I always said I would never become a real estate agent. However, I loved sales and wanted to contribute to the community that had done so much for me. I was pleasantly surprised to find that real estate was exactly the right fit to leverage my skills to add value to my community.
My earliest experience in negotiations was at the school lunch tables. My family always got generic brands of foods, while my classmates often had name brands. A well-argued case with the right kid could result in a delectable snack.
Growing up, my family didn’t have a lot of money. I was a first-generation American with immigrant parents. They got divorced when I was young, and my mom went on to marry a woman. I still saw my dad, but I lived with him and was raised by my mom. They worked hard to support my siblings and me.
We came to Florida when I was still in middle school, and it’s one of the best things that ever happened to me. I was able to go to a great school in a good district. I was surrounded by love and support from my family and community. I was told I could be whoever I wanted to be. I wanted to be a person who helped build my community.
Of course, I also had to work. I got an associate degree in automotive service because I enjoyed working on cars, but it didn’t take me long to realize I disliked doing it as a full-time job.
My forte was sales. Not only was I skilled at negotiations, I also had a blast! It kept me out of the corporate world, where I knew I’d be a bad fit. I felt energized by selling cars and boats, but even in the midst of that, I knew I could be selling something of more value. Again, I felt that urge to truly contribute to my community.
That was when a friend of mine brought up real estate. I had gotten into property management, and with my sales background, he pointed out what a good fit I’d be. I was hesitant – after all, I had grown up saying I would never be a REALTOR®.
I’d be remiss not to mention that my father was a real estate agent, and I often blamed his absence on his work. In truth, it was more complicated than that. I had to put those childhood assumptions out of my mind as I explored the role of an agent. When I did, I saw how well it actually suited me.
To his credit, my dad was really excited to hear that I was becoming an agent, the only one of his sons to follow that path. He was supportive of my decision and always happy to lend me his thoughts. I also came into this career knowing that all the hard work I did needed to be balanced out with enjoyment outside of work. I saw so many people burn out because they lost sight of that.
When my son, Dominic, was born, my business was stable. I could step away for an afternoon if I had to. That was important to me because I saw I had some similar tendencies as my father, and I wanted my son to have a better relationship with me. It was my responsibility to ensure he did. I made a promise to myself never to jeopardize my relationship with Dominic for a paycheck.
Outside of business, I was able to reach out and serve my community in other ways. I'm especially passionate about helping animals, children, and people experiencing homelessness. They’re often the people who aren’t given a voice or can’t speak for themselves, and they deserve to be heard.
I love my role in serving my beloved community by bringing people home. I hope to do that for you as well.
One of the things I love about the properties in Florida is how rich the history around them is. Sharing that with my clients is one of my favorite parts of this job, along with showing homes in general! I think there’s a real art to a successful showing, one that gives a client all the information they need, good and bad. An excellent, thorough showing provides the tools the clients need to make the best decision for them. I want to be the client's trusted advisor for anything in real estate. I don't think of myself as just a REALTOR® but as a community builder. That goes beyond buying or selling a house.
I think the best compliment I ever received from a client was when they referred their grandmother to me, knowing I’d treat her like my own grandmother. Integrity, responsibility, and accountability are the three tenets of my business that I hold the dearest. I look forward to the opportunity to demonstrate that to you!
Sincerely,
Daniel Ares
REALTOR®, Broker-Associate
