“Owning a home is a keystone of wealth –both financial affluence and emotional security.”
Suze Orman
Author, Financial Advisor, TV host
Clients always come first with realtors Judith Benavides and Eliseo Garza of Big Realty in Pharr.
“This is a people business,” says Judith. “By putting our clients’ interests first and making sure they’re totally satisfied and feeling like they made the right purchase, we are able to build life-long relationships rather than closing on a quick sale.”
“It’s all about offering exceptional customer service,” Eliseo declares. “It’s what we focus on and what we pride ourselves on providing.”
Not surprisingly, 80% of their business is through referrals.
“It just proves that our clients were happy with our services and they referred us to family and friends. That’s pretty self-telling in the way we treat our clients, and how we value their time and trust in us,” she adds.
Facilitators, Not Salespersons
The two don’t consider themselves “salespersons.” They are more like facilitators who help people meet their specific needs and preferences.
Both Judith and Eliseo agree the search process itself can be long and tiring. But they revel in finding the perfect match for each buyer with the least stress as possible.
They take considerable time trying to understand their clients’ needs first before they start showing them homes. This involves interviewing their clients to get a good idea of what they want and expect.
Sometimes, though, clients may not know exactly what they want. They recalled the client who had five daughters, but who did not want a two-story house.
“I showed them several one-story homes, but nothing met the client’s needs. I then told him we should look at two-story homes. After we started looking at two-story homes, he said, ‘You’re right. This is what I needed all along.’ So that’s what he ended up buying because it met their budget and accommodated their family size,” she says.
“It’s our job to guide our clients to make the right investment, in the right area, and just make sure their needs are being met,” Eliseo adds.
Rio Sol Real Estate Group
Although Judith and Eliseo work as realtors for Big Realty brokerage, they recently formed the Rio Sol Real Estate Group within the firm.
“We created Rio Sol Real Estate Group because we’re both realtors, we’re getting married, and we help each other out with practically everything – from transactions and listings to meeting with clients,” Judith explains.
The two first met in 2009 at another brokerage. Judith, who had just graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Recreation Parks & Tourism, had trouble finding work due to a weak economy. Her brother, a broker, encouraged her to try real estate.
While shadowing her brother to learn about the real estate industry, she met Eliseo at the office where her brother worked. But a courtship didn’t develop until 2012 when they met again at an evening event.
Eliseo proposed marriage to Judith on Valentine’s Day this past February. They planned an October wedding.
The two appear to be in perfect sync. They share the same life goals, positive outlook, and genuine passion for their work.
Eliseo is a second generation residential builder and real estate professional. He worked in residential construction with his family while growing up in Edinburg.
Upon completing high school and some college, he started his real estate career in Houston in 2006. But eventually, he returned to the Valley and his roots.
Shortly after Judith and her two brothers formed a new brokerage, Big Realty, Eliseo joined them in their endeavor to grow the up-and-coming company.
When Eliseo and Judith established the Rio Sol Real Estate Group within Big Realty, Eliseo also formed Rio Sol Construction.
One-Stop Shop
“Our office is a one-stop shop,” Judith notes. “We offer clients the services of a realtor, builder partners that service their needs, and a professional lender group.”
“If people want to buy or sell a home, we can help them with that. If a client wants to build their dream home, we have a construction company to help with that. And, if they need financing, we have a lender in-house to assist with that as well,” says Eliseo.
As for the future, Judith and Eliseo plan on getting their brokerage licenses and setting up their own office in Edinburg.
“It’s going to be the first of many franchises for Big Realty,” remarks Judith.
Judith and Eliseo can be reached at 956-207-3525 or 956-607-2383. Their web address is www.rgvlocator.com.
