Brett Interview’s Century 21 Marty Rodriguez on Success!!!

Comments(0) By Brett Figueroa •June 19th, 2008

Hello Danville Friends!

Brett Interview’s Marty Rodriguez on Success in USA for 11 years and #1 in The WORLD for 4 of those 11 years!

Marty Quick Facts (2 minute read)

In an age where having a personal mission statement has all but become passé, Marty Rodriguez, owner of Glendora, Calif.-based Century 21 Marty Rodriguez, is that exceptional individual who stands out from the rest, by actually exemplifying the words that for her have become a way of life and the gateway to unparalleled success.

Marty’s mission is to bring happiness to herself and to others by being the best example that she can be; to inspire and change lives; and, to bring out the best in the people whose lives she touches.

For Marty, a 27-year veteran of the real estate industry, these words are more than just a motto – they literally define the way she lives. And because she takes these words to heart, living by them has resulted in achieving a level of success that only a select few can claim.

One might think that as one of 11 children, Marty learned to succeed by being competitive. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Her family’s strong work ethic focused on the greater good of all, not the singular promotion of one.

Born in Monterey Park as Martha Armanda Castruita, Marty acknowledges that those early years were lean ones for her family. Growing up in El Monte – in a two-bedroom home with a single bathroom – the children attended school and worked with their parents whenever possible, cleaning houses, cleaning walnuts, taking in ironing, or by doing other odd jobs.

Rather than allowing circumstances to limit their expectations, Marty’s parents, Felix and Rosalina Castruita, encouraged their children – all 11 of them – to settle for absolutely nothing less than the best. The children also learned not to buy into the limitations others might impose on them. Their parent’s advice was straightforward: go to school, earn good grades, work hard and attend church.

Marty took that advice quite literally and applied it to her life. She attended Bishop Amat High School, where she maintained good grades and was a member of the cheerleading squad, while holding down not one but two jobs.

Her participation in cheerleading was actually a pivotal point in Marty’s life. She relates a story of a time when a schoolmate complemented her on her looks – her warm smile is infectious – and suggested that she try out for cheerleading. Marty was quoted as saying, “(That moment) really changed my life. I learned that what people say can make all the difference. I learned that day if I can change one person’s life, I’ve done my job.”

Marty gave her all to securing a spot on the coveted cheering squad, and ultimately made the team. As a result of meeting that challenge, she has developed a single-mindedness that allows her to remain focused on her skills as a master salesperson – something she has done well since the age of six, when she single-handedly sold more candy bars than anyone else for her school’s fund-raiser.

After graduating high school, Marty continued to work two jobs while attending college at night, taking real estate courses at Rio Hondo College. It was during this period that she met and eventually married Ed Rodriguez.

Ed shared the same principles and resolve as Marty. He worked in construction during the day, and in his family’s restaurant – located just steps from the house where Marty grew up – at night. A chance meeting in the restaurant led to marriage – one with lasting power based on a shared philosophy of working hard.

Following their wedding, Ed and Marty continued to work at multiple jobs, always with a goal in mind: obtaining investment property. Ed’s expertise as a contractor and Marty’s business acumen proved to be a match made in heaven. As soon as the couple purchased their first fixer-upper for resale, Marty devoted her studies to earning her real estate license.

That was in the late 1970s. Now, earning her license and after close to three decades in the business, Marty regularly achieves record-breaking production numbers year after year. She and her husband have four children – three of whom work side by side with Marty in the real estate agency that carries her name. The couple has three granddaughters and three grandsons as well.

Marty’s first job in real estate sales was in partnership with another agent at a Century 21 office. And if there were ever any question as to whether or not Marty had chosen the right path, the achievement of $1 million in sales during that first year erased any chance for doubt.

But then again, “doubt” is not a part of Marty’s lexicon. She has virtually eradicated every negative distraction from her life – not by being oblivious to it, for she is compassionate and nurturing by nature – but by choosing to respond in a way that produces a win for all concerned.

One of the things Marty attributes her success to is something that is rare in today’s real estate office: having an in-house trainer. She said during those first years in the business, she received a kind of training that has helped her to become unwaveringly focused on her strengths: superb sales ability, and unmatched market knowledge.

Her trainer’s mantra? Preview. Preview. Preview. Marty held the position of caravan chairwoman for the local board of Realtors® for a dozen years, and once said in an interview that she knew every home “down to the floor plan,” adding, “I could tell you over the telephone what (the houses) looked like.”

Marty worked in tandem with her partner for a total of five years before striking out on her own. In that time, she continued to increase her sales volume. In 1982, Marty earned the Century 21 Centurion award for her achievement of more than $150,000 in closed commissions. Two years later, in 1984, and just after one year of working solo, Marty doubled that achievement, earning $200,000 in closed commissions.

While the production numbers continued to increase, and Marty continued to acquire more knowledge about her profession, it was the milestone $10 million mark in sales volume reached in 1986 that set the tone for things to come.

But then came the market collapse of the late 1980s, which lasted for almost a full decade before a healthy rebound. Surrounded by bad news, and facing an unprecedented downturn in the housing market, Marty dug in, stayed focused on the positive, and continued to do what she does best: sell homes.

Marty’s response to the lean years? Hire more help, net fewer dollars, but in the process, win clients for life. As a result, and in spite of market fluctuations, Marty has remained at the top of the real estate game, showing strong and steady earnings growth while others gave up to seek work in a more stable industry.

Century 21 Marty Rodriguez History

Marty more than survived the tumultuous market of the late 80s and early 90s: she thrived. She sped past the $10 million in sales volume achieved in 1986, earned more than $500,000 in closed commissions in 1988, and was bestowed double honors by Century 21 in 1991: she was named World Sales Champion and inducted in to the Century 21 International Hall of Fame.

Building on her success, Marty continued to receive accolade after accolade, earning World Sales Champion in 1991, 1992 and 1993, making her the first in the history of the Century 21 System to receive that honor for three consecutive years. She would again be ranked number one in the world in 1997.

And 1992 was a banner year for another reason as well: that was the year that Marty became the first woman in the history of the Century 21 System to earn over $1 million in gross closed commission.

It is at about this point that mathematicians would anticipate the probability of a slow-down in production. Undaunted, Marty continued to shatter records, tossing the likelihood of “probable outcomes” out the window, along with the opposition of the naysayers.

Following the unprecedented milestone of being the first agent in System history to reach $50 million in sales in a single year (1994), Marty broke the 200-unit mark in total sales sides in 1995.

Marty’s response to yet another record-breaking performance wasn’t to rest – she once said that sleep is a waste of time – instead, with close to 20 years of record breaking accomplishments under her belt, she opened the doors to Century 21 Marty Rodriguez in 1996.

That same year, she broke the 330-unit mark in sales sides, effectively writing off the theory of having a slow first year in business.

When Marty opened her doors in 1996, the Southern California market was still a year shy of making a full recovery. And however tested and proven Marty had been as an individual powerhouse, one question remained: would Marty’s staff be able to live up to her standards and replicate her successes several times over? And if so, how?

Once again, Marty established a mission statement – this one titled “Rules of the Road” – and it would be the yardstick by which every team member – not just agents, but management and support staff as well – would live by.

“Respect, teamwork and excellence” are non-negotiable standards that each person in Marty’s office agrees to adhere to, including – and especially – Marty. These standards, plus honesty, truth and integrity are just some of the attributes she possesses – attributes that not only win over clients, but agents and staff members as well.

In addition to being well respected and revered by team members as someone to emulate, Marty is also quite personable. Her ability to balance the work she loves with the demands of empowering her clients and team is a gift – one that Marty feels she must not let go to waste.

The work ethic embraced by Century 21 Marty Rodriguez has not gone without notice. Marty was ranked first in sales among all individual agents in the entire Century 21 System for the years 1990-2000, and her team came in second for the years 2001-03. Additionally, according to Realtor magazine, the team was ranked seventh in sales nationwide among all real estate firms for 2002.

In 2004, the “team that delivers the dream” was again recognized as being number one in terms of sales production among all Century 21 system offices, with a combined total of $4.8 million in gross closed commissions and 459 units.

The team’s territory covers the San Gabriel Valley, including the cities of Azusa, Covina, Diamond Bar, Glendora, La Verne, Pomona and San Dimas; Eastern Los Angeles County; and Western San Bernardino County. As well, the team has recently expanded into the Inland Empire, and is establishing a firm foundation in that geographic area as well.

It would be hard to enjoy this level of professional success without having at least some semblance of balance in her family life. Marty has gone a step further, and firmly believes that children should not only share in, but should learn to appreciate the work their parents are dedicated to.

Three of the four children that Marty and husband Ed have raised have pivotal positions in the agency, with daughter Shelley, a USC Marshall School of Business graduate, at the helm as Broker and business manager; stepson Ed, III., is the sales manager. And son Sean is the brain behind the agency’s computer system and Internet presence. He also helped his father expand the agency’s office into an 11,000 square foot complex owned by Marty and Ed.

Community Service/Honors/Awards

For Marty, the measure of success is much more than numbers. She never forgets that she’s dealing with human beings. Her goal is to see that every member of her team positively impacts each person they encounter. That approach helps to build client loyalty and long lasting referrals.

Though her business demands a high level of energy and commitment, Marty makes the time to lend her support to local schools and organizations. In addition to the office-wide support of programs that include the City of Hope, Marty also serves on a committee dedicated to building a sports activity center at Bishop Amat High School.

Marty has earned countless accolades for the time she gives to organizations that are committed to helping local businesses and children.

Newspapers call on Marty as an expert in her field. She gives her time as a speaker, and has been interviewed for countless articles appearing in industry publications, generously sharing her knowledge with others in the field.

The international recognition Marty received as All Time Sales Agent for the Century 21 System worldwide has earned her the privilege to speak to her colleagues in Century 21 Mexico, and to the Board of Realtors in Taipei, Taiwan at that city’s World Trade Center.

Marty’s many national honors include a decade of being ranked Top Producing Sales Agent from 1990-2000; her team was collectively ranked first among Top Producing Teams in 2004. Marty has received the same accolades on a regional level as well, in territories that include Southernmost California and Hawaii. The Citrus Valley Board of Realtors has also bestowed Marty with top honors: she has been ranked number one in production by the Board for 16 consecutive years.

Marty is the embodiment of personal and professional success, for her clients, her team and for industry contemporaries. Her tenacity and tireless devotion to the work that she loves, balanced with a genuine concern to the needs of her clients makes Marty Rodriguez the logical choice for meeting all of your real estate needs.

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