01 · Relationships
Your strongest business asset may be the clients and personal relationships you've built over the past 18 years.
A personalized business-growth briefing
Marina, you've already built the reputation. Now let's build the next level around it.
Nearly two decades of experience. A loyal client base. A reputation built on trust. And a real track record of helping people buy and sell homes across Orange County.
The question isn't whether you know how to succeed in real estate.
It's what your business could become with the right strategy, systems, and support behind you.
Prepared for Marina Padovani by Jacob Lawlor
- Since 2008
- Serving Orange County buyers and sellers
- Three languages
- English · Portuguese · Spanish
- 50+ five-star reviews
- Established Zillow client reputation
- $2.5M
- Recent San Juan Capistrano buyer transaction
02 / The business you've built
You've built something that can't be bought. Real relationships and earned trust.
Marina, you've been helping Orange County clients make important real estate decisions since 2008.
Your work has taken you across South Orange County, from Mission Viejo and San Juan Capistrano to Laguna Beach, Aliso Viejo, Dana Point, and beyond.
Your background is different from many agents.
Born and raised in Brazil, you've built a career serving clients in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. That ability to communicate across languages and cultures creates something especially valuable in real estate: trust.
And the client reviews tell a consistent story. People appreciate your patience, communication, professionalism, and personal attention.
Those relationships have value far beyond the initial transaction.
Your interest in travel fits naturally with the international perspective and personal connection you bring to your work.
02 · Experience
You've demonstrated that you can represent clients across a wide range of markets and price points, including multimillion-dollar transactions.
03 · Cultural connection
Your ability to serve English-, Portuguese-, and Spanish-speaking clients gives you a distinctive relationship advantage.
The right next chapter should build on everything you've already earned.
03 / Your business by the numbers
Your production tells a story. And there is more opportunity inside it.
Rolling 12 months · Courted, November 2026
$7.92M
Closed volume
Last 12 months
7
Closed sides
Last 12 months
$1.13M
Average closed price
Last 12 months
+63%
Reported volume growth
Rolling comparison
$2.5M
Recent buyer transaction
San Juan Capistrano
65.9%
Volume in two core markets
Mission Viejo + San Juan Capistrano
3
Reported active listings
Courted November 2026 snapshot
50+
Five-star Zillow reviews
Established client reputation
Production figures are directional, based on public production research and MLS data - not a complete private business record.
Production history · Calendar years
Completed calendar year 2026 year to date (not a full year)
04 / Where the next opportunity lives
The next level doesn't require starting over. It requires building on what works.
Your experience, relationships, and client reputation already exist.
The opportunity is to make those advantages more productive, more consistent, and easier to manage.
- 01
Your past clients are an asset
Every home you've helped someone buy or sell represents more than a completed transaction.
It represents a relationship, a future real estate decision, and an opportunity for referrals.
What would happen if those relationships were supported by an intentional, personalized follow-up system?
Opportunity
Build a relationship-driven repeat and referral system.
- 02
Your business has multiple sources of strength
You've successfully represented both buyers and sellers.
The next step is to identify which side of your business you want to grow, and create a strategy that produces more of those opportunities.
Opportunity
Build around Marina's preferred transaction types, not a generic prospecting plan.
- 03
Your higher-price-point experience can be expanded
You've already demonstrated the ability to represent clients in the $1 million to $2.5 million-plus range.
A deliberate strategy around your most valuable markets and relationships could help create more opportunities at those price points.
Opportunity
Strengthen premium-market positioning and high-value referral development.
- 04
Your reputation should work for you
Years of positive client experiences and reviews have created meaningful credibility.
The opportunity is to translate that reputation into a clearer digital presence and a more consistent source of introductions.
Opportunity
Unify online profiles, testimonials, marketing, and referral campaigns.
- 05
Your time deserves better systems
Experienced agents still spend substantial time on marketing, client updates, follow-up, and administrative work.
The right tools and a practical system can reduce repetitive work without reducing the personal service clients appreciate.
Opportunity
Use modern technology and AI in support of personal relationships.
Your effort deserves better leverage.
05 / Your strongest markets
You already have a foothold. Let's build more depth around it.
Two markets account for approximately two-thirds of your recent closed volume: Mission Viejo and San Juan Capistrano.
That concentration offers an opportunity to strengthen your local authority while continuing to serve the broader Orange County relationships you've built.
Mission Viejo
- Volume
- $2,722,500
- Share
- 34.4%
- Sides
- 2
Recent 12-month closed volume
Share of total volume
Closed sides
Strategy
Build on your existing transaction experience through neighborhood-specific market intelligence, client equity reviews, past-client follow-up, and higher-value homeowner relationships.
San Juan Capistrano
- Volume
- $2,500,000
- Share
- 31.6%
- Sides
- 1
Recent 12-month closed volume
Share of total volume
Closed side
Strategy
Turn experience in a $2.5 million transaction into stronger premium-market positioning, referral conversations, and relationships with homeowners considering their next move.
Three potential specialization lanes to discuss
Lane A
The relationship advisor
Stay closely connected with past clients and their families so they think of you before their next real estate decision.
Lane B
The cross-cultural real estate advisor
Build on the trust you've established with Portuguese-, Spanish-, and English-speaking clients, including buyers and sellers who value personalized guidance.
Lane C
The higher-value South OC advisor
Use your existing higher-price-point experience to develop stronger market authority and a more deliberate premium-client pipeline.
The right strategy should fit the person you've become, not require you to become someone else.
06 / The platform behind the plan
A strong platform matters. A real growth partner matters just as much.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is a respected company with meaningful resources.
The question isn't whether you have a recognizable brokerage behind you.
It's whether the combination of your brokerage's resources and the support you personally receive is helping you build the business you want.
First Team provides the platform.
Jacob provides the execution.
Business asset or opportunity
What you've already built
What First Team + Jacob could add
Past-client relationships
Already builtYears of relationships, referrals, and repeat clients.
Could addFollow Up Boss contact organization, personalized follow-up plans, and direct help setting up a repeat/referral system.
Buyer representation
Already builtSuccessful buyer representation across different markets and price points.
Could addRealScout, Sneak Preview, Buyer Pipeline, and more deliberate buyer engagement.
Listings
Already builtAn active listing business and experience representing sellers.
Could addBuyer Delivery System, listing activity reporting, concierge solutions, and strategic seller communication.
Higher-price-point clients
Already builtProven ability to represent million-dollar and multimillion-dollar transactions.
Could addLuxury Portfolio International, LeadingRE, premium marketing and tailored positioning.
Personal brand
Already builtA strong reputation and multilingual client relationships.
Could addCustomized digital strategy, marketing support, MAXA, Luxury Presence, and an intentional brand plan.
Business strategy
Already builtEstablished skills, industry experience, and a functioning business.
Could addDirect growth planning, regular pipeline reviews, practical AI implementation, and accountability with Jacob.
- First Team Real Estate
- Founded 1976
- Southern California roots
- Luxury + relocation reach
- Internal buyer-demand systems
- Broker-supported technology
The value isn't simply having more tools. It's having a specific plan for turning the right tools into results.
07 / Real people. Real growth.
Different agents. Different strengths. The right partnership changes what's possible.
Experienced agents don't need another recruiting promise.
They deserve to see examples of what happens when proven ability is supported by better strategy, systems, and direct involvement.
The established producer
Sharon Custer
Already successful. Then she found opportunities inside her own network.
Sharon was already a respected South Orange County top producer with approximately $24 million in annual volume.
Through more intentional business strategy and practical AI tools, she uncovered two $10 million-plus buyer opportunities already sitting inside her existing relationships.
The goal wasn't to replace her experience. It was to make that experience even more productive.
- $24M
- Annual volume
- 2
- $10M+ buyers identified
- +76%
- Average sales price increase
Jacob truly knows real estate inside and out, and what sets him apart is his genuine commitment to helping his agents grow and succeed.
The premium-market opportunity
Marlene Hennings
Talented agent. Clear ambition. A more intentional luxury strategy.
Marlene joined First Team with the skill and ambition to grow into higher-value coastal real estate.
Jacob helped connect her with marketing resources, develop her personal brand, and create a strategy around the market she wanted to serve.
Within 90 days, she secured her first listing in that target market for more than $4 million.
- $4M+
- First target-market listing
- $10M
- Six-month closed volume
- +68%
- Reported annual business growth
Jacob has truly helped me build confidence in my real estate business. His one-on-one training, guidance, and support with personalizing my brand have been beyond anything I expected from a manager.
Relationships into results
Valerie Bourg
She built her business around who she already was.
Valerie entered real estate with exceptional people skills and a natural ability to connect with others.
Jacob helped her develop a strategy around those strengths, turning relationships and personal authenticity into a consistent real estate business.
She sold more than $50 million during her first three years and continued growing.
- $50M+
- First three years
- $23M+
- 2025 sales volume
- +91%
- 2025 volume growth
Jacob Lawlor has been an amazing office manager, coach, and mentor for me. He is always there when I need advice, direction, or support, and his coaching and marketing strategies have helped me grow my real estate business with more confidence and clarity.
Individual results vary. These examples are not a guarantee of similar outcomes.
The common thread isn't that these agents became different people. It's that the strategy around them changed.
08 / The right tools for your business
Technology should support your relationships. Not replace them.
Marina, your business has been built through personal service.
The best technology makes that kind of service easier to deliver consistently.
Tool 01
Follow Up Boss
Past-client and referral relationships
What if the people you've already served were organized into a thoughtful follow-up system with reminders, relationship categories, and personalized communication?
Implementation
Audit and organize the database, identify priority relationships, and build a 90-day client-contact plan.
Tool 02
RealScout
Buyer relationship cultivation
Stay connected to buyers through relevant property alerts and engagement insights, while keeping the relationship personal.
Implementation
Organize active buyers, future buyers, and past clients considering a move.
Tool 03
Market Trends + Branded CMA Tools
Market authority
Give homeowners specific information about their neighborhood and property values, creating useful reasons for ongoing conversations.
Implementation
Build market updates around Mission Viejo and San Juan Capistrano.
Tool 04
Buyer Pipeline + Sneak Preview
Listing differentiation
Strengthen your seller conversations through internal buyer demand and access to pre-market property opportunities.
Implementation
Evaluate buyer-demand opportunities for relevant listings and clients.
Tool 05
Luxury Presence + MAXA
Personal brand and marketing
Build a professional, consistent digital presence and marketing materials that reflect your experience, multicultural reach, and client-first reputation.
Implementation
Audit public profiles and create unified messaging and branded materials.
Tool 06
Listing Activity Report + First Impressions Concierge
Seller communication and listing preparation
Give sellers clear reporting, practical preparation options, and a more organized listing experience.
Implementation
Develop a repeatable listing preparation and communication process.
Tool 07
Practical AI + Jacob's Direct Coaching
Time savings and execution
Use AI to draft custom market updates, prepare listing presentations, build personal follow-up campaigns, and reduce repetitive administrative work.
Implementation
Identify the three tasks Marina spends the most time on and build practical workflows around them.
09 / The person beside the platform
First Team gives you the platform. I help you put it to work.
Jacob Lawlor
Regional Branch Manager · Mission Viejo & San Clemente
Marina, I'm Jacob Lawlor.
I manage First Team's Mission Viejo and San Clemente offices, train agents across the company, and work directly with experienced agents who want to grow their businesses.
What I enjoy most isn't simply giving agents access to resources.
It's sitting down, looking at their business, finding the opportunities, creating the plan, and helping put it into practice.
I don't believe experienced agents need to start over.
I believe the right partnership should make what they're already good at even more valuable.
01 Strategy
Understand what you want your business to become, identify your strongest opportunities, and build a specific plan around them.
02 Systems and execution
Set up practical follow-up, marketing, and client-management systems that support consistent production.
03 Ongoing partnership
Meet regularly, review what's working, adjust the plan, and keep the focus on the opportunities that actually matter.
My goal isn't to tell you to work harder. It's to help make sure the work you're already doing is building the business and life you want.
10 / A possible 90-day plan
Imagine the next 90 days. Focused on your business.
A brokerage change should only be worth considering if there's a clear reason it could improve your business.
Here's what a practical growth partnership could look like.
Days 1-30
Understand + organize
- Review current business sources and 2027 goals.
- Organize past-client and referral contacts.
- Audit public profiles and existing marketing systems.
- Identify the most promising growth opportunities.
- Build a realistic business plan around her actual strengths.
Outcome
A clearer plan and a more organized business.
Days 31-60
Build + implement
- Launch a personal repeat/referral contact system.
- Establish localized market communication.
- Develop premium-client and listing materials.
- Create practical AI workflows.
- Conduct regular pipeline strategy sessions.
Outcome
A functioning system supporting daily business activity.
Days 61-90
Refine + grow
- Review conversations, appointments, and opportunities.
- Refine follow-up campaigns.
- Strengthen geographic and niche positioning.
- Adjust strategy based on results.
- Set the operating plan for the next quarter.
Outcome
A clearer, repeatable business rhythm.
What you already have
- Deep client relationships
- Years of experience
- Positive reviews
- Multilingual communication
- Buyer and seller expertise
- Higher-price-point experience
What we could build around it
- Organized referral systems
- Consistent personal follow-up
- Localized market authority
- Targeted premium-market strategy
- Reduced repetitive work
- Direct strategic coaching and accountability
Illustrative scenario
What might a few additional closings mean?
Baseline: 7 closed sides at an average of $1,131,483.
715
$
Estimated closed volume
$11,314,830
Additional vs. 7-side scenario
+$3,394,449
This is an illustrative production scenario, not a prediction or guarantee. Actual results depend on market conditions, transaction prices, activity, and conversion.
The goal is not more activity for its own sake. It's more of the right opportunities, supported by a business that becomes easier to operate.
11 / Let's talk about your goals
Before we talk about brokerages, let's talk about your future.
Marina, I'm interested in understanding what you want your business to look like over the next few years.
If there's an opportunity for me and First Team to help you get there, I'd love to explore it.
If you're already getting exactly what you need, that's valuable to know too.
This should be a useful business conversation regardless of what you decide.
- 1.
What would make 2027 an exceptional year for you?
- 2.
Would you rather increase transaction count, raise your average sales price, or create more personal freedom?
- 3.
How are you staying connected with your past clients and referral relationships?
- 4.
Which parts of your business are working best, and which take more effort than you'd like?
- 5.
What support are you currently receiving that you value most?
- 6.
If we could improve one part of your business together, what would you want to start with?
Confirm or reschedule
Our Zoom conversation is scheduled for Monday, November 9, 2026, at 2:30 PM Pacific.
If you'd like to confirm, reschedule, or share a question before we meet, you can reach me directly below.
Jacob Lawlor · 949-201-0899 · JacobLawlor@FirstTeam.com
First Team Real Estate · Mission Viejo Office
12 / The next chapter
Marina, you've already done the hardest part. You've earned people's trust.
You've built relationships, established a strong reputation, and proven that you can help people succeed through important real estate decisions.
Those strengths shouldn't be replaced.
They should be supported.
The right next chapter isn't about simply joining another brokerage.
It's about having the right platform behind your business and the right person beside you, helping you turn your experience into the future you want.
I'd enjoy exploring what that could look like together.
Jacob Lawlor
Regional Branch Manager
First Team Real Estate
Mission Viejo & San Clemente
Proven principles. Modern leverage. Serious agent growth.