Alex Martinez made sandwiches for $10 an hour. Ryan Zomorodi worked in sales, looking down the bleak corporate tunnel that ran between his 20th birthday and retirement. Both spent hours studying the real estate market. They were convinced that this was the path to financial freedom through real estate investing.
They were right – they both made millions in real estate investments. Today, Martinez (Founder & CEO) and Zomorodi (Founder & COO) run Real Estate Skills where they teach others their proven system for wholesale real estate and flipping houses.
Here Martinez and Zomorodi reveal the secrets of their success.
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What has helped you succeed in business?
We have succeeded through relentless prioritization and focusing on what matters most, combined with obsession. personal development and acquiring skills that make us more valuable to our organizations and the communities we serve.
The guiding principle that guides us in our company is the desire to be at the level of world standards in everything we do. There is a saying: “As you do one thing, so you do everything.” We take this to heart and our team applies this concept to both work and personal matters.
We strive to excel not only in all departments of our company – from product to customer service, marketing and sales – but also in our personal lives. Our corporate culture is focused on optimizing aspects of our daily lives such as sleep, diet, exercise, physical environment, the vocabulary we use to communicate and the information we consume on a regular basis.
How did you meet and start working together?
We met during our college years at San Diego State University while participating in extracurricular organizations such as the Entrepreneurial Society and a personal development organizer called Junto Global.
At a meeting of the Society of Entrepreneurs, Martinez invited a mentor to talk about the business of selling houses. Zomorodi was in the hall and listened attentively. Zomorodi recently purchased his first rental property. He was intrigued by Martinez’s early success selling houses and wholesale real estate.
After graduating from college, our paths crossed again in a spirit of inspiration, where we bonded and eventually entered the real estate business together, selling and reselling homes in San Diego.
After owning property management for a number of years and real estate investors, we have noticed that friends, family and acquaintances are turning to us to learn more about our success in real estate. Seeing an opportunity to scale our impact and reach, we joined forces to build real estate skills.
What trends do you see in real estate investment?
Due to pandemic-driven stay-at-home orders and the resulting labor market instability, more people are willing to be their own bosses and work for themselves than ever before. Having seen mass layoffs and disruptions in many industries, people see the risk of remaining an employee and working for someone else’s company.
many kidneys entrepreneurs open to becoming real estate investors as they have the opportunity to own their own business. Given the historical rise in asset prices across the board over the past few years, people are afraid of missing out, and understandably so.
We remain optimistic about housing as demand for single and multi-family properties continues to be strong. We see more favorable laws regarding building density. In particular, they relate to rezoning and creative refurbishment of obsolete and underused properties.
This is certainly an exciting aspect of the investment industry in the next decade, as small developers are an important part of the solution to secure more housing in tight markets.
How do you see the development of the real estate industry in the next couple of years?
We expect that in the coming years, home ownership will become even more inaccessible to most people who have reached the age of maturity to buy a home. As a result, the overall homeownership rate may narrow, and the gap between socioeconomic levels is likely to continue widening.
Owning real estate is the most proven way to create wealth in this country. Thus, there will be many people who will not be able to ride the wave of ownership. Instead, however, there will be easier access to real estate investment tools. This includes fractional ownership, real estate investment funds and interests in individual properties that are traded like shares. However, these new investment methods lack the same benefits as full property ownership. These are the things to consider when becoming a real estate investor.
That’s why we’re passionate about bringing real estate education to the masses. We want everyone to have a chance to participate in creating wealth through real estate. Before it becomes too much of an obstacle to overcome.
What valuable lesson have you learned from your career?
We invest heavily in coaches, inspirers and personal development. So we were lucky to have many mentors along the way.
One of the mentor’s lessons that stands out is the quote: “Partnership is a readiness for conflict.”
This cautioned us against formalizing this business together, as well as in our various other real estate partnerships and as real estate investors. It taught us to anticipate and plan for disagreements when creating something meaningful over a long period of time with other people.
A business partnership has a lot to do with getting married and having a baby. You deal with contracts, long-term commitments, responsibilities, emotions, stress, and incredible responsibilities. That’s all until your business becomes a living, breathing entity that requires constant attention. Or it will cease to exist.
Being friends and business partners in years past and having similar experiences has certainly created a level of trust that has allowed us to thrive in times of uncertainty, pressure and ultimately change.
What motivates you to get up in the morning?
We are motivated by becoming the best versions of ourselves. This is so that we can give our fullest gifts to the world, our partners, our families and our clients.
Our motivation also comes from keeping the promises we make to ourselves, including making the most of every day. The most successful people in the world make time for fitness, family, finances, and friends, among other responsibilities. So getting up early and managing your time is essential to make sure we cover all parts of the spectrum.
Frankly, the motivation also comes from the fear of living a life full of regrets. And deprive yourself and your business of the opportunity to reach its full potential. We wake up every day and welcome the challenge of being on top. Knowing that in order to be great, we must work tirelessly on our mission.
