Mariesa Arthur was a single mom with a toddler 23 years ago when she began her career in real estate. She had absolutely no idea what she was getting into, she says.
But she figured it out, and today she leads a structured team of 40 agents, serving Maricopa County and greater Mesa and Phoenix, Arizona, with the full support and mentorship she longed for as a new agent struggling to make her mark.
“Real estate can be a sink or swim effort for a new agent,” Arthur says. “Without the proper guidance and support, and with no income guarantee, too many feel like failures, dropping out before they reach their first anniversary.”
In response, Arthur developed a mentorship-based team program that came to be known as Career Agent Development (CAD). She ultimately took the unique approach to DPR Realty, where her team today averages between $45 million and $60 million in sales annually in a competitive market where the average sales price is $365,000.
Barbara Pronin: What was the wake-up moment for you, Mariesa—way back when you were an inexperienced agent?
Mariesa Arthur: I went in knowing I was a people-person, thinking I was a pretty good salesperson and that I could do this on a flexible schedule so I could spend time with my toddler. But I quickly realized that, first of all, real estate takes a full-time commitment and, second, that I needed help and I needed to learn fast.
BP: What did you do?
MA: I read everything I could, I asked for advice and I worked my tail off to prospect and gain as much experience as I could with as many people as I could—and I was lucky. Before long, I was reaching and exceeding my goals. By then, I had become a team leader, and I understood that coaching and mentoring can be the key to success for many agents. So, I joined a mentor program and developed the bones of an extensive agent training curriculum designed to provide a pathway to success. As it grew, I realized that to be really effective as a leader, I would need to fully devote to it—which I did.
BP: This was the team model now called Career Agent Development?
MA: Yes. In 2002, I was hired to direct a structured training program, and for recruiting, training and managing a team of new and veteran agents along with a team of field coaches and support staff. It became CAD, and it’s the program I took with me when I joined DPR Realty in 2009.
BP: How do you manage a team of 40 agents?
MA: With the help of five devoted accountability coaches, plus an admin and marketing and social media manager who are both licensed agents and who are as passionate about CAD as I am. In addition to monthly business and planning meetings, each agent gets our hands-on support. We are their challengers, their cheerleaders and their devoted resources—and it isn’t just about production. We are family, with a collective attitude.
BP: What do you look for a prospective team member?
MA: Our goal is to recruit people who are driven to succeed and who are in it for the long haul. We don’t want any “divorces” in the family, so to speak, so we look for people of integrity who are team players, ready to pull together and provide support as well as receive it.
BP: What differentiates CAD from other team programs?
MA: Our success as a team and as individuals is based on referrals and long-term relationships, so we provide our team members with high-quality lead generation systems based on relationship-building, and ongoing sales technique training to ensure they don’t miss out on opportunities. We also provide things like monthly client pop-in gifts, and client appreciation parties like our family picnics and Winter Wonderland events that can bring as many as 600 attendees.
BP: How did the 2020 year of COVID-19 impact your team?
MA: The year started off slow before it roared to life in the second half, so while it wasn’t our best year—we did over $50 million in sales—it was a good year. Much of our internal and external communication had to be Zoomed, of course, and our client appreciation parties were out, but our client reach-out never faltered and, thanks to our years of relationship-building, neither did the loyalty of our clients.
BP: What are your goals looking forward?
MA: We are looking into a technology-oriented website for our agents—and we’re always looking for new ways to improve our processes and communication. Mostly, we are bent on nurturing successful careers for our family of agents. This is such a cliche to say, but team work really does make the dream work.
Barbara Pronin is a contributing editor to RISMedia.
