Above, left, Nieke Valadez and Luna Zenati
Luna Zenati
Co-Founder
Nieke Valadez
Co-Founder
REAL Dallas Properties and Management
Dallas, Texas
https://www.UnitedRealEstateDallas.com
Region served: Dallas-Fort Worth
Years in real estate: Luna: 10; Nieke: 10
Number of offices: 1
Number of agents: 70
Key to continued growth and success: Keeping the culture of our team together and providing an environment where everyone feels comfortable asking questions and asking for help or having someone cover something for them. We function very well as a team.
Favorite part of working in real estate: Fostering relationships with both our agents and clients. Being a part of the biggest purchase of someone’s life is always very special.
You had many choices for partnering. Why did you choose to merge with United Real Estate | Dallas?
Luna Zenati: The biggest factor behind our decision was the fact that we were at a crossroads with the two of us running this brokerage. Do we expand, hire people and train them on compliance, billing, accounting and all of those things, or do we partner with someone who is already successfully doing all of that and has the wheels running to take that stuff off of our plate so that we can continue to grow?
Nieke Valadez: When our agents heard about the merger, their first reaction was pure shock, because none of them had any clue that this was coming. But once they began to learn about what United had to offer, that they were all getting a raise and that we get to retain our culture, environment and team—while at the same time getting the benefit of all that comes with a brokerage like United—it turned to excitement. Not to mention, they can access exciting services they never had before, such as PPO health plans, wealth management and retirement planning, LeadBoost, Bullseye Marketing Hub and national training.
How have your agents benefitted?
LZ: United’s fee model was one of the biggest positives because going into this post-NAR settlement real estate industry, we knew that our agents were going to be fighting even harder for their commissions, and we wanted them to be able to keep the most money they could.
NV: While our agents have taken advantage of a lot of the things available to them, we’re still there to answer questions, and we still have our team environment. We’re able to do our own events and maintain doing the things we were doing in the past. It just kind of shifted certain responsibilities to the exterior.
How did you know United was the right partner for the REAL Dallas Properties team?
LZ: From our first meeting with United, we really enjoyed their leadership, and that was important for us because we’re big on vibe. We always wanted to add people to our team that were going to be a good cultural fit, that were going to be team players—stepping up to help one another—while at the same time being able to have a good time together. When we met with United, it wasn’t immediately just about business, business, business. We got to know them as people. Not only do we respect how they got where they are, but the numbers also made sense, which was very important to us.
How has the transition from a brokerage commission-split model to a transaction-fee model made your agents more competitive?
NV: They’re really excited about it. Better yet, it renewed their desire to go out there and do the best they can, knowing that they’re going to be keeping most of the commission. While everyone feels good about being able to keep more money in their pocket, it also gives them the flexibility to be able to negotiate deals more—and I think they’ve enjoyed that aspect the most out of everything.
How have you benefited individually from the transition?
LZ: We’ve been able to get our lives back. At one point we had 95 agents, but two people running a show like that is beyond a full-time job. It’s two or three full-time jobs per person. We’ve been able to focus back on our own real estate journeys as well as our own personal lives, which we haven’t been able to do in five years—take some vacations and enjoy not always being the person to have the answer, especially with the NAR settlement happening. That’s an environment Nieke and I have never been a part of. This transition was new for everybody, and the resources provided by United have ensured that our agents know how to tackle these new rules and regulations. It has also taken the pressure off as far as hoping that we’re right in terms of whatever we say being what the agents are going to do.
Tell us about your experience as new members of United’s National Broker Network.
NV: We had a great time at United’s recent conference. It was really cool for us because, as you can imagine, there was no club of brokers that we were a part of when operating as an independent brokerage. There was no mixing minds with other people in our position. Instead, it was us gathering resources from our own experience. This was one of the first times we were able to be in a room with people who have lived exactly what we have lived, providing us the opportunity to meet people and immediately understand their position—allowing us to connect and be inspired by their journey.
What advice do you have for boutique brokerage owners who are facing challenges?
LZ: Have conversations. Don’t limit yourself into thinking you’ll never do that, or that you’re failing by doing this. It’s actually extremely strategic and the right move as opposed to continuing to be burnt out and putting all of your time and effort into something when you can offload part of the stress and still reap the benefits.
For more information, visit https://www.GrowWithUnited.com.
