A Latina Millennial At The Top of Her Game: Maria Velazquez-Sanclemente
Latino Millennials are blazing their career trails in paths that are uncommon from previous generations. This Instagram generation is also becoming well known for breaking the mold of what it means to be at the top of an industry.
Maria Velazquez-Sanclemente, a multimillion dollar selling broker with her own team under the umbrella of the prominent Douglas Elliman Real Estate firm, is one such example.
Sanclemente is part of the SLS Team at Elliman; it had $100 million in sales in 2014 and record-setting transactions in 2015, according to their website. Established in 1911, Douglas Elliman has grown to become the largest regional and the nation's fourth largest real estate company, with a current network of more than 5,000 agents in over 70 offices throughout New York City, Long Island, Westchester and Putnam Counties, as well as South Florida, California, Connecticut.
Sanclemente, in her early 30s, a native of Colombia and with an infectious energy, started with plans to become chef. However, when she came to New York City in 2007 for two weeks, she immediately fell in love with the city. She promptly, pursued a real estate license and in 10 years has built a business catering to high-net worth clients all over Latin America.
"I gain their trust and I am not just selling them an apartment, I am advising them on an investment," says Sanclemente.
Indeed, she travels in and around Latin America once a month conducting seminars, participating in exhibitions and meeting with potential clients. By bringing and sharing her knowledge of the New York City real estate market to the continent, she is opening up this complex market to a different and more diverse clientele. This has led her to expand and diversify her portfolio, giving these Latin American buyers incredible growth and investment potential in the New York City market.
"I love and cherish my clients. I want them to make informed decisions, so as a Latin American, I like to put myself in their shoes and try to make the process of buying property less difficult and more fun by anticipating their questions and interests," Sanclemente said.
She also travels to Miami every year for the second most important art fair in the world, Art Basel. Not only does Sanclemente say that it drives a lot of people to see the art, it is also a great reason to see new building developments and homes on the market. Many South Americans attend the four-day fair and Sanclemente said that "I have an opportunity to meet them and spend quality time getting to know them better," she noted.
Sanclemente seems to be the Latin American link for Douglas Elliman. In her decade-long career in real estate, she is at the tip of the iceberg in her profession. She shares her advice for millennials pursing their goals.
"Be tenacious, be hungry and be motivated," she said.
Sanclemente proves that hard work, focus and discipline pays off. She is achieving in a very tough often male dominated industry. And this petite Latina has broken the mold.
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!