Going beyond the call of duty pays off for graduate.

Andres Asion (BBA ’98) didn’t plan for a career in real estate. He majored in marketing and international business in the College of Business Administration, took a real estate course as an elective, and sat for the real estate exam in Florida.

“I thought about doing real estate for the heck of it—as a part-time job ‘till I landed a marketing position',” he said. “I started getting busier and busier, and it dawned on me that maybe real estate would work for a career.”

Andres Asion. Photo by Gio Alma

What got him busy was his involvement when he was 21 in the Yacht Club at the Portofino project for Cervera Real Estate.

“I was asked to be on the floor at the Yacht Club two days a week to interact with customers,” he said, “but I showed up seven days a week and did whatever needed doing.”

For example, he made copies, ran reports, and created price lists.

“I’ve always believed in going beyond the call of duty,” he said. “People saw and liked what I was doing and wanted similar documents for themselves.”

They also saw his commitment.

“I didn’t have the title of office manager, but I did that job anyway,” said Asion, whose title now is vice president of marketing, though his responsibilities range further. “I wasn’t paid for it, but I did it for the experience and for the reputation.”

His involvement in the Yacht Club project surged from the office tasks he was handling to a full-fledged sales position. Since then, he has been involved in the sale of about ten projects, including South Beach high rises Murano, Murano Grande, and The Waverly.

“I meet with developers to determine how we’ll set up their projects from soup to nuts,” he said. “We create a strategy to launch the project, and I assemble the team—including the office manager, whom I supervise—and the sales team.”

He most enjoys the fact that he gets to satisfy lots of people: the developers, realtors, marketing companies, investors who purchase the properties, and the end users who get to live in beautiful buildings.

“It’s a ‘win/win’ for everyone,” he said.

Considering his responsibilities, he credits all the marketing and business courses he took in the college with giving him the necessary background to succeed. But he also credits his academic experience in general.

“By exercising your brain, you become prepared to analyze situations differently,” he said.

Despite his busy schedule, he makes it a point to give back. He has let several people from Florida International University shadow him and has gotten involved in Amigos for Kids, an organization that helps children in need.

“My best friend is one of the founders,” he said. “I started going to the toy drives several years ago, at which we collected toys for 3,000-4,000 kids for the holidays. It was very gratifying—seeing the kids getting a toy that they requested—and I wanted to do more.”

He has since joined the organization’s board of directors and is also involved with after-school and back-to-school programs for homeless children.

“It’s great to give back,” he said, adding a quotation of which he’s fond: “As one continues to go up, be sure to send the elevator back down.”