This week on The EnTRUEpreneurship Podcast, Wes welcomes Mark Deutschmann — CEO and Founder of both Village Real Estate and Core Development. Village Real Estate employs over 300 agents and staff and operates out of its headquarters in downtown Nashville. Core Development — an offshoot of Village Real Estate — is an award-winning real estate development team focused on environmental stewardship and community revitalization.
In the podcast, Deutschmann describes how he grew both of these companies to be 8-figure revenue generators, even with a background completely unrelated to real estate and development. Mark retells the fascinating story of how a circumstance that left him (literally) shipwrecked paved the way into selling properties. Along the way, Mark shares the founding principle which makes his companies unique and gives some rich advice to entrepreneurs across all industries.
The EnTRUEpreneurship Takeaway:
“I encouraged [my real estate agents] to have their own unique selling propositions, and I wanted everybody to, when people ask them what they do, be able to say something that is intriguing — more than, ‘I’m a real estate agent.’”
“[At the beginning] I was fairly naive in some ways, but I think we’re all a little naive when we start our businesses. Most of us really don’t know what we’re doing, and we learn over time.”
“There are stages of growth. I might begin to get confident in one area of the business and understand that I’m pretty good at it. Then, some new phase will come along and I know nothing, and I’ll have to come reinforce my skillset in some new area.”
“Ultimately, [learning and succeeding is finding] who is doing what in the area where you are today and can you tap into a little bit of that resource and bring it back home.”
“Bring your passion to your business. Who are you before you come to your business? Make sure that that’s a part of your business.”
Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) – Highlighting key topics discussed:
1:51: Mark tells the incredible story of the unique circumstances that drove him into the real estate business, which involves studying zoology and being shipwrecked.
5:38: Mark describes why he was so successful as a young real estate agent, which ultimately became the founding principle upon which his real estate business was built.
6:36: Deutschmann takes some time to describe what Nashville, Tennessee was like when he first started selling properties and why it was the prime market for his real estate strategy.
8:55: Mark shares what makes his real estate venture unique and how he has found the right real estate agents for his company since day one.
13:09: Deutschmann explains how he sold his company vision to his employees and describes some of the hardest moments of his earliest days.
15:53: Mark describes the beginnings of his second company — Core Development Services — and the circumstances that drove him to becoming a real estate developer.
18:11: Mark retells the hardest moment of his entrepreneurial journey, which included nearly being scammed by a con-artist and convicted felon.
20:32: Mark reveals what he believes has been the key to success over the years.
22:08: Deutschmann explains why he is confident in any challenge that arises and how entrepreneurs should go about resolving obstacles that surface.
25:10: Mark shares his biggest piece of advice with entrepreneurs, which involves making sure your passion and your business collide.
Bullet List of Resources –
Mark Deutschmann
– Personal Website (featuring information on his new book)
Village Real Estate
Core Development