Platinum Real Estate is a force to be reckoned with
By Patricia Nugent
Most people don’t look back to the 2008 housing crisis with much fondness.
But for Mark and Denise Zervos and Steve Sears, owners of Platinum Real Estate, it was a time of both heartbreak and high risk that also carried with it a long shot at high potential.
Once Upon a Time There was a Crippling Housing Bubble
“Our origin story began in the midst of the worst housing market the three of us had ever seen, and we’d spent most of our careers in real estate,” says Denise. “People in our community were devastated, so many hardships, as they owed more on their homes than they could sell them for. And it was also a time when agents were leaving the business left and right because it was so bad.”
The three of them sat down and starting strategizing and putting together a way to help people.
“Our first goal was figuring out how best to serve others,” she recalls. “Although there was certainly not much money to be made from the market, we chose to help people in financial hardships sell their home through strategized short sales and unique approaches to keep what they worked so hard for and help those in our community here in Lake County adjust to what they needed and rebuild with pride and dignity.”
Mark and Steve became licensed and certified in short sales by the National Association of Realtors.
“Working as a team with homeowners and their additional legal financial advisors, we provided them alternatives other than declaring bankruptcy, as many were on the path of doing so,” she says. “Our strategies and careful plan tailoring helped many rebuild and keep together what they could. We did more than 300 short sales in just a couple of years.”
Denise explains their original intention with Platinum Real Estate was never to grow the company and offices, that they just wanted to help their neighbors rebuild their lives.
Fast-Forward to a Path of Explosive Growth
After several years in the new adventure, the gamble started to pay off.
Denise reports their faith-based company began attracting like-minded agents who wanted to make a difference in others’ lives.
“It really happened organically,” she says. “Unlike other national franchises, we forged a different sort of model. We gave agents the power to manage their own deals, and the choice to spend their ad dollars however they best saw fit. As a private company, we didn’t have to shackle anyone with a high percentage of their own money going back to the franchise.”
She says they do things from an agent-centric perspective, allowing them to truly become the creators of their own careers in real estate.
“Believing in our agents and supporting their goals as individuals is a rewarding feeling and what we are all about,” she says.
The formula succeeded and more and more agents came on board, spurring them to expand and open additional offices.
They went from one office to many, in Ohio—Mentor, Willoughby, Aurora, Akron, Twinsburg, Westlake, Beachwood, Independence, downtown Cleveland; Columbus—Crosswoods, Easton, Polaris and Dublin; and in Florida—Marco Island, Naples, Cape Coral, Tampa, Winter Park, Sarasota, North Naples, Boca Raton, Miami and Fort Lauderdale. And she hints that this summer they are looking to expand into South Carolina as well.
And yet, the private company stays nimble.
“Our goal is to be more like a power boat moving faster than a big cruise ship that is too big to turn when it needs to,” she says.
What Does the Future Hold?
This spring, Platinum moved into its stunning new headquarters—the Platinum Center. This former landmark (the Polo Building) had fallen into disrepair and Mark, Denise and Steve had the vision and foresight to bring it back to life with a $2 million renovation.
Fostering support for all things local has always been the mission of this trio, and they are particularly proud to be centrally entrenched in the communities they serve.
Located on Center Street, between Route 2 and I-90, the building is in the center of the hub of Lake County, near countless restaurants and shopping.
With all this space, they are open to adding new agents as well.
“We are blessed with a talented group of dynamic individuals who form a synergistic team,” she says. “And clients ultimately benefit from the comprehensive approach.”
Platinum Real Estate has offices in Northeast Ohio, Columbus and Florida. The new Platinum Center headquarters is located at 7200 Center Street in Mentor. To get more information, call 216-990-2100 and visit ContactPlatinum.com. If interested in Platinum Business Spaces, call Steve Sears at 440-415-3017 or Denise Zervos at 216-440-9089.