Robert Elder had to drive a friend’s car to the Dominion to cut hisfirst major deal as a real estate agent when he entered the marketin the mid–90s. He remembers it all too well because he was desperatelydepending on the transaction.
“It’s funny because in Laredo I had only done a couple of rentals, andthen all of a sudden I’m at the Dominion, going from showing mobilehomes to million–dollar homes,” Elder says with a laugh. “At the time, Iwas dating a girl who had a Jaguar, so I borrowed her car. I don’t think Ieven had a car. I was so broke. It was a lot sale, and the gentleman tookit.”
How the tide has changed for the 36–year–old Laredo native sincethose lean days of financial struggle. Today, he is president of the RobertElder Group, which consists of an elite core of highly–trained real estateprofessionals with expertise in marketing homes, new home constructionand full buyer representation services.
The Robert Elder Group, which includes a staff of five, reported $15million in sales for 2007 despitemarket struggles. Still, the companypresident believes he could havedone better. “I was kind of bummedbecause I wanted to hit $20 million,”he says. “I’m very driven. My goalsare ever–changing. When I attain agoal, I’m ready to set a new one.”
His disappointment didn’t lastlong, however. His spirits werequickly lifted when he received aphone call from the San AntonioBusiness Journal, informing himthat the Robert Elder Group wasnamed one of the publication’s Top25 Real Estate Groups in San Antoniofor 2007.
Elder credits his mom/businesspartner, Alice Jo Sanchez, for much of his success. It was she whoencouraged her son to get his real estate license after she began sellinghomes in 1989. “He used to go with me on weekends, throwing fliersfrom the car,” Sanchez says. “He picked up the business very well. Wework great together because we understand each other’s mindset. We’relike peas and carrots.”
Elder moved here from Laredo in 1987. Later, after graduating fromLee High School in 1989, he got his license and returned to the bordertown to sell real estate. “It was like the wild, wild west,” he says. “Nothingwas done in writing, even for repairs. I learned the proper way, so I knewthat wasn’t right. A lot of builders there would list a house for 1 percent.They wanted the buyer’s agent to get a half percent and the seller’s agentto get a half percent. I thought, ‘Geez, you can make more money workingat McDonald’s.’”
Disillusioned, Elder returned to San Antonio and helped out at thereal estate group where his mother worked, selling homes at the Dominion.“I was the back–up agent to the back–up agent,” he says. “If the backupagent couldn’t cover the duties of the full–time agents, I would comeinto play. Within a year–and–half, I was the top producer and out–sellingeveryone.”
In January 2007, Elder opened the Robert Elder Group. Business hasbeen good, evidenced by the company’s stellar performance last year. It’shis adherence to the Golden Rule of ‘doing unto others as you wouldhave them do unto you’ that has earned him high marks from clients andcolleagues. “All I have to sell is service,” he says, “so I treat everyone theway I want to be treated.”
Elder will also do whatever it takes to ensure client satisfaction. Herecalls that years ago, when he was a rookie agent at the Dominion, anew homeowner wasn’t happy with his house because the drivewaywas dirty. “Without batting an eye, I went out and rented a power pressurewasher, took off my suit, put on some shorts and washed his driveway,”Elder says. “He didn’t ask for it, but I wanted him to be happy.”Despite the company’s accolades and financial achievements, Elderadmits even he hasn’t been immune to the ongoing mortgage crisis. “It’saffected us absolutely,” he says. “I’m not hitting the numbers I want tohit, but I’ve been in this business for 16 years, so it’s not like I haven’talready seen this. We’ll bounce back.”
Elder, meanwhile, isn’t one to close the door when opportunityknocks. For six years prior to opening his real estate company, heowned Pit Stop, a portable toilet businessthat included 4,500 units. The entrepreneuralso operates Standard Waste,a recycling plant and solid waste companyon East Houston Street. It shipsrecycled corrugated cardboard, printersand office paper to Indonesia, China,Mexico and mills throughout theUnited States.
“Real estate has gotten meinto other businesses,” he says. “There’vebeen risks and gambles, but you don’tget anywhere without taking risks.”
Paul Golibart met Elder 10years ago, when the real estate agentsold him his first home at the Dominion.The two later became businesspartners in Pit Stop, but discontinuedthe partnership when they sold theirbusiness. “I wouldn’t list a house with anybody but Robert,” says Golibart,president of Novatel, a long distance wholesaler. “He’s never metanyone he doesn’t get along with. (Part of his success) has nothing todo with his business or accounting skills. It’s his personality, so that can’tbut help his business. He’s also bilingual, which is an asset when dealingwith people from Mexico who come here to buy a second home.”
For those who wonder how Elder manages to run two successfulbusinesses without burning both ends of the candle, he cites The EMythRevisited by Michael Gerber as a valuable resource. “That bookliterally changed my life,” he says. “It’s all about systems, and how youcan multiply yourself exponentially. You take yourself out of doing 80%of the monotonous stuff and focus on the 20% that makes you money.That’s how I’m able to do all these things.”
When he’s not juggling duties between the Robert Elder Group andStandard Waste, Elder enjoys riding motorcycles and driving exoticcars, as well as spending time with his wife, Edna, and two sons, Austin,7; and Christian, 2, in their 5,600 Sq. Ft. home they recently built in CanyonSprings.
Speaking of exotic cars, it’s safe to assume Elder never will have toworry about borrowing a friend’s vehicle again. At the moment, he’scontent cruising the streets of San Antonio in either of his latest toys: a2006 E55 Mercedes–Benz and 2006 H2 Hummer.
