Darin and Susan Marques epitomize the definition of entrepreneurial spirit.
Their positive, ‘glass half full’ approach is the Marques way. It’s also the foundation of how they became leaders in the luxury real estate market.
“When your vision outgrows where you’re at, you must grow with it,” said Darin Marques. “Our vision for what we want to provide our clients made opening Virtue the natural next step.”
Darin and Susan chose the name Virtue to represent the core values that guide how their brokerage conducts business, including how it serves its clientele. They promote these values by awarding agents based on client reviews rather than strictly generated sales.
“We’re huge believers that the customer is always first,” said Darin. “Many industries have gone away from that mindset. We want to bring that back by focusing 100% on customer satisfaction.”
Since the firm’s model depends on high customer service, Darin and Susan introduced a genuine concierge service. They recently hired an Executive Concierge with extensive experience to provide unparalleled hospitality resources.
“Her responsibility is to ensure our clients feel welcome and have a great experience,” said Susan. “No different than if they were staying at the finest hotels and a VIP Host was setting up their time for them.”
In addition to providing extraordinary customer service, Darin and Susan are creating an innovative structure for their agents. The corporate framework includes distinct in-house divisions to offer invaluable services to agents joining their team, while also marketing these services to agents who choose to remain independent.
A separate internal Sales Department is in the works at Virtue to prospect and generate leads.
“The biggest thing agents hate is prospecting, so why fight it?” said Darin. “Why force them to do something they don’t want to do? Instead, we’ll create a service that provides in-house leads, so agents don’t have to worry about buying lists from other services.”
Virtue’s in-house Marketing Department, led by Susan, offers agents an entire catalog of marketing services and execution.
“We’ll help them build their business,” said Susan. “When you hire us, we’ll help you draft a complete marketing plan and implement it.”
Darin and Susan also focus on mentoring, coaching, and educating the agents who join Virtue.
“I get more joy from watching one of our agents close their first million-dollar deal than closing a big deal myself,” said Darin. “So, I look forward to helping agents grow their business.”
As part of their customer-focused approach, Virtue’s services have broadened to include commercial real estate.
“Many of our clients are business owners, so there is usually a need for commercial services,” said Darin. “We can now offer services for all our clients’ real estate needs.”
Susan plans to lead Virtue’s Builder and Developer division, which intends to manage various services for construction industry professionals.
“They can hire us as a full-service agency or pick services a la carte,” said Susan. “This allows the builder to focus on what they do best—building and developing properties—while we add value by doing what we do best.”
Their ultimate plan is to expand into other markets. Plans are already in motion to open a Henderson location at the beginning of next year, followed by additional offices in Reno, Southern California, and Arizona by the end of the year. Eventually, they plan to franchise the Virtue brand and open offices nationwide.
