Cyrus Fiene: Tips For New Brokers from '30 Under 30' Award-Winning Agent and Team Leader

Cyrus Fiene's accomplishments as a REALTOR® belie his seven years as a broker. Entering the field of real estate at age 21 can be daunting, and for Cyrus, he chose a path to success by networking largely on his own and getting to know prospective clients by working other brokers' open houses. Today, he leads a team where he mentors other agents, helping them fast-track their careers through the best practices he refined.

Recently selected as one of Coldwell Banker International's top 30 Agents Under 30 for the second time, before starting his team, Cyrus ranked in the Top 1% of Coldwell Banker Worldwide. Since founding Cyrus Fiene Team, in its first year in the "team size 3 or less" category, it has achieved top 4% internationally at Coldwell Banker, selling over $60 Million in Sales in 2021 (among more than 100,000 agents). He characterizes his client relationships to be built on trust, integrity, and his "relentless effort to get the job done."

Raised in Edmonds and an alumnus of Seattle University in Capitol Hill, Cyrus grew up and worked all over the Puget Sound, from Redmond to downtown Seattle. His knowledge of Seattle's neighborhoods gave him a near encyclopedic fluency to pair listings with his clients' unique lifestyles and needs. But he almost missed his calling in real estate.

Fresh from college graduation, Cyrus started to work at a marketing firm. Six months into it, he realized it wasn't for him. He recalled that his mother, who was a part-time real estate agent, always remarked that he'd do well working in the industry. A year after her passing from cancer and following a three-week, soul-searching super cruise courtesy of his father, Cyrus told himself he'd try it for a year. If it was successful, he'd continue; if not, he'd keep searching.

Cyrus joined CB Bain right away, impressed by how much it focused on education. He admits he is not one to work under the 'fake it 'til you make it' mentality: "I really need to know what I'm talking about; when I know my craft very well, I can be confident about it," he said. Cyrus immersed himself in education and classes, as well as mentoring under John Deely who was managing broker at the time (now Coldwell Banker Bain's EVP of Operations). 

Cyrus recalls commuting to the South Lake Union office from Edmonds his first four years – and how he made it to the office every single day. By being in the office and hearing the chatter of the successful agents, he learned a lot about client behavior and agent gems of the trade. "For me, being physically present was the only way to go – I firmly believe that – in real estate – things must be done in person. Feeling the space, taking in the neighborhood, talking to the neighbors. It is home, it isn't something you can genuinely experience virtually."

As a young agent, Cyrus chose to build his network by covering open houses for other brokers in his office. No one in his personal network could yet afford to buy a house, so by becoming an expert in his field during the first few years, he'd be ready when his own network was in a position to buy.  It wasn't the easiest path, but for Cyrus, it was one he found rewarding.

During COVID's initial shutdown, when the world stood still, Cyrus called all the brokers he respected and asked them about their teams and how to launch one.  He used the time to analyze his business needs and formed his own team, starting with a transaction coordinator. Today, his four-person team is all brokers: Tarice, Thomas and Monica. "I helped Monica and Thomas get their first houses; I was their broker!" he mused. 

The main benefits to his team of brokers are Cyrus's training, guidance, and his insights—especially after approaching this field without a team, initially. Having access to the contacts he's acquired over the years and to be able to align with his stellar reputation are also huge bonuses.

Some of Cyrus' key points for new brokers are:

1. Put in the hours. Real estate is a 24/7 career, i.e., researching and stats, scouring industry articles, contacting brokers to get their open houses, website marketing, working on CRM, initiating coffee meetups, etc. Eight out of 10 first-year agents don't renew their licenses after year one; another 80 percent of the remaining agents don't renew in the second year. It takes a tenacious and self-driven personality to succeed.
2. Listen to your clients and act on their feedback. Spend time getting to know your clients, put yourselves in their shoes, and ask detailed questions that paint a full picture.
3. Follow up and follow through. This applies to clients, as well as colleagues; deliver on your promises. Integrity is valued and follow-through shows that you are committed.
4. Save up before starting out. Save enough money to sustain you through your first six months, because your first sale might take that long.
5. Work the way that serves you best. Plenty of brokers don't work on a team and find it manageable. Others crave the team atmosphere, camaraderie, and shared connections and experience. Do what suits you best - just know that starting on your own could be the more challenging path.

Additionally, if you're an established broker and so busy that you don't have the capacity to serve everyone who seeks out your help, chances are you're losing out on business - consider starting a team. Just know that once you have a team the work doesn't get easier.

"People have this impression that starting your own team saves you time. That simply is not the case. As a team leader, I must sustain my own business while also helping my teammates grow their own. As a solo agent for six years, to me, it is 100% worth it and motivating for me to have the buzz of a team, the support of one another, and people to celebrate wins with," Cyrus says.

Take a moment to hear what his own clients say about Cyrus in this short video here.

Follow Cyrus on Instagram at @cyrusfiene_seattlerealtor.