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Rookie of the Year Randy Perez celebrates first year with HVA
By Leah Templeton
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| Randy Perez | |
When franchisee Randy Perez reached his one-year anniversary with HVA last month, he had good reason to celebrate. At the Annual Convention Perez was recognized as one of the Top Closers in a Junior Market (50 properties closed), and one of the Top Sellers in a Junior Market (30 properties).
It was no surprise that those accolades earned him the Rookie of the Year award. And although Columbus, GA, may be considered a Junior Market, Perez operates like a major market player.
"I really wanted that Rookie of the Year award," said Perez. "You only get one shot at it and it was an important one for me."
Last year Perez and his team at RP Investment Group bought 51 houses. This year their sights are set even higher -- 80. With a background in real estate investing, Perez joined HVA with an eye for this business.
"I was a part-time real estate investor for nine years and committed to real estate full time about two years ago," said Perez. "I’m a licensed contractor in Florida and Georgia and I also hold a real estate license. My company acquired and remodeled more than four hundred units in eleven years. At our peak, we held one hundred and fifty units of rental property. We’ve done everything from single family houses, to low-end apartment complexes to developing subdivisions."
Perez realized that his strong rental portfolio would serve him well in a business like HomeVestors and purchased a franchise in late 2006.
"In anticipation of a revived market now is a great time to accumulate property," he said. "With the retail market hurting, we have focused on wholesaling with a secondary goal of accumulating rentals in owner occupied areas which we will remodel and hold until the market recovers."
Perez credits his success to hard work and a strong office support team which includes Debbie Rocha, Bobby Reynolds, Stephanie Sallee and others.
"I have a strong desire to help those around me succeed and become better people overall, not just better employees," he said. "These accomplishments also took determination and creating specific goals for the business."
Some of those goals came as a direct result of Perez’s involvement with the HVA MasterMind Group, a peer-to-peer networking program that helps franchisees learn from one another.
"When I read Napoleon Hill's book, Think and Grow Rich, it was the first time I had been introduced to the power of a mastermind," Perez said. "I decided when I read that book that if I ever had the opportunity to be a part of a mastermind group I would pursue it. I really like the idea of other successful franchisees from different backgrounds coming into my business and picking it apart. What I didn't realize at first, but what I discovered at our first meeting, was that I could also learn from discussing other franchises issues, challenges and successes."
Perez said he appreciates the value of being surrounded by positive, hard working and focused individuals that share a common bond.
"It’s comforting to have a group of individuals who have succeeded and failed and ultimately realized success in varying degrees," Perez added. "Then they unselfishly come to see you, and spend two days of their time and money just to help you out. To me, that demands that you be successful because you can't let these guys down! I now feel committed to the success of the members in our MasterMind group. Although I want all franchisees to do well, I especially want these guys to do well. There is a bond that I think develops over time when you discuss something as personal as the intimate details of your business. You can't help but develop a sort of bond that is beneficial to all involved."
. . . Leah Templeton is a writer with HomeVestor’s public relations agency BizCom Associates.
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