Guest Post
After years of preparation and hard work, Rodolfo Delgado found himself on the path he had crafted. It was May 2016, and Delgado was about to begin his first day venturing into becoming a real estate agent. They say “The first step is always the hardest,” For international students like Delgado, getting there was just as hard.
Most internationals looking to grow a career in the United States have difficulty simply getting a job offer. Delgado wasn’t the exception. “I had to jump through hoops to make it work. But I did it- I am immensely proud of what I have achieved so far, and I’m not planning to stop.” He said during our conversation.
A Conversation With Rodolfo Delgado and Lorett Vigon
“Finding an apartment in New York wasn’t easy,” Delgado shares. “I arrived in NY and was on a mission to find a new home quickly. I researched online and endured what seemed like endless phone calls and fruitless emails. I physically inspected around twenty different apartments with multiple real estate agents and brokers, but it wasn’t happening for me. It’s difficult to describe the frustration of experiencing online real estate platforms filled with manipulated information or fake listings- I was just tired of it.” Delgado said.
Then he met Lorett.
“I arrived at Lorett’s office frustrated and introduced myself by telling her how I think brokers should conduct their business to be more efficient. I was very thorough when vocalizing my frustrations to her. Her immediate reaction? She laughed out loud! With a perky smile on her face, she promised that she wouldn’t have to show me more than three apartments before I fall in love with one. I felt like I was in a movie and had just met the genie.” Delgado continued.
“Of course I said that- and I meant it!” Lorett responded. “A good broker listens to the customer’s needs and uses that information to find the perfect match.”
She kept her promise. The first apartment Lorett showed Delgado is where he still lives today.
After six months of moving into his new apartment, Delgado and Lorett Vigon reconnected, and she offered him a job. “I’m still not sure if I should call that luck or networking,” Delgado added. “All I know is that there are opportunities everywhere; we just have to open our eyes and see them.” Delgado wound up getting his first job offer in the United States from the broker that initially helped him find his rental apartment in New York.
Lorett Vigon is a seasoned Broker for 25+ years who has trained many of the industry’s most prominent players. “I recognized his potential the minute I met Rodolfo,” said Lorett, “and when I learned about his background and unique skill set, I knew that all of that coupled with his enthusiasm would make him a quick study.”
“As an architect and artist, he was always creatively focused on distributing spaces when finding a new place for his clients. He was keen on giving his clients the vision to conceptualize how they would utilize a space. His great performance reflected the value that his clients saw in his unique skill set.”
Real Estate, Art and Tech
As a real estate agent, Delgado began to master renting and selling apartments in New York. During his first working days as an agent of The Vigon Team, under Lorett’s guidance, he quickly learned the value of offering more transparency with greater detail and accuracy in advertising. He learned that providing more thorough information in each advertisement fostered the client’s trust and encouraged their response.
Lorett’s success was founded on quality, not quantity. She was about providing more accurate information, detail, and transparency than most agents offer. “Over time, Rodolfo’s attention to detail and promotion through unedited videos made him clearly stand out in the crowd,” said Lorett.
“We recognized that your time is valuable,” said Delgado. “So we made our goal as a team to reduce the number of properties our clients have to physically inspect to find their ideal home. You shouldn’t have to visit twenty properties as I did” said Delgado.
“Detail and transparency in our marketing accomplished that. Hence, saving time for all. And truth be told, applying this methodology, most of our rental clients found a home with us in one day!”
The outcome proved mutually beneficial to Rodolfo and his clients. The clients were able to rely on the integrity of advertising. The results were fewer responses per ad but more “pre-qualified,” serious clients. As a result, Rodolfo’s closing ratio continued to excel.
From that point forward, Delgado’s focus was always about transparency and attention to detail, resulting in a very successful career. Years later, his experience would translate into finding a product-market fit for the robust online business he now leads.
“The importance of everyday videography in the residential marketplace over the last decade is something worth talking about,” said Delgado. “During my days as an agent, my interest in taking transparency to the next level was actually triggered by Snapchat’s spectacles. They were new at the time, so I tested the market by recording videos of every property I visited and posting them on social media. Within a few days, my account had thousands of organic followers. I quickly found there was a market with a thirst for unedited videos in residential real estate.”
“After proving our hypothesis, I bought a huge classroom-size whiteboard and just started drawing in it,” Delgado shared when describing how he created the first drafts of the user experience within Replay Listings. “Little by little, the idea evolved into a tech platform. For me, that process will always be art. I am excited by the idea of combining my knowledge of design and real estate with ever-advancing technology to benefit all.”
It is not common to meet an individual with these skill sets and such drive. With his unique view of utilizing his ideas and experience, bringing more honesty into the real estate industry, this young entrepreneur is one to keep your eyes on.
An Understanding of Delgado’s Upbringing
Delgado grew up in a real estate environment. His grandfather was a recognized real estate professional in Monterrey, Mexico. “He would walk into a restaurant, and people would immediately know who he was- as he was always talking real estate!” joked Delgado.
To add to that, his father opened his first real estate business when Delgado was only 15 years old. “I got my very first job there! I used to make videos on my iMac- videos that contained slides of real estate properties with nice lobby-style background music.” He said. “People that walked into my father’s office would usually wait in the lobby and experience those videos- Who would have thought that I would end up in real estate videos almost twenty years later!”
Technology, on the other hand, he was not born with. “Real Estate is the family I was born with; Technology is the family I chose to adopt,” Delgado said. “I slowly became the tech guy everyone calls whenever they have a problem with their computers and phones.”
Delgado took being the “tech guy” to a whole new level. As of April 2021, Replay Listings has helped over 100,000 people find their next home and has appeared on Forbes, Inman, and ArtVoice, amongst other media sites. Having become New York University’s trusted partner, it has also been invited by The Real Estate Board of New York into their monthly meetings.
Looking to the Future
Delgado is currently working on expanding the platform he has crafted over the years to other cities and countries. His ambition is to go global – and he may just have the chops to pull it off.
To contact Rodolfo Delgado, simply visit his website at www.rodolfodelgado.com or email him at contact@rodolfodelgado.com
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