Adrian Cardona with Anthony Lolli and team
“Watch who you keep close to, because you are the average of the 5 people closest to you,” was something Adrian Cardona’s Mom used to tell him. He has done just that by aligning himself with Rapid Realty in 2008, when he became a licensed salesperson.
His professional peer group at Rapid mirrored his background and personal story in such a way that it was a natural fit for him and his peers to grow within the burgeoning company. He attributes his success in large part to that alignment, to the fact that he was immersed in a company with people of like minds working towards a common goal.
In terms of goal setting and achievement, Adrian bloomed where he was planted. He met Wendy Hu at the Park Slope South office when they were agents first starting out. He noticed someone on the 2nd floor coming and going around the same time – he would arrive early and leave late every day as did she. They struck up conversations and, then, one day, she showed him a building in Bushwick and asked him to be the listing agent for that property – which was hers, by the way. She suggested the building be his franchise office. And so it began…from one office to three as Broker/Co-Owner and an additional four as Broker, Adrian’s network and net worth expanded.
Adrian acknowledges that his “success is not because I have a degree or a fancy car”, it’s because he has worked hard, taken opportunities when presented, and been disciplined throughout the process. He wants to show others that they can do it, too. Close to his heart is providing work and opportunities to former military and Veterans.
One way that he gives back to them for their unselfish service to our country is by offering the real estate licensure course for free and offering discounts to open up their own franchise office. “These guys don’t have enough opportunities,” he says. He knows the value to them of reinventing themselves once out of the military and eliminates any hesitation they may have because Rapid Realty is an established brand.
As it turns out, there are several Vets with Rapid including Adrian who was with the U.S. Air Force for 4 years. Bolivar Lunares & Yeifry Garcia, Franchise owners of the Washington Heights office served in the U.S. Navy. Keith Perez, Co-Owner of the Rockville Center office as well as a Rapid Realty Area Developer, is also a Vet. Additionally, Jasmin Hernandez is a licensed salesperson from the Dumbo office and is a full-time active duty service member.
Not only does Adrian lead by example, he is showcasing that on his new site IamAdrianCardona.com. He created this site as a separate outlet to give people the real-deal of what being a real estate broker is like. His plans are to portray the broker as a normal guy with a good upbringing, education, and who overcame adversity to succeed. He wants the take-away for anyone visiting the site to be, “Why can’t I do what he’s doing?” This is one avenue amongst other social business platforms where he reaches a variety of audiences, the energy that takes off from there is powerful.
For someone who thought, “this will look good on my resume,” Adrian has taken his career at Rapid Realty past the resume to where no resumes required. He keeps himself surrounded by like minded individuals and, thus, his average is always looking good.
About Keri Barton
With her start-up experience in Silicon Valley and Brooklyn, Keri Barton brings her enthusiasm for teamwork and agile professional skills to all that she does. She enjoys writing creatively about NYC, exploring the art world and all things athletic.
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