Page 15 - REMAX of Southeastern Michigan Regional Matters Spring 2020

The Diamond Club Award recognizes agents whose production level is $1 million and above. In 2019, two of our RE/MAX affiliates earned this prestigous status. See what they have to say about their roads to success.
diamond Award winner Paul Mruk
Q. How did you begin your real estate career, and what is your educational background?
A. I went to school to be a psychiatrist. By the time I was done with my education, I realized I didn't want to see the bad side of people, and having to know their problems. I wanted to see the good in everyone and everything, so I began to seek out a career that focused on dealing with the social side of people and building relationships. When I was 25 years old, I made a life changing decision that brought me to real estate. The cost was very big, at the expense of relationships, friends and my girlfriend. I dove into this with all of myself. The motivation came from many sources, some from people who told me I would never be able to do it, to break ups and more. All the formal education was not as important as the inner drive to not give up. When my friends were out having fun, I was knocking on doors, calling clients and learning how to be the person I needed to be.
In terms of my educational background, I have a degree in psychology, but my real education came from Tony Robbins and Mike Ferry.
Q. When did you begin your RE/MAX Career? A. I began working with RE/MAX 27 years ago.
Q Do you serve any roles or belong to organizations in the communities in which you live and sell?
A. Time is limited because I want to stay married and be present for my family. So, my work free time is spent building up the players on my team as well as learning the very challenging and changing market.
Q. Receiving the Diamond Club award is a huge accomplishment. What is your secret to success?
A. I have 30 years of experience behind me in developing relationships, so that certainly has helped my success. A good majority of my business is built on referrals and past clients, so I also make an effort to always stay in contact with my clients. I find that an actual phone call works best. Also, I find that my knowledge of the market and positive attitude is what clients respect most. My team does some direct mailings and are on Zillow as well.
Q. What advice would you give to other RE/MAX agents in our region to keep them motivated to rise to the level of success you have, even in a market that sometimes can be challenging where inventory is low?
A. Continue to be on the phone. Think of your work like a run, there is no gliding or shortcuts. Communication is the key to all of this. The other part that is really important is knowing what to say. Always ask yourself, “Does what I’m going to say add any value to the conversation?”
Q. What do you like best about working for RE/MAX?
A. Definitely the freedom. I can run my business without constraints. My broker handles all the distractions and all I need to do is run my system.
Q. Where do you have your Diamond Club award displayed?
A. In my office. I’m not really an award seeker, so I was unaware of this distinction until my broker contacted
me in December while I was on the golf course with some friends in California. I really felt proud once I heard the news.
In addition to receiving the prestigious Diamond Club Award, Paul also received awards for #2 in Top 10 Teams for Transactions and #3 for Top 10 Teams for Commissions.
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