Commercial Investment Real Estate January/February 2017 | Page 14

CCIM
Q& A
Elizondo reviews
development plans
for a subdivision
project with a client,
Abril Perez (left).
Political Contender
by Samuel S. Moon
n March of 2015, commercial real estate broker and
developer, Dolly Elizondo, CCIM, was running to
become the first Latina from Texas to serve in the U.S.
Congress. Placing third in a six-way Democratic primary, she
narrowly missed the runoff by a mere 1,026 votes out of more
than 50,000 cast.
As she continues her commercial
real estate career and contemplates her
political future, Elizondo appreciates the
long path that brought her to where she
is now.
“Entering fields dominated by men in
my area was certainly a challenge,” says
Elizondo, broker and owner of eReal
Estate Depot in Mission, Texas. “But it
was the confidence instilled in me from
my successes as a commercial real estate professional that allowed
me to pursue other goals.”
With all the national attention from the election, Elizondo
hasn’t ruled out a run in 2018. But whether she decides to run
or not, she hopes that other women from Texas can find inspi-
ration from her journey in both commercial real estate and
politics. She talked to Commercial Investment Real Estate about
her experiences.
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January | February 2017
CIRE: Prior to becoming a real estate professional, you
were a teacher. Why did you decide to pursue a career in
commercial real estate?
Elizondo: As a single parent of two children and looking for
extra income, I took a part-time job selling real estate. In my first
year, I sold more than three times the average agent in their first
year. In the end, it was just a matter of dollars and sense. I loved
teaching, but I realized that I could support my family better
with a career in real estate, so I rolled the dice, took a chance, and
never looked back. Since then, the Rio Grande Valley has seen
explosive growth, particularly in retail leasing and hospitality,
with multimillion dollar listings now common.
CIRE: You purchased a real estate company in the
late 1990s using your retirement money from teaching.
Describe a few of the strategies that helped you set up a
successful brokerage in South Texas?
Elizondo: I might have been the top salesperson at my brokerage,
but when you start your own business, you don’t realize all the
overhead costs involved. As a result, I failed at the very beginning.
It turned out to be mentorship that would be the key for me. I
was fortunate enough to find another female broker in town with
more experience, who helped me to formulate a feasible business
plan, and I went from there, going from a broker to a developer.
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