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Robert Martinez is the owner of Rockstar Capital, a multifamily investment and property management company that owns and operates twenty-three apartment communities across Texas totalling 3,870 units with a portfolio valued in excess at $348 million. At Rockstar Capital, Robert and his team work build their marketing strategies through story-telling, something you can’t find anywhere else in the industry. They give open looks into their processes at Rockstar through the DailyRock videos on their Youtube channel and through their various social media accounts. As one of the only owner/operators in the industry, Rockstar Capital manages their own properties, which in turn allows them to give them their full attention and commitment to excellence. Their performance outclasses the competition because they care about their performance. That’s how they’ve been able to accomplish having four properties ranked in the top 1% in the nation for resident satisfaction.
Robert Martinez grew up in a middle class family in a border town in Texas and lived his life the exact way everyone is taught. He made good grades, went to college to pursue an engineering degree, and worked a job in Oil & Gas Sales for many years.
“By all of my own parameters, I considered myself successful, but I was far from happy. I found that working sales, the idea that your pay was only limited by what you could sell wasn’t necessarily true. I was also in an industry I wasn’t passionate about, it was just what I was told I was supposed to do,” he recalls.
This is when Robert stumbled upon the real estate industry.
“It was like I was peeking behind the curtain at a whole new world. I started consuming as much of that world as I could,” he says.
He joined real estate groups, listened to industry podcasts, and did whatever he could to grow his knowledge of the industry. Eventually, he made the leap and started a company with a business partner which in turn help him lay the foundation for Rockstar Capital.
After some time, Robert left that company to start Rockstar Capital in 2011. He recalls this as one of the best decisions he has ever made. Now in 2019, he possess an industry-leading 12 cash-out refinances in eight years, 17 city, state, and national apartment association awards, and a commitment to story-telling marketing that you cannot find anywhere else in our industry.
“We’re also one of the only owner-operators, meaning that every property we acquire is operated by the Rockstar Team. It also means that because I have my own personal equity in each deal; my skin is in the game just like everyone else’s. It gives us a sense of urgency when our property’s performance directly affects our personal investments,” he states.
His motivation to begin this journey stemmed from his need to be the master of his own destiny.
“I needed to break free from the unseen parameters and rules I kept facing in my previous sales job. I wanted the freedom and autonomy to be able to build my own empire, have my own staff that I could truly care about, and build a company around heart over talent,” he shares.
Robert firmly believes that a company built around heart, the team mindset, and helping each other reach their goals will have to potential to outclass any other.
“The only way to make a culture like that is to create your own,” he says.
Through time, Robert has learned to take every failure as a lesson that acts as a stepping stone to his next success. He believes people should learn to welcome failures, as it is an inevitable part of one’s personal growth.
“All failure is, is discovering a way to not do it. As necessity is the mother of invention, you’ll find a way to do it, you’ll find the right way. Innovation is bred from past failures. The more you have failed in your career, the more you have learned to overcome the next obstacle. Welcome every failure, dust yourself off, and ask how you can do it better next time,” he emphasizes.
Rockstar Capital is a company built around Heart, Innovation, and Dreaming. The way they approach their team, residents, and investors is more personal and transparent than anyone else in the industry.
Their marketing strategy is based off of three hashtags: #RockstarPride (their pride in their awards, refinances, and other successes), #RockstarLiving (their stories they can tell about delivering the best resident experience in the industry), and #RockstarCares (their charitable arm and their commitment to giving back in light of their success).
Robert’s next big goal is to reach 10,000 units owned and managed within their portfolio, but this isn’t even close to the finish line for Rockstar Capital. Robert plans to continue building his brand to be instantly recognizable and synonymous with independent apartment owning and management, and eventually collaborate on projects at a national level.
To Follow Robert Martinez journey’s, please click here.
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