Above: The Lopez Newton Team
For Tyler Lopez, graduating from the University of Arizona 10 years ago was a stepping stone into an uncertain future. But real estate relatives – and the family friend Rosey Koberlein, boss of Tucson’s deeply rooted Long Realty, a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway – convinced him to give the industry a try in 2011.
“I made $ 100 my first year,” confessed Tyler Lopez. “I had odd jobs to make a living, but I was studying all the time, and it wasn’t long before I was selling 40-50 houses a year.”
Step inside Tana Newton, who had successfully sold luxury real estate for another company and who Tyler met at a lender happy hour in 2015 – and the rest is history. Under the auspices of Long Realty, today’s eight-person Lopez Newton team oversees Tucson’s populous Pima County.
“We had different strengths as a team, but most of the same goals,” said Tyler Lopez. “I needed help and Tana, with a child at home, was looking for a 9 to 5 hour job. So I convinced them to work with me primarily to organize our databases and handle my high-volume transactions. “
With the industry being what it is, the 9-to-5 thing was fantasy, said Tana Lopez. But the couple clicked in more ways than one, and after six years of happy collaboration, they exchanged vows last May.
“It’s great to be married to my best friend,” said Tana Lopez, “and to work with him to build the best team in Tucson. I’m excited to announce that the team’s production will exceed $ 50 million this year. “
It’s an impressive number in a market where the average retail price is less than $ 300,000. According to the following interview, it’s just the beginning.
Barbara Pronin: First of all, congratulations on your wedding. Will this change anything about your team dynamics?
Tyler: Thanks, and no, I don’t think so. We have developed a synergy that is getting stronger and stronger. I’m mostly out of the office, about two thirds of the time, to coach and lead the team. And the rest of the time, I work personally with customers. Tana is inside, where I really appreciate her ability to organize us and manage my high quality transactions.
Tana: We have the same seats on the bus, so to speak, but everyone has their own focus.
BP: Are you the administrator for the rest of the team, Tana?
Tana: No. We have a full-time transaction manager on board, and once a team member has sold 10 houses, they earn the right to their expertise.
BP: Let’s go back a minute, Tyler. Tell me how you grew from a team of two to a team of eight.
Tyler: It was an unusual growth path, but it worked for us because I know my strength lies in training and coaching. So instead of working out of the industry, I like to hire new people with the attitudes and traits I admire, license them, and then spend time with them to get them off to the right start. For example, one of our team members was once my boss, the others are all people we knew personally – high performers who were looking for change and whom we placed a lot of trust in.
BP: What’s that special sauce that makes you all a good team?
Tyler: Put each other first. That wins the day. Whatever the problem, if it’s not good for everyone, it’s not good for anyone. We have great communication, respect for each other, a lot of flexibility and team spirit and make sure that no one is left behind.
Tana: Rosey is a great influencer. I once heard her advise people to “give away the winnings”. In other words, don’t take personal responsibility for a good result. Whether customer, employee or whoever, let them win. That resonated with me. It’s a great philosophy because it creates trust – and that was a key factor in our growth.
BP: What is making your phones ring?
Tyler: Firstly, unbeatable customer service. We have been among the top 20 salespeople in Tucson for a number of years and that’s because of our reputation for being knowledgeable, customer-focused professionals.
BP: How has the pandemic year affected you and what are your goals for the future?
Tyler: The pandemic got a lot of Americans moving, which has kept us very busy. We have doubled our sales this year to over 100 units to date, with a forecast target of over 200 units by the end of the year. Our goal now is to add two more members to the team over the next few months – for a cap of 10 – and grow our sales volume to over $ 100 million by 2023.
Tana: And of course the Lopez-Newton team will be known as Lopez and Lopez in the future!
Barbara Pronin is an editor at RISMedia.
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