Paralympic Bronze Medalist Brings Athletic Discipline to Real Estate

Written by:

Rudi Davis

Date:

27 Nov 2024

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Matthew Torres, a Century 21 Scala Group real estate agent, exemplifies how athletic discipline can translate into professional success. Torres, who recently claimed a bronze medal at the Paris Paralympics, has seamlessly transitioned his competitive swimming experience into a promising real estate career.

Torres’s journey began in 2008, inspired by Michael Phelps’s Olympic performances. For the next 15 years, he maintained a grueling schedule: six training sessions per week, often multiple times per day, alongside his academic pursuits. The rigorous routine of “Blood, Sweat, and Tears” in the pool and weight room has shaped his approach to both athletics and business.

“It’s hard to describe,” Torres reflects on his medal-winning achievement. “There were a lot of obstacles to overcome – injuries, setbacks, and COVID-19 postponing the entire Olympic and Paralympic games. But it’s all about trying to keep your head up, staying focused on the goal and objective, and keep pushing through no matter what.”

His entry into real estate came during his final semester at university, where he was studying Finance. Following in his mother’s footsteps, who works as a Century 21 agent, Torres took an internship at the brokerage firm. What started as an exploratory opportunity evolved into a full-time career that he’s now pursued for over a year.

The flexibility of real estate work has proven crucial for Torres’s continued athletic success. He structures his workday around training, handling client work in the mornings and early afternoons before heading to swim practice, often returning to the office afterward to complete pending tasks. This disciplined time management, honed through years of balancing academics and athletics, has become a cornerstone of his professional approach.

Torres brings three key lessons from competitive swimming to his real estate practice: dedication, consistency, and obstacle management. As a listing-oriented agent, he emphasizes that success in real estate, like swimming, requires persistent effort even when motivation wanes. “There are days I don’t want to come to the office and make the phone calls,” he admits, “but I know that if I don’t do those things, I’ll never get to where I want to be.”

In his market analysis, Torres observes a trend toward normalization in his area. The frenzied seller’s market of recent years has cooled, with buyers taking more time to evaluate properties. Unlike the previous environment where listings would sell within days, today’s market reflects a more balanced dynamic. Despite interest rate fluctuations, he sees the market moving toward a more equitable state for both buyers and sellers.

While Torres has traditionally kept his athletic achievements separate from his real estate practice, he acknowledges the potential to leverage his Paralympic success to demonstrate his work ethic and dedication to clients. “It probably is something that I do need to work on utilizing more often,” he reflects, recognizing how his athletic accomplishments can showcase his commitment to excellence. His journey from the swimming pool to real estate exemplifies how athletic discipline and perseverance can forge a path to professional success, regardless of the field.