Don Martone is a managing partner at Century 21 North East in Cranston who focuses his listing efforts in Providence, Cranston, Warwick and East Greenwich, with a heavy emphasis on multimedia branding. He joined the firm in 2018. A Providence native, he also operates his own company called MARTONEMOVES LLC, which produces online content, including a YouTube channel.
PBN: You’ve done a lot of high-end multimedia outreach as part of your brand, including YouTube videos showcasing your style. Can you tell us how you use this content and what impact that’s had on your real estate career?
Beyond Cash Donations: How New Forms of Giving Are Transforming Not-for-Profit Accounting
Evolving Funding Landscape for Not-for-Profits Not-for-profit organizations are being asked to do more with less,…
Learn More
MARTONE: Great question. As of late, my preferred content of choice is video. I see “the listing” as an opportunity to not only promote my clients’ property but as a means to explore my creative side and elevate my brand.
Very early on in my career, I learned quickly that if I was going to be successful at this game, I was going to have to be as authentic and true to myself as possible. The impact? Well, you’ve heard of me, so we are doing something right.
PBN: You’re licensed as a real estate broker in Rhode Island, along with Massachusetts and Connecticut. What’s your perspective on the local real estate market and the level of competition in the industry right now due to market conditions?
MARTONE: There is no need to concern yourself with the “competition”; there is only creation. I have a saying that has become somewhat of my mantra and that is: “Create. Don’t Compete.” Do that and you’ll do just fine.
PBN: What kind of short-term goals do you have as a real estate broker, and how do you plan to achieve them?
MARTONE: Short-term? Take action. Move further in the direction I’m headed into now. After 10 years in the game, I’ve learned that the secret to success is to simplify things. It’s not complicated, so don’t make it out to be. Get to the core. The focus is “Business. Brand. Broker.” I may be wrong, but I’m willing to find out.
PBN: How about the long-term, what are your aims?
MARTONE: Long-term? Take massive action. Use my sales expertise to acquire more physical property and use my creativity to expand into platforms that will allow me to amplify my message and achieve my mission on a larger scale.
PBN: Can you tell us about one real estate deal you’ve done in Rhode Island that was your favorite or is the most memorable for you?
MARTONE: The sale of 110 Congdon St. in Providence was an absolute game changer for me in 2017. The listing had expired. I knocked on the door. The owner answered. “Nice boots,” he said as he closed the door in my face. I was wearing my snakeskin boots at the time. About a year later … after all the social media ads, after the “Home of the Week” spot in the Boston Globe, after a showing with ex-Patriots wide receiver Danny Amendola, I had secured the buyer. I had achieved the goal for my client and proved a lot of my contemporaries wrong. The owner took a shot on me, and I delivered. The sale created that oh-so-beautiful magic in sales we call “momentum.” My career and my brand took off in a big way. So, for that, I am forever thankful, and may God bless you, Jeff.
Marc Larocque is a PBN contributing writer. Contact him at Larocque@PBN.com. You may also follow him on Twitter @LaRockObama.
