Traducción al español
September 2022
“Without a doubt, the joy and appreciation shown by our clients when we hand over the keys to their first home” is what The Garcia Team enjoys the most about their work in real estate. In business for 20 years, Octavio and Evelyn Garcia are proud to call the Greater Rochester region home and just as proud to help individuals and families with their real estate needs. Read on for their story.
“We are with our clients from the beginning to the end of the transaction and beyond.” - Octavio and Evelyn Garcia, Founders, The Garcia Team
What motivated you to start your real estate business and what areas do you focus on?
We have been servicing Monroe County and the surrounding area since 2002. Prior to Rochester we lived in Peekskill, NY in Westchester County. During our search for a new home, we felt that Rochester would be a great place to raise our two small boys. During this search, we realized how affordable the real estate market was here compared to where we lived, which also triggered the question, “Why are so many of my family members not homeowners?” We quickly realized that the Latino community at the time lacked representation, so we took a leap of faith and decided to practice real estate.
I (Octavio) became a licensed salesperson that year and Evelyn became a full-time licensed salesperson in 2016. We put a Spanish speaking team together comprised of attorneys, lenders and at the time a home inspector. Over the years, we have worked closely with some not-for-profit agencies to educate first-time homebuyers in the area. Today, our focus is still residential, but over the last year we have expanded our business to include commercial as well.
What do you both really enjoy about real estate?
Without a doubt, it is the joy and appreciation shown by our clients when we hand over the keys to their first home. We are with our clients from the beginning to the end of their journey and beyond. We believe in forming a relationship with every buyer, this is a personal investment and most often the biggest investment they will make for themselves in their lifetime. We make sure to always educate and guide all our clients.
“We believe in forming a relationship with every buyer.” - Octavio and Evelyn Garcia
What have been some challenges?
Our Latino community continues to grow at a rapid pace, but not having enough bilingual representation in different areas, such as home buyer education, mortgage loan officers, attorneys, inspectors, etc. has forever been a challenge.
How has it helped you both, and of course others, to be bilingual?
Seventy-five percent of our business is with the Latino community, and it has been like that for more than 20 years, and 95% of our business comes through referrals from previous clients. Many of our Latino families do speak and understand English, but not necessarily the real estate lingo. The fact that we can communicate and translate for our community has made a huge impact.
What perspective would you like to share with others about the current state of the real estate market?
The current market is the most confusing and challenging we have ever seen for buyers. But no matter what the market may look like, buying a home is a great investment for a family at any point in time.
What is your relationship with ESL and what would you like to share about that?
We have had a professional relationship with ESL throughout the years, and when we decided to start our business, we felt that ESL would also be a great fit for us.
What else would you like to share that you think is important for people to know?
We think people should know about the ESL First-Time Home Buyer programs [ESL First-Time Homebuyer Grant for Black and Latino residents and the Homebuyer Dream Program], which have been a success in the Rochester area. We currently have some clients enrolled in this program.
