Today we’d like to introduce you to Robert Morillo.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was introduced to the world of Real Estate as a consumer through the purchase of my Grandmother’s Florida Retirement Home in 1997. She had her home constructed from the ground up and we moved into a neighborhood where the salesperson and home builders moved onto the same street as us. Being raised there allowed me to become close with their kids on the block and ultimately, the relationship with their parents allowed me to see the sales and construction process as well as the wealth-building opportunity Real Estate had to offer.
Professionally, I was introduced to the workings of the industry by my “Uncle” Danny. Since 2001 he had taken me to work with him and I would help him in the office. At the time, he was procuring sales and mortgage loan applications for a privately-owned new home builder, Maronda Homes.
Years after high school, I had several run-ins with the law that set me back temporarily and Danny saw my frustration with life and the lack of opportunity for financial gain (mostly due to a limited belief system). Although I had developed quite a rap sheet and an extensive criminal history, he strongly encouraged me to apply to get my real estate license in 2014. I kept auto-suggesting to myself that my criminal history was too crazy and that “no-one would ever approve me to get my Real Estate license.” Although I had already been introduced to self-development material like the Alchemist, Outwitting the Devil, the Power of Positive Thinking, and The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, etc. – I somehow allowed myself to remain fixated on the idea that I would be rejected, just as I had been rejected on many other job applications and supposed opportunities.
In early 2016, however, I was taking an Uber to work which was my full-time valet gig. My Uber driver happened to overhear my conversation with Danny where I was expressing my frustration with the lack of opportunity and he was – yet again – strongly encouraging me to get my real estate license. After we got off the phone, the Uber driver mentioned to me that he had just gotten his real estate license and seemed to have been in a fairly similar situation as the one I had described. He pulled out his newly printed business cards and shared with me the entire process he had to go through to obtain his license before the end of the ride. It was then that I decided to aim to get my real estate salesperson license and begin a new career path.
It took me about a full 10-11 months to go through the process, but after my first attempt and failing the state exam, I got it just before the end of the year (12/14/16). I owned and operated my own Valet Company with a single contract for about six months before deciding to commit to real estate full time. Since then, I’ve remained in business with year-to-year growth and no longer see myself worried about my future or lack of opportunity for financial gain and personal success.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Far. From. It. Not only did I go full-time prematurely, but I also found out I was a father to my firstborn daughter in the late summer of 2017! Learning the industry while being surprised with fatherhood took me for an unexpected ride and unpleasant struggle – if I can be honest. I had to inject money into marketing my business, but I also had to provide as a father – which I had seen my mother do as a single parent growing up. Aside from that, I had always been a fairly decent networker and developed a knack for “connecting the dots” and critical thinking for problem-solving. Over the course of all the years I was getting myself into trouble (2007-2014), I had been attempting to become a famous superstar rapper. I believe that may have given me the skin thick enough to accept rejection and the ability to move on to “what’s next” quickly – without being hung up too long on why someone wouldn’t do business with me.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a Broker Associate and Principal Agent/Lead for Team Aroa with Compass Florida LLC. We specialize in marketing luxury homes for sale and connecting investors with all of the right resources to build wealth through real estate. What sets me apart from others is my resourcefulness and level of ambition. Nowadays, I also tend to lack belief in the word impossible.
The coolest thing about my brand is that it is authentically me. Being in this industry brings out my best qualities and allows me to be me without reservations about who I was prior to becoming a real estate professional. Dealing with my clients allows me to be personable, relatable and most importantly human – and that shows in our results and production.
If you need to update your home to sell for top dollar, we front you the cost. If you want to buy your next home before selling your current home, we front you the cost. We have the best people and programs available to service all of your real estate needs. You would be really irresponsible to not work with our team, lol.
Team Aroa really believes in everything happening on its own time. The meaning of the name Aroa is derived from Basque “Aro” meaning “Era, Age, Time”. While nothing in real estate happens without taking deliberate and intentional action, there are some things you just can’t force – that’s why we chose the name Aroa. We work and surround ourselves with believers [in a higher power] and whatever that is to them respectively, we all understand that we are not working alone in guiding our clients with their home and business needs and everything happens exactly how it is supposed to.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
It’s all about relationships and risks. The more risks you’re willing to take to build more relationships, the quicker you will put yourself in a position to win big and for the long term. It won’t be easy, but it will happen quicker than you thought or believed.
If you want to be successful in this industry, do not come into it expecting to be rich or successful right away. However, do not spend your first few years strictly focusing on first-time home buyers either. Most of them need to be educated and may still not be credit-ready to buy immediately. This is not a corporate ladder where you have to start flipping burgers and work your way up into management. You can be brand new and start selling luxury as soon as you get your license. You literally have full control over what you’re marketing and who you are targeting to attract the kind of clientele you desire to work with.
I wish I was told this early on. I spent the first couple of years thinking I can sell everything, thinking everyone I knew would automatically choose me to work with and invested a lot of time helping people with credit issues (for free) only to find they worked with someone else on the purchase of their new home.
Oh! And if you want to get on the right track to long-term success, join us at Team Aroa!
Pricing:
- Homes up to $400,000
- Homes up to $1,000,000
- Homes over $1,000,000+
Contact Info:
- Email: robertmorillo@compass.com
- Website: www.teamaroa.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/repapichampu/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/repapichampu/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/repapichampu/
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHvB2Dagu68m9EzeYzkp2Yw
- Other: https://www.compass.com/agents/robert-morillo/
Image Credits:
Christian Morales Gil Levy
