Building Success in Real Estate: The Journey of Tre Serrano and His Team

From Service to Real Estate: Tre’s Early Career

The Transition from Public Service to Real Estate

Tre Serrano’s story begins far from the world of real estate. He spent nine years as a police officer in San Antonio and was a paramedic before that. His dedication to service runs deep, having grown up with a veteran father and feeling the call to serve others from a young age. After the tragic events of 9/11, Tre knew he wanted to dedicate his life to civil service. However, a shift happened when he saw an opportunity in real estate—not just for profits, but to continue his passion for helping families.

Why Real Estate?

For Tre, real estate wasn’t just a business; it was a chance to continue serving his community in a new way. His background in public service had taught him empathy, patience, and problem-solving—all tr

aits that are critical in the real estate world. These skills would later prove invaluable as he began to build his team and manage client relationships.

The Birth of a Real Estate Team

Motivation Behind Building a Team

After spending four years in real estate, Tre realized that if he wanted to serve more families, he couldn’t do it alone. “I made every mistake a team leader can make,” Tre candidly admits. But each mistake was a learning opportunity. His goal was simple: to provide exceptional service to more families. To achieve that, he needed a team.

A Team Built on Values

The cornerstone of Tre’s real estate team is service. “People can sense when you’re genuinely there to help, and that’s brought me more business,” Tre explains. This value-driven approach attracted not only clients but also team members who resonated with his mission. The team was built around the idea of extending exceptional service beyond what one person could provide.

Key Components of a Successful Real Estate Team

Client Service Comes First

The backbone of any successful real estate team, according to Tre, is client service. While back-end systems are important, Tre emphasizes that without scalable client service, nothing else matters. His team excels at making sure that every client feels valued, especially during the transition from working with Tre himself to working with other team members. This smooth handoff ensures that clients always feel they are in capable hands.

Lead Generation: The Importance of Personal Touch

Unlike many teams that rely on automated systems or outsourced ISAs (Internal Sales Agents), Tre personally handles the hottest leads. Whether they come through YouTube, Google, or word of mouth, Tre makes a point to connect with these clients directly. “It creates a stronger connection when clients speak with the person they’ve seen online,” Tre notes. This hands-on approach has been a key driver of his success.

Building a Strong Team Culture

Recruiting Agents: Quality Over Quantity

When it comes to recruiting agents, Tre doesn’t rely on job postings or mass advertising. Instead, he focuses on high-level networking and personal referrals from his sphere. This careful selection process ensures that every agent is the right fit for the team culture. “We feed our agents well, and we’re selective about who we bring on,” Tre says, emphasizing that the team is a partnership where both the leader and agents contribute to business growth.

The Role of Personality in Recruitment

Tre doesn’t look solely at an agent’s past transactions or online presence when bringing someone on board. While these factors are important, Tre prioritizes personality fit and how well the agent aligns with the team’s core values. In a small team, chemistry is crucial, and Tre’s recruitment process ensures that the team remains cohesive.

The Structure of Tre Serrano’s Team

Support Staff: The Backbone of Operations

A key part of Tre’s success is his support staff. For a team of three agents, Tre employs five support staff members, including an in-person marketer, a videographer, a Director of Operations, a transaction coordinator, and a virtual assistant for CRM and email marketing. This robust support structure allows the agents to focus on client relationships while the back-end tasks are handled efficiently.

Role of Technology and Systems

Tre also emphasizes the importance of having the right systems in place. By documenting every task, as if explaining it to a five-year-old, he ensures that the team can operate smoothly even if someone leaves. This systematic approach allows for easy onboarding and consistent client experiences.

Lessons from Mistakes: Insights for Future Leaders

Building a Team of Entrepreneurs: The Early Challenges

One of the key mistakes Tre made early on was building a team full of entrepreneurial go-getters like himself. While this seemed like a great idea at the time, it led to inconsistent client experiences. Each agent had a different approach, and the lack of cohesive systems resulted in uneven service. “I realized the importance of a strong back-end structure,” Tre explains.

The Importance of Team Culture

Another major lesson was the significance of team culture. Tre admits that he didn’t fully appreciate how important a positive, productive culture was for retention and productivity. Over time, he realized that creating a supportive environment wasn’t just about getting along—it was about fostering a sense of purpose and gratitude, which directly impacts team performance.

The Role of Coaching in Tre’s Success

Why Coaching is Invaluable

For Tre, having a coach has been an essential part of his journey. “It’s not just about accountability,” he says. “It’s about having a community of leaders around you.” The insights, feedback, and shared experiences from other leaders in his coaching community have helped Tre avoid common pitfalls and continuously improve his team.

Hiring for the Role, Not the Person

One of the best pieces of advice Tre received from his coach was to write down every task he performs and then assign those tasks to different roles, not based on personalities. This approach ensures that if someone leaves the team, the role can be easily filled without disrupting the business.

Scaling for Success: Focus on Service, Not Profits

Scaling Client Service

Tre believes that scaling client service is more important than focusing on profitability. “If you scale your service, the profits will come,” he says. His focus on delivering exceptional client experiences at every touchpoint has been the key to his success. By concentrating on service, Tre has been able to build a loyal client base and grow his business organically.

Sustaining Growth Over Time

Looking ahead, Tre’s goal is to sustain his team’s growth without sacrificing the quality of service. He acknowledges that as his brand grows, the challenges of scaling will become more complex. However, his commitment to his core values of service and teamwork will continue to guide his leadership.

Final Thoughts: A Leader Who Inspires

Tre Serrano’s journey from public service to real estate is a testament to the power of leadership, resilience, and a service-driven mindset. His team’s success is rooted in values, client service, and a culture of gratitude. For those looking to build a successful real estate team, Tre’s story offers invaluable insights: focus on service, build systems, and create a supportive team culture. A high level of branding and content, specifically tailored to first responders and Veterans, played a crucial role in fostering trust and initiating conversations quickly between clients and agents. By creating a niche focused on serving these groups, the connection felt more personal and genuine, allowing clients to feel understood and valued from the very beginning. This targeted approach not only made clients feel more comfortable but also empowered agents, knowing they were working with a well-defined and appreciative audience. “My advice to all agents is to niche down as soon as possible and as specifically as possible. It’s the key to creating meaningful relationships and ensuring long-term success in any market” Tre explains.