Welcome to another episode of our serious SLG meetups by Super Luxury Group, where we connect with some of the most interesting players in the luxury market. My name is Alvaro, and today we'll be having with us a very special guest, Eva Garzon, the CEO and founder of the Grand Lion Real Estate Group, which specializes in luxury real estate in Miami. In this conversation, we'll be talking about her transition from doing marketing for top companies in Spain to become a successful entrepreneur in the real estate space. She will also be sharing with us the latest trends in the market, as well as the important role that marketing is playing to win the game.
Eva, what's going on? How are you? Very good, and you? Very good, very good.
Welcome. Thank you for joining us today. Thank you so much for coming in here today. Have you had pleasure with us for me to be here?
The pleasure is ours. Thank you so much. And you know, we always speak in Spanish between us. And to be doing this in English, it's kind of interesting.
Awesome. I was going to introduce yourself. I was telling a little bit about who you are, you know, CEO and founder of the Grand Lion Real Estate Group. Very, very interesting company in the luxury real estate space here in Miami.
You've been doing amazing. I know you've been crazy this last few days, moving to new office. Why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got from Spain, all the way to Miami? I love your story.
Okay. Thank you so much. As you say, I also understand, and I moved to Miami already 10 years ago, four years since I opened my broken head screen. And I could say that maybe my speakers will be very safe.
It's like a different one, you know, I started business and you started business and you started international business in Spain. After that, I specialized in marketing and search. And I started working for Loya. And I was going to my interest here, then I moved to Miami.
And maybe my friends, my couple of everything that was going on, Miami by the time, introduced me to the awareness table. And I decided to take the exams to take the exams. And I said, why not? And whatever you expect, I said, to the S, I opened my broken head screen.
I love that. It's not that we have 20, 20, I'm working in my company. We are all doing it. I love it.
No, this is excellent. This is one of the things that you could not even imagine when you're in Spain, right? Like you come from Spain, you're not even thinking too much about the real estate world. But there is something very interesting that you just mentioned.
You come from the marketing world. You were doing marketing from Loya and you come with a really strong background in that sense. Because, I mean, tell me about how important it is in marketing, because I see that 85% of the people that jump into the real estate world, they have zero background in marketing. And I think that nowadays it's tremendously important to know how to position yourself, position your brand, position the properties.
So tell us how marketing has actually helped you to become so successful. You're very safe. I mean, at the end, you have a problem. I mean, you have to really start yourself.
You have to ask me that confidence in your time, because you're really representing one of the biggest issues for them, that is finding their being home. So it's really important, you know, like, maybe to know everything about marketing to you and to use everything, you know, to tell me that to you, to your clients. That's for sure. And right now, especially with technology and all the different platforms that exist, it's so important to be up to date with what's been used, what can be really bringing value to your customers, to your partnerships, to everybody in general, right?
It's not anymore the traditional marketing that we have in the past. Like, look at us. We are currently having this conversation via Instagram Live. We are going to be sharing information with the world.
So there is definitely new ways to market yourself, to market your product. And I think this is why whoever dominates the marketing space dominates the game. That's it. Yes, sir.
So right now you are moving to a new office space in Brickville. You said you have 20 agents. I mean, currently it's a very, very strange situation, right? We've seen from the beginning of the COVID space all the way to now, how is this affecting your business?
I mean, I see you're growing. So something is going well. I mean, you know, the tenders, they are always saying, I can't say any and I love doing this on many. I think that I see from my side that a lot of clients, I'm moving from the other side, I don't know people are coming from Europe.
I don't know people are from Europe. And they are really, like, buying houses or renting houses. Maybe you will just talk about this in another conference with other other individuals, other people. That is how they are happening.
So we are having a huge demand in houses right now. And I mean, we are really happy because even houses that people don't get to move and now it's like they have studied right away. That's true. But I could really say that many clients right now, much more than money, what they are really looking at houses, because they realize that right now the house is evident.
Right now the house is like your office space, what you are working on, like there is also like, you have kids, you have to take care of them as well. It's also like they say, you have to be your friend. So they really realize like important that is like the house that has a degree, everything that satisfies all your needs. You are right on point.
And this is so important nowadays. Like more people are seeing how important it is to have the right things in your home. Because you are going to start defining what your dream home is. Right?
Before you just thought like, okay, a place to stay very nice. But you didn't really think too much about every little corner or every little element that matters to you. Because people are working from home. You have your kids there.
You want to have that safety. So it is true that we're seeing a huge demand in houses. You are right on point. At the end of the day, we're seeing a huge demand of individuals thinking on what's lifestyle.
You know, like what's the right lifestyle that they want to have? Quality of life being in the right home. And Miami offers those things. And you sell it right there.
Homes. Not so much the condos but homes where you have actual space. So this is great. Is there any specific and I will say details that your clients are asking for?
Like is there a particular type of product in the home space? One of the most important things, you mentioned, but it's like they're not only. They really want to have a house, you know, that make the most simple and the most easy is like possible. And I think that that is something in common with most of the kinds of house.
They really want to have a really simple like with the best on the top technology to make life the simple and easiest possible. Right. I see that. I see that.
And so tell me a little bit because I'm very curious. You in the middle of all this craziness, you started to really strive through. I mean, I've seen you in the press, opening a new office space, hire new people. What are some of the latest things that you will say that have been helping you to stay on top of the game?
I mean, I could say we have a huge inventory of houses and doing this pandemic. Like we really like, I mean, we remove everything and all the houses that were sold were maintained. We have also like a huge department in commercial. And we have been in close in a couple of years, so in these last few months.
And like we decided, you know, I decided to build all that and invest in having a bigger space to take this moment to grow. We got a huge opportunity in a retail space that is right on the 10 train, one of the main streets in Miami. And with a lot of like this and a lot of it's a still level. So you have like all the design of the clients and all the traffic.
So we say, right now we move forward, we take this order space, we get more attention and that's what we really have to design. Great, I like it, I like it, better than it and go big. I love it. Is there a new trend that you're jumping into when it comes to showing?
What about Zoom? Like are you using technology and the marketing platforms to really position yourself on top of your competitors? Right now, I mean, we are using Zoom, of course, I mean, we have a set on, we have a, I was saying like a small big team at the same time. And having even in Spain, when all these things are a couple of weeks, and we all use Zoom to be able to work and to be involved, you know, like to your being touch about like everything that is happening in Miami.
And also we have clients, I mean, I have clients that are not in Miami and are like making big decisions and investing a lot, being like maybe in New York, maybe in Madrid, maybe in Mexico. And we are using Zoom to have like all those meetings and also like all the video, 12 videos that we could use that that's what we are offering to them. I mean, I'm really happy with the results. Like we go in this time, as I said, we call it before like, but I say market is moving, having even saving more than never, renting everything in other houses we have, like all the things are going on there.
Like the commercial deals that we were working on are also close. And I personally, they are very same, I can't even announce my name in the meetings. It's a good time right now. And also if I find in the site where it's like the financing moment, we are having the best interest rate error.
So I think that is a good point. That's true. And it's doing this many moments, like it's just for the people to move and to do this step and move forward and buy the house that they were living. That's the key right there.
People are taking advantage of this moment. The market is on fire. A lot of people are taking advantage of it. As you said, interest rates are very low.
Also for those that are coming from the North, like New York, they're also looking into the tax savings when they moved in here. And you know, at the end of the day, is what looks for you, right? A lot of people think of looks for these days like lifestyle. It's the type of lifestyle that you have.
And if you can have your home, your dream home in a place like Miami, where you have amazing weather, great conditions of life, and you get to enjoy what the city has to offer, it's a no-brainer. And I think that what you said is very, very true. Like a lot of people are coming to Miami, they're renting. They're getting that feeling, that taste, and most of them are going to start buying in the next few months.
So we're going to see another spike in my opinion, right? For so, I mean, Miami offers everything, you know, like, what if you expected the latest highest, I mean, I was standing on it, I mean, you know that I'm in love with the city. I was trying to be here for one year, for years, right now, for years, I know that my company is like, totally, no complaints. And that's something that I obviously has to do with it.
This city has a salutio, right? I see that, and I like that because, you know, it's not just about work or the, you know, the quality of life, but everything that you get to do, that balance. I mean, I see you, you're starting to play pilot, right? Yeah, I've been working for the past two years.
Oh my God, I love it. I'm working 24-seven, but once, when I can, I also, I can do myself. The best thing you can do, that's why, you know, Miami is a great city because you get to do those things. Especially now, when the winter will be approaching, the weather is still beautiful.
Like myself, I love to go to the beach as well to ride, to support, play some pilot as well. So definitely we are in a good city to be with all these kind of things. But one thing I wanted to ask you as well is, you know, coming all the way from Spain, now in Miami, becoming a top entrepreneur in such a competitive market. Now, I'm sure you're going to be going, you know, still through a lot of ups and downs, but throughout this journey, you've done pretty well for yourself.
So are there any takeaways or lessons that you would like to share with the audience, that might be beneficial for them? I mean, I would say that the biggest takeaway that they could have today is like to make today the first estate, toward the dreams and to be first estate and together. I think that first estate is the key for living life. So that's my, maybe my biggest advice on this.
I love it. I love it. This is great because it's like everything in life. You need to make sure that you take every little step towards your dream and stay persistent.
That is those that give up very soon and those that continue, like you, that, you know, coming from the market in space all the way to real stage, become an amazing entrepreneur and an example for many, you know, aspiring real estate brokers. So definitely, definitely very happy to connect with you. I can't wait to see you in Miami and to, you know, get together because at the end of the day, it's all about connections. It's who you know and how you work together.
Looking forward to see you get in Miami. So just last thing ever, you know, for those that are listening and they have more questions about real estate in Miami or that want to connect with you, where can they find you? I mean, they have my website and we have advice on different ideas in Miami. So I don't know if you didn't make it, but I know my company, my company, the company, the company, the company, the company, the company, the existing group.
So we have it in a big social media and also in my website and we are in the real deal and different other players too. Amazing, amazing. So I'm sure a bunch of people will be reaching out to you again. We'll be in touch.
Anything that they have questions about you and they reach to us, we will connect you and looking forward to continue growing together. Bye bye. Thank you all for having me today. And thanks again for everybody tuning in today.
We hope you enjoyed it. I remember Embrace it's beautiful success in life. My name is Alvaro and I'll see you next time.