Realtor® Robin Raiff: Building Relationships Through Community Actions
SEBASTIAN, Fla. – Robin Raiff, a broker associate and team leader for Douglas Elliman Real Estate in Sebastian, has carved a remarkable path in the real estate industry over the past two decades. Her journey began in 2003 when she decided to venture into real estate.
At the time, she needed a job that provided flexibility as she navigated the complexities of a family situation, which included her mother having early onset Alzheimer's and her autistic brother. A Realtor® member of her church recognized her potential and offered Raiff a part-time position that eventually led to her getting her real estate license.
"Because I had kids at home, I could not work a regular 9 to 5 job,” she recalls. “I was already fired from one job while I was trying to figure out what was wrong with my mom. My brother is autistic, so getting both of them to doctors' appointments on top of all my kids' stuff was a challenge. I needed to go back to work.”
She became an administrative assistant for the Realtor from church.
“I stayed with him for two years, joined the local Realtor association and took every class I could to learn about the business. I absolutely fell in love with real estate and wish I would have gotten in sooner,” she said.
Raiff is one of 20 Realtors in the first class to become a Board Certified Professional®, a new endorsement from Florida Realtors® for Realtors who have reached the pinnacle of their careers and fulfilled leadership, education and skill-based achievements over during their real estate careers.
Building her career step by step, Robin established a team to handle the increasing volume of transactions. Today, her team consists of four members, including her daughter and son-in-law, making it a family affair. They offer a comprehensive range of real estate services, specializing in residential properties with a price point ranging from affordable manufactured homes to million-dollar condos.
Raiff's team is known for going above and beyond to provide full-service support to their clients. They take pride in assisting seniors and those in need, offering services such as gathering boxes, packing, pulling weeds, cleaning and even providing professional photography to ensure top-quality listings. Their dedication to excellence is evident in the care they take to represent their clients and provide them with the best possible service.
"About 80% of our business comes from repeat and referral from our sphere," Raiff says. "Our tagline is ‘Building relationship, not just sales.’ "
The key, she adds, is to keep in touch.
"We have an annual party and invite about 300 people and usually 150 to 200 show up," she says.
In addition, throughout the year, the team sends quarterly mailings, handwritten letters and more.
"Some of it is old school, but we also embrace technology," says Raiff. That includes being one of the first in her area to use a Matterport camera that offers an immersive and interactive showing experience.
"We also use the Giraffe360 virtual tour camera. We want to continue to think outside the box," she says.
Beyond her real estate practice, Raiff is actively involved in her local community. She has been an essential part of the local high school's band booster organization. She supports various charitable organizations, including those that assist people experiencing homelessness and provide scholarships to local students. Her dedication to the community has earned her the respect and admiration of her peers and clients.
"My two youngest were in the band and I was band booster president,” Raiff recalls. “They both graduated but the school still reaches out to me for support. Our team also sponsors fireworks for the high school at graduation."
Raiff's story is a testament to the power of perseverance and demonstrating genuine care for clients and the community. Her dedication to raising the bar for professionalism in real estate is commendable and sets an example for other Realtors to follow.
As she continues to serve her community and excel in her profession, Raiff proves that being a Realtor is not just a job; it's a heartfelt mission to build relationships.
Florida Realtors® serves as the voice for real estate in Florida. It provides programs, services, continuing education, research, and legislative representation to about 238,000 members in 51 boards/associations. Florida Realtors® Newsroom website is available at floridarealtors.org/newsroom