stories and my account began to grow as a result, I decided to take it even more seriously.
These days I post regularly and my videos are well-known around town! Everyone loves my “Terrible Tuesdays” and “Lynley’s Lowdowns” always get rave reviews.
I am always looking to evolve – how can I be a better realtor? How can I better serve my clients? So, I will always seek to improve and grow in this role and stretch to be better every day.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The road has not always been smooth! I think one of the hardest parts of this business is knowing that if I’m not working, I’m not making money. It’s me versus me, each and every day. I take my job very seriously, but we all have seasons in life – sometimes I am extremely focused and driven, but occasionally I will find myself distracted and off track, and I will need to re-energize myself.
Additionally, some transactions can be extremely challenging. Dealing with those kinds of struggles can be hard. But I remind myself regularly that we have to have bad days in order to fully appreciate the good ones. So, I can appreciate when I am in the middle of a tough situation that the rain won’t last forever – the sun will come out again. As long as I remind myself why I do what I do and keep putting one foot in front of the other, it always works out. It might not always be a straight road to success, but it always works out.
I can distinctly remember in 2019 wanting to quit. I had my first closing of the whole year in June, so I literally went 6 months with no income. I didn’t think I was going to make it. I was racking up credit card bills and doing everything to keep my family afloat – thank goodness my husband had a steady income! But those were some really hard times, and on so many occasions, I was ready to throw in the towel. It ended up being my most pivotal year in the business though – that was the year I started “Car Confessions” on Instagram and completely changed my business. So through the hardship, I learned that you can NEVER give up. We are always one idea away from being successful. We just have to keep trying!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
If you asked my friends what sets me apart in this business, they will all comment on my creativity and my videos – I strive to be DIFFERENT when it comes to my marketing and how the world sees me as a realtor. So many realtors post endlessly about their new listings, how many closings they’ve had, and how expensive the home was that they just sold. It’s all about THEM! But most people simply do not care. Instead, they want to know how we can help them, not how awesome we are. So, I have created videos for the past 3 years with the intention of always doing one of three things: educating, entertaining or engaging. I will occasionally post a “just listed” or “just sold” but they are way outnumbered by other videos where I am simply entertaining or educating, trying to help my followers to be a little bit smarter or more educated about our real estate market.
I believe that the reason my videos are so well received is exactly because they aren’t about me! I am in them – I am authentic – I am sometimes silly. But my whole goal in doing them is to GIVE to the people watching. And that has been my secret sauce!
Because videos allow people to get to know me, like me, and trust me, I have literally grown my business on Instagram as a result. People feel like they know me before we even meet, so they know who they are hiring before I even walk through their front door. Being able to cast a wide net and “get to know people” in this way has transformed my business. And as my Instagram page has grown over the years, I now have almost 2,000 realtors from around the country following me as well, making me their go-to agent in Miami which brings me referral business. It has been a labor of love – it’s taken time, money, strategy, and mistakes, but it has served me well and I really love doing it!
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Oh Miami, there is so much to love! A few things that come to mind when I think about why I love Miami: – the culture – we have all walks of life here in Miami, No one can say this town is homogenous! So many different dining options, so many countries represented, so many things to do, so many beautiful and different people. I love that!
– the landscape – just drive down Old Cutler Road and try not to be amazed. We have some of the most beautiful nature everywhere! Hot pink bougainvilleas, endless orchids growing everywhere you look, incredible green trees, and everything in between. Miami is beautiful and I think our foliage is one of the prettiest parts.
– the people – I love that (my) Miami feels like such a small town. Everywhere I go, I see people I know! I have always felt connected in Miami and that’s because of all the amazing people.
– the water – although I don’t have a boat, there is nowhere I would rather spend a day than out on Biscayne Bay. My heart feels happiest when I am on the water, and we truly have some of the prettiest spots to enjoy the water in Miami.
What do I like least? Easy. The traffic. And perhaps the humidity on an August afternoon. But I am quickly reminded by my husband that it’s probably even hotter in North Carolina and I get over it pretty quickly.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.LCRealEstate.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/lynleyresidential
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lynleywciorobea
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAv81z_uM3tPwgPq_t8Z0FA
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@lynleyresidential
Image Credits
Justin Namon
James Irwin
Roberto Dangond
